Opcon chosen to participate in major EU fuel cell engine project

Opcon chosen to participate in major EU fuel cell engine project Opcon Autorotor AB, of Nacka, Sweden, a subsidiary of Opcon AB, will develop air systems for two new European fuel cell engines. Europe and the EU have begun investing heavily in the development of fuel cell engines, an area dominated up to now by the US and Japan. A research project entitled HyTRAN will now develop two completely new, highly advanced fuel cell engines. The project will run for four years and focus on a large engine for cars and a smaller engine for Auxiliary Power Units, APUs. The applications for APUs are mainly power supply in large vehicles - trucks and buses - in areas such as heating, air conditioning, fridges and TVs, or for reserve power supplies in homes. Opcon Autorotor is participating in the project together with several of Europe's leading carmakers, car technology businesses and research institutions focused on fuel cell technology. Opcon Autorotor, which is today a world leader in air systems for fuel cell engines, will be the only company in the project involved in developing the air systems for the fuel cell engines. An air system comprises a frequency converter, electric motor, compressor, heat exchanger and control equipment. "The EU's invitation to us to join the project together with the major auto manufacturers and technology developers is a great success for us and a confirmation of our storing position in this area," says Opcon's CEO; Sven G. Oskarsson. "Taking part in a research project like this together with several of Europe's leading businesses in this field and also receiving financial support for our research means that we will have even better opportunities to develop technically advanced air systems for fuel cells in the future." The four-year HyTRAN project, which started at the turn of the year, is one of the EU's new research areas for environmentally sustainable energy systems and is a part of the EU's sixth framework programme. The project has a budget of EUR 16.8 million and around half of Opcon Autorotor's costs will be covered by EU sponsorship. The aim of the EU project is to solve several problems that are delaying the introduction of fuel cell engines in the mass market. Key areas include reducing weight and size significantly, increasing efficiency and reliability and reducing the start time. "Opcon Autorotor will improve the performance and life-length of air systems for cars. For the smaller APU we will develop a completely new compressor. This is not an area we have experience of so it will be a special challenge," admits Per Alvestig, technical manager at Opcon Autorotor AB. A fuel cell engine comprises a fuel cell stack (which can contain hundreds of fuel cells) a hydrogen tank and an air system. The fuel cells covert hydrogen and oxygen into an electric current that can drive an electric motor. The only emission is steam. The HyTRAN project, which is co-ordinated by Volvo, has 19 participants: carmakers Centro Ricerche Fiat (Italy),Volvo (Sweden), Renault (France), DaimlerChrysler (Germany), Volkswagen (Germany), DAF (Netherlands), suppliers Johnson Matthey (UK), Nuvera (Italy), Opcon Group (Sweden), Gillet (Germany), Weidmann-Plastics (Switzerland), Adrop (Germany), universities and research institutes IKA (Germany), ECN (Netherlands), Polito (Italy), PSI (Switzerland), IMM (Germany), ICSTM (UK) and Envipark (Italy). For further information, please contact Per Alvestig, technical manager, Opcon Autorotor AB, tel 08-448 44 42 Sven G. Oskarsson, CEO, Opcon AB, tel 0532-611 30, mb 070-625 81 21 Please also visit our website: www.opconab.com Opcon AB, Box 30, 662 21 Åmål Tel: 0532-611 00, fax: 0532-120 19 e-post: info@opcon.se www.opconab.com Opcon's business concept is to develop, manufacture and market systems and products that contribute to generating clean power. The Opcon Group comprises SEM AB, REAC AB, Opcon Autorotor AB, Laminova Production AB, Svenska Rotormaskiner AB (SRM), Lysholm Technologies AB and Opcon Inc. The Group employs around 352 employees in Åmål, Nacka, Sollentuna, Sweden and in the US. Products made within the Group include ignition and engine management systems, electro-mechanical devices, screw compressors and heat exchangers. Most of the Group's customers are within the auto, small engine and engineering industries. Opcon AB is listed on the O-List of Stockholmsbörsen. ------------------------------------------------------------ This information was brought to you by Waymaker http://www.waymaker.net The following files are available for download: http://www.waymaker.net/bitonline/2004/03/17/20041004BIT20200/wkr0001.pdf