TSB awards £400,000 for balance of plant solution

GLOUCESTER, England--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Ultra Electronics Precision Air Systems, a leading pneumatic systems company, has secured an £400,000 grant from the government-funded Technology Strategy Board. The funds, won in competition as part of the Board’s “Fuel Cells and Hydrogen Technologies” programme will be used to develop advanced balance of plant solutions for hydrogen fuel cell based power generation systems.

Ultra Electronics is leading a consortium which comprises Diverse Energy Limited, Dynamic Boosting Systems Limited, City University London (Centre for Energy and Transport) and TURBOCAM Europe Limited. The consortium will address the need to improve the performance of the ancillary subsystems which manage gas flows and humidity within a hydrogen fuel cell system. These subsystems have a critical influence on the overall energy efficiency of a hydrogen fuel cell power plant and through life operating costs.

The consortium will be focussing on developing an advanced power plant for off-grid deployment for uses such as remote telecoms base stations and other critical infrastructure applications. The global market shows high growth potential for such applications within the next decade.

Andy Yates, Managing Director of Ultra Electronics Precision Air Systems, commented “This award marks an exciting move into a new sector for the business. It is one where Ultra can apply its systems engineering skills to integrate and optimise sub-systems and components to improve the overall performance of a fuel cell power system. I look forward to the project’s successful conclusion and the resultant business opportunities that will follow.”

About Ultra Electronics

Ultra Electronics is a group of specialist businesses designing, manufacturing, and supporting electronic and electromechanical systems, sub-systems and products for defence, security and aerospace applications worldwide. The Group focuses on obtaining a technological edge in niche markets, with many of its products and technologies being market leaders in their field.

About Diverse Energy Limited

Diverse Energy makes emission-free, low-cost PowerCubes® to replace diesel generators, powering cell-phone towers in rural developing countries. Silent, clean fuel cells, powered by readily available ammonia, improve the local environment, are more efficient and reliable, and give cellular providers a green alternative.

About Dynamic Boosting Systems Limited

Dynamic Boosting Systems Ltd is a spinout company from Imperial College London. They are developing and commercializing an innovative patented forward-swept, shrouded, centrifugal turbomachine, ‘TurboClaw’. The company has extensive expertise to design and develop electric machines and drives. This includes high-speed permanent magnet disc and drum configuration topologies and associated power and control electronics.

About City University London - Research Centre for Energy and Transport

The Research Centre for Energy and Transport is focussed upon research in basic and computational fluid dynamics, development of new experimental technologies and their application to internal combustion engines, compressors, alternative energy systems and combustion research towards the achievement of environmentally sustainable transportation systems and improved efficiency in fluid power systems.

About TUBOCAM Europe Limited

TURBOCAM specialise in providing manufacturing solutions for complex components, with a core competency in 5-axis machining supported by in-house developed software. The company is a leading supplier to major Automotive, Aerospace and Turbomachinery industries. The TURBOCAM group of companies have over eighty 5-axis machining centres, plus other CNC machines and equipment, with manufacturing sites in the UK, USA, India and Romania.

About the Technology Strategy Board

The Technology Strategy Board is a business-led executive non-departmental public body, established by the government. Its role is to promote and support research into, and development and exploitation of, technology and innovation for the benefit of UK business, in order to increase economic growth and improve the quality of life. It is sponsored by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills (BIS). For further information please visit www.innovateuk.org.

Source: Business Wire