Reliefed advances next-generation z.truded® bipolar fuel cell plates together with mobility OEM and receives Swedish Energy Agency grant

Reliefed has successfully completed the initial phase of producing z.truded® bipolar fuel cell plates, in a project sponsored by Vinnova, Sweden’s innovation agency. Given the positive results, Reliefed is now granted new funding, this time from the Swedish Energy Agency, to advance the plate to the next level, where it will be tested in a system environment in a new project with a mobility OEM.

The bipolar plate, a key component in fuel cells and electrolysers, is a critical piece of the energy transition puzzle. Conventional manufacturing technologies struggle to meet market demands for scaling to mass volume production at low cost. z.trusion® is a technology capable of creating advanced 3D structured products in a single production step, in a wide range of materials. It is considered a key technology to profoundly transform the manufacturing eco system, for flow plates in general and bipolar plates in particular, due to its production efficiency.

The initial phase involved designing and using the technology to produce a high-performing prototype of a fuel cell plate in an innovative material. This was accomplished by the Reliefed team at the z.trusion® tech centre, where recyclable plates with a 73% graphite-filled compound, with proven functionality were produced.

Next step is to refine the z.truded® bipolar fuel cell plate to meet or exceed market requirements on plate performance. Development and manufacturing will once again take place at the z.trusion® tech centre, with design and requirements input from fuel cell expert teams at the mobility OEM. Reliefed’s partner for identifying the best material compound is the hydrogen and fuel cell centre ZBT in Germany.

“We are happy to have this mobility OEM as a partner in the project, with the aim to produce fuel cell plates meeting commercial relevant requirements”, says Marcus Berggren, CTO at Reliefed. “They will contribute to take the z.trusion® technology to the next level within the fuel cell arena, enabling state of the art products for mass production.”

The goal is z.truded® bipolar plates in a fully recyclable graphite compound, meeting market requirements for fuel cells in heavy trucks, produced at high speed and low cost, bringing it closer to the market.

Key facts about the z.truded® bipolar fuel cell plate:
– 87% less cost (z.trusion® manufacturing compared to compression moulding)
– 95% cost savings (upfront investment with z.trusion® compared to compression moulding)
– x10 times faster (production rate with z.trusion® compared to compression moulding)
– 97% energy savings (per produced plate with z.trusion® compared to compression moulding)

Note: 80% of the plates are today manufactured using compression moulding, with a cycle time of 3–5 minutes per plate.