On March 8, Yihejie Group held a launching ceremony for the launch of fuel cell air compressors in Wuxi, announcing that its fuel cell air compressors were the first to be put into production in China. In the same period, Yihejie Group also held a strategic cooperation signing ceremony with Aeristech in the UK.
Launching Ceremony of Fuel Cell Air Compressor Launched by Yihejie Group Wuxi Plant
Liu Quan, chairman of Yihejie Group, said that the commissioning of new products will help to change the domestic fuel cell air compressors relying on imports. At the same time, it also marks the Yihejie turbocharger from mechanical to electric.
Liu Quan, Chairman of Yihejie Group, delivered a speech
According to Xiong Xinyuan, general manager of Yihejie Group, the newly-launched fuel cell air compressor project used some of the existing plants in Wuxi Huishan Plant, with an investment of 108 million yuan in the first phase, introducing advanced foreign equipment and building high-speed motors and controllers. Production line, impeller 5-axis machining automatic production and inspection line, air compressor assembly and automatic detection line. At the same time, the project will be built into the first domestic fuel cell air compressor performance and endurance test center. The new project plans to achieve the capacity of 50,000 fuel cell air compressors by 2025, and will serve domestic diesel manufacturers and fuel cell system suppliers such as Weichai Power, Suzhou Felsey Energy, SAIC Datong, FAW Jiefang, BYD, and Lifan. And plans to export to overseas markets.
Last year, China’s fuel cell commercial vehicles produced more than 1,500 vehicles. In 2018, it was called “the first year of Chinese fuel cell vehicles” by the industry. The "Technology Roadmap for Energy Saving and New Energy Vehicles" issued by China Automotive Engineering Society puts forward the development goal of fuel cell vehicles nationwide, that is, 5,000 vehicles (demonstration operation) in 2020, 50,000 vehicles in 2025, and 1 million vehicles in 2030. Vehicle (large-scale promotion). The resurgence of fuel cells in the automotive industry has also made air compressors, one of the key components of fuel cell systems, seen by many companies and investment institutions as a "stop solution" for cutting into the power of automobiles, and a "window" for embracing new energy vehicles.
Fuel cell air compressor samples displayed at the event site (left: integrated fuel cell air compressor; right picture: controller of split fuel cell air compressor)
Xiong Xinyuan said that although the fuel cell air compressor is similar in structure to the electric supercharger, its electric high speed and the need for oil-free lubrication and other special requirements have brought great challenges to its industrialization. Even the “best candidate” turbocharger company needs to design, manufacture and test resources for cross-border joint high-speed motors and electronic control systems when industrializing fuel cell air compressors. This is also the significance of the strategic cooperation between Yihejie and Aeristech in the UK.
Talking about the cooperation between the two parties, Xiong Xinyuan said that Aeristech is an advanced technology company that not only has patented design technology and professional testing technology in the field of high-speed motors and controllers, but also has successfully developed 12V and 48V electric superchargers and fuel cell-specific centrifuges. Air compressor. The two sides have joined forces to realize the first production of fuel cell air compressors in China, and get rid of the situation that fuel cell air compressors rely on imports. At the same time, cost is still one of the main reasons restricting the pace of industrialization of fuel cells. It is hoped that the production of fuel cell air compressors in the Hefeijie Wuxi plant will help reduce the overall cost of fuel cell systems and help the rapid promotion of fuel cell vehicles. application.
Yihejie Group and Aeristech of the United Kingdom held a strategic cooperation signing ceremony (signature right: Xiong Xinyuan, general manager of Yihejie Group; left: Duncan Kerr, chief operating officer of Aeristech)
At the signing ceremony, Aeristech Chairman and CEO Richard Wall said that the two companies will jointly develop new air compressor products for domestic automotive and fuel cell system suppliers, such as 30kW, 45kW, 60kW and 120kW drive modules. Power air compressors.
The fuel cell converts the chemical energy of hydrogen and air (oxygen) into electrical energy through an electrochemical reaction through a proton exchange membrane, and then the motor drives the vehicle. As a core component of the fuel cell cathode gas supply system, the air compressor increases the air (oxygen) intake air amount by supercharging the air entering the fuel cell stack, thereby improving the power density and efficiency of the fuel cell. In other words, it is ensured that the fuel cell can reduce the size of the fuel cell system and achieve miniaturization under the premise of achieving the same power, and meet the demand for lightweight of the automotive power system. In January this year, Wan Gang, vice chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference and chairman of the China Science and Technology Committee, said in the "Electric Vehicles 100 People's Association" that it is necessary to increase the research and development of fuel cells, overcome the difficulties of basic materials, core technologies and key components, and the current key breakthroughs. Industrialization of membrane electrodes, air compressors and hydrogen storage tanks. Air compressors are one of the key components that need to be industrialized.
