Page 43

Pictured: Dr Helerson KemmerFor the automotive industry, fuel cell mobility is a natural development. It has many parallels with the conventional automotive technology that has been employed on a large scale for many decades. The two powertrain solutions are similar in terms of the required system capability to dimension the entire system, complex air supply and control, the thermal management of critical components and of the vehicle as a whole, the use of fuel at high pressures, and the software control of complex interactions between actuators and sensors. Many combustion-engine components can be used in fuel cell systems, as can engineering and manufacturing expertise and sites.In recent years, this established know-how has been enhanced by new elements for electromobility, some of which are already in mass production. Mention can be made here of the electrical powertrain and electrical devices developed for hybrid vehicles and battery-powered vehicles (high-power motors and inverters, steering, brake boosters, air conditioning compressors, pumps, etc.), as well as of batteries and gas storage (e.g. for CNG-powered vehicles). These products can be seen as paving the way for the introduction of fuel cell vehicles, with their electrical powertrains and gas storage tanks.A few products are still needed to complete the chain, such as hydrogen injectors, sensors feasible for H2 and the fuel-cell stack. Bosch is working primarily on products that complement the Bosch portfolio, such as specific injectors and sensors. Stack electrochemistry technology is presently deployed in niche applications such as fork lifts or heat and current generators. The learning curve for this technology has sped up considerably in recent years, with a huge reduction in the amount of platinum needed for catalysis as well as a significant increase in power density. The activities of diverse research institutes have now found their way into the research and development departments of automakers and automotive suppliers. However, as such activities do not typically form part of the brief of automotive engineers, the industry will still have to retrain some of its staff, as well as recruit some new graduates with the necessary qualifications. Universities have been successfully preparing their undergraduate and postgraduate engineers in this technology in recent years.GREAT OPPORTUNITY FOR INNOVATIVE COMPANIESFuel cell technology represents a great opportunity for both highly industrialized countries and innovative companies such as Bosch. By combining established know-how with new technologies and products, highly qualified jobs can be maintained and created. This means taking the control of the entire value chain, from research and development to the production and launch of attractive products. Costs can be kept low by applying the automobile industry’s proven method of incentivizing innovation through fair competition for ideas and technology as well as through adjustable production needs.On the other hand, new players are forcing their way into the value chain, from components up to entire vehicles. Established companies will need to continuously develop and rethink their strategic positioning in order to keep pace with, or indeed to shape, this development. Bosch is ready to support automakers in their efforts.Here, it will take the same approach that was very successful in combustion-engine development over the last few decades: Bosch will create value for automakers through innovative components, subsystems, and system platforms based on profound systems understanding. This is not only necessary to remain a successful company, as it is an important contribution toward achieving the challenging goals which the global society of the 21st century has set itself. ■ABOUT THE AUTHORDr Helerson Kemmer is Director of the mobile fuel cells project in the corporate research sector at Robert Bosch GmbH. NATURAL DEVELOPMENT FOR THE AUTOMOTIVE INDUSTRY Pictured: Bosch components for hybrid and electric vehicles: electric motors and inverters, brake booster, electric steeringINNOVATION TECHNOLOGY 043