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Stuttgart, Germany – Fuel cells are finding their way onto the roads around the world. For Bosch, the next milestone in this development is a major order for electric air compressors with integrated power electronics. These compressors govern the fuel-cell system’s oxygen supply. Bosch has signed a long-term agreement with cellcentric to supply this high-tech component.
President of the Bosch Powertrain Solutions division
In fuel cells, hydrogen reacts with atmospheric oxygen to produce electrical energy as well as water and heat. Running a fuel-cell powertrain on hydrogen that is green – in other words, produced using renewable energy – makes the vehicle climate neutral. As the electric air compressor supplies the required amount of filtered air, it is one of the core components of a fuel-cell system. Bosch offers the air compressor in two power classes – 20 and 30 kilowatts. The 30-kilowatt class is rated for voltages from 450 to 850 volts, while the 20-kilowatt class is rated for either 250–450 volts or 450–850 volts. The compressor wheel reaches speeds of more than 100,000 rpm. “The combination of a high-speed electric motor with integrated power electronics enables easy system integration at competitive manufacturing costs,” Gackstatter says. In addition, the silicon carbide semiconductors used in Bosch power electronics make this powerful component particularly efficient. It is features such as these that cellcentric was looking for.
Electric air compressor
With the air compressor, the greatest technical challenge lies in scaling up the production of the high-speed electric motors with their air bearings and power electronics from customized to large-scale manufacturing. Since the overall technical complexity is comparable with that of a diesel injection system for commercial vehicles, the effect of these systems on employment is a positive one. “This promising component secures jobs at our Homburg plant,” Gackstatter says.
In order for the system to operate as effectively as possible, oxygen is transported to the fuel-cell stack in the cathode path via the electric air compressor. The desired quantity of air is extracted from the ambient atmosphere and made available to the stack at the necessary pressure level for generating electricity.
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