Ricardo and Technology Management Inc. Collaborate on Fuel Cell Auxiliary Power Unit (APU) Project; Receive $1 Million Grant: Financial News - Yahoo! Finance: "VAN BUREN TWP., Mich., June 28 /PRNewswire/ -- In an effort to help prevent engine idling and to significantly reduce noise, pollution and fuel costs for commercial and military vehicles, Technology Management Inc. (TMI), a leading Cleveland-based developer of modular solid oxide fuel cell systems, is collaborating with Ricardo -- one of the world's foremost independent automotive engineering and management consulting firms -- to develop an integrated multi-fuel auxiliary power unit (APU).
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The APU could be used to power onboard electrical devices as an alternative to idling large diesel engines. These systems could be in mass production in the next five to 10 years.
To support their efforts, TMI and Ricardo have formed a consortium to help improve the manufacture of the fuel cell system, which has been awarded a $1 million grant through the Ohio Third Frontier Fuel Cell Program. Other key members of the consortium include Remy International and PET, Inc. Ohio's Edison Materials Technology Center, Inc. will provide administrative and contract management.
'After many years of evaluating various fuel cells for mobile APU applications, we determined that TMI's solid oxide fuel cell technology has excellent potential for being integrated with the truck platform,' said Dr. Marc Wiseman, global product group director, Advanced Propulsion Systems for Ricardo. 'Combined with Ricardo's ability and experience in vehicle power systems, we are well-positioned to take the next step -- development of a three-kilowatt APU ready to deploy on a truck operating on standard diesel fuel.'
According to Wiseman, TMI has already demonstrated the "