Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cells are considered as one of the solutions enabling long-term sustainable transport, however, incumbent systems provide electric power outputs below 200 kW. To cater to the need of the heavy-duty transport sectors, the development of next generation of Fuel Cell systems aims at durable PEMFC stacks offering power output between 250 and 500 kW. To support this development, the H2UpScale project aims to design, build, test and validate key BoP components for PEMFC systems generating more than 250 kW electric power suitable for heavy-duty transport applications (aviation, maritime, on-road long-haul). H2UpScale brings together 3 research organisations, 2 academic and 11 industrial partners, including BoP manufacturers and OEMs. The project will identify application-specific requirements, that will then drive the requirements, development and optimization of 3 standards for modular and scalable PEMFC architectures ≥250kW (electrical power supply architectures & waste heat management system designs).The BoP components in focus include the hydrogen ejector, H2 recirculation pump, H2 leakage sensor, air compressor, cathode air filter and air humidifier, water separator, exhaust resonator, coolant heat exchanger and coolant medium. The targeted advancements for BoP components include efficiency and durability improvements, weight and volume reduction, and architecture simplification. The components will be designed to be compatible with both single- and multi-stack platforms, with scalability and modularity in mind, facilitating their integration into multi-MW scale systems. Selected full-scale BoP components will be validated on a Hardware-in-the-Loop test bench and a techno-economic analysis of the potential impact of the developed BoP components on the HD markets will be performed. With these main targets, the aim for H2UpScale is to provide critical technological bricks enabling the creation of a TRL7 demonstrator from 2027 onwards.

This action, entitled “Development of high reliability motor drives for next generation propulsion applications”, is a 4-year research focused training program. It is aimed to form a coherent Research and Innovation Staff Exchange network so as to address technical challenges facing the electrifying transport industry, with a focus on high-reliability electrical traction drives. Transport electrification has been considered as a major advancement to reducing CO2 emissions and improving energy efficiency. At the heart of the propulsion systems are electrical traction drives. But technological developments are still at an early stage. Industries are trying out different traction drive technologies. Permanent magnet synchronous motors, induction motors, reluctance motors and DC motors-based traction drives are all found in use while they have their inherent advantages and drawbacks. In academia and industry, there are no consensus on the best traction drive for a single application. Existing technologies cannot meet the ever-growing market needs for safe, fast, green and affordable transportation. Major challenges include demands for very high torque density, power density, fuel efficiency and fault tolerance, pushing the devices and components to their physical and material limits. Particularly operating motor drives at high speeds and harsh environments require a new mindset of component and system design for safety-critical high-reliability requirements, as well as multidisciplinary approaches to combine multiphysics (e.g. thermal, stress) with the conventional electromagnetic and electronic designs. This program will bring together EU’s leading universities and industries, and utilise the latest technological discoveries in power electronics, motor drives, drivetrains and control, sensors and monitoring, communications, big data and artificial intelligence. The outcomes will be significant to impact on EU transport sector, EU research landscape and EU economy.