Great collaborations are happening in the engineering world. Viritech, the company behind the 1,000bhp Apricale hydrogen fuel cell hypercar, has teamed up with Reaction Engines, known for their hybrid air-breathing rocket engine. They’ve signed a Memorandum of Understanding to work on developing better powertrains for hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs).
In 2019, they started their Applied Technologies division to use this lightweight and compact thermal management in other fields, including automotive. Now, Reaction Engines has created a special thermal management technology for their rocket engines that can rapidly cool air from over 1000˚C to normal temperatures.
Here is how this technology is advancing in the automotive world.
Thermal management and electric vehicles
The two companies are working together to expand their work and test if Reaction Engines’ technology can be used in hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV) powertrains. Keeping fuel cells cool is a tricky problem because they operate at high temperatures and need big radiators to stay within safe limits. Reaction Engines’ technology might make the cooling systems much smaller and lighter, which would be great for both the fuel cell and the battery pack, essential parts of FCEV powertrains.
FCEV powertrains are expected to be key in reducing carbon emissions from transportation. For big trucks that weigh 44 tonnes, a battery-only powertrain doesn’t work because the battery would be too heavy, reducing how much the truck can carry by five tonnes. That’s why fuel cells are a better option for trucks and other heavy vehicles, like those used in aerospace and shipping. Fuel cells could offer a realistic way to have zero-emission vehicles. The UK’s Advanced Propulsion Centre expects that by 2035, the UK will be making about 140,000 fuel cell vehicles every year.
New hypercar
UK startup Viritech has unveiled its sleek, Pininfarina-designed Apricale hypercar at Goodwood, and it’s got some jaw-dropping specs to go with it. This hydrogen-powered beast delivers over 1,000 horsepower and has a power-to-weight ratio of more than one horsepower per kilogram.
With a total weight under 1,000 kg (2,205 lb), the Apricale is among the lightest cars in the elite 1,000-horsepower club. It’s also a fantastic showcase for the company’s innovative tech: lightweight “Graph-Pro” hydrogen storage tanks that are integrated into the carbon fiber chassis, unlike the usual heavy tanks that get bolted on and weigh 20 times more than the hydrogen they carry.
Vintech’s role in the future of hydrogen batteries
Viritech isn’t really aiming to be a hypercar company. This flashy machine is more about showing off its lightweight gas storage and hydrogen/battery hybrid energy management systems in a big way.
When we first heard about Viritech, it became clear that they’re focused on becoming a major supplier of hydrogen technology to the automotive, heavy transport, and even aviation industries—places where they could make a bigger impact on the world than just building fancy cars for people with deep pockets.
The automotive world is constantly progressing with the use of hydrogen. The low emission advantage makes hydrogen engines an eco-friendly option. Who knows what collaborations will come about as hydrogen becomes more widely used?