The market for hydrogen powered vehicles now has greater emphasis due to its low carbon potential and is predicted to grow substantially by 2040\. The recent launch of advanced hydrogen fuel cell powered vehicles from Toyota and Hyundai have showcased the potential of the technology and refuelling infrastructure is gradually being rolled out especially in Germany, Japan, California and the UK. Opportunities exist with the pressurised storage of hydrogen to reduce costs, leakage, user experience during refilling, and weight, all of which would improve hydrogen's viability as a low carbon alternative fuel. The National Composites Centre in Bristol has been conducting research into hydrogen storage and have identified a variety of areas for improvement as well as how the UK should develop its supply chain in order to serve this emerging need. Ultima Forma is a specialist manufacturer of advanced metal parts using their patented electroforming process. A ZEV2 feasibility study has confirmed this process has the potential to address a number of the issues identified by the NCC including mandrel strength for winding and hydrogen permeability. In this project, the consortium led by Ultima Forma and supported by Lentus and the NCC will work to define and demonstrate a manufacturing process suitable for use at scale, and assess the economics for scale up.

The development of a robust, highly-loaded composite-metallic joint for Aerospace Engines. Utilising new, high-temperature composite material developments and underpinned by cure modelling, the technology delivers optimised components.

Lentus Composites is a critical component supplier to manufacturers of MRI scanners of the components that support the heavy magnet surrounded by liquid helium. Due to the Coronavirus Covid-19 pandemic, MRI manufacturers have seen an increase in demand for MRI scanners both as a safe diagnosis and research tool for Covid-19 infection without the radiation hazard of X-rays used in CT scanners. The situation is complicated by the fact that demand has doubled for high-field MRI systems because they have higher resolution and these account for an increasing proportion of MRI scanners. High-field MRI utilise magnets (7T) that are particularly heavy and have a high specification in terms of mechanical properties. Our objective is to develop both the materials and process to improve both productivity and product performance meeting or exceeding the specifications set by our customers. This project if successful will protect jobs at our Eynsham site and enable us to meet the increased demand from our customers both in the short, medium, and long term.

The advantage of high power density machines (achieved via increased speed) is the reduction of system weight for a given magnitude of power conversion, allowing compact designs. The UK has positioned itself as a leader in high power density traction motor design and development for vehicle propulsion. In order to reduce the size of these motors whilst increasing the speed and hence power density of the motors, composite elements and novel assembly processes are employed to meet the performance requirements. These very high power density motors have typically been geared to niche, development volume applications. Demand for these technologies is increasing as the technology is adopted more widely, however there is currently no supply chain within the UK capable of meeting the required volumes efficiently and competitively. Existing supply chains are only capable of delivering low volumes of the required technologies, or high volumes of conventional, lower specification rotors. The innovation within this project is the upscaling and adaptation of current production technologies to develop a flexible manufacturing process capable of manufacturing high speed permanent magnet radial rotors with composite sleeves, and composite axial rotor plates. The project will review and identify the most feasible solutions for all process steps, from initial machining of rotor shafts, assembly and grinding of the magnets, manufacture of the composite sleeves (radial rotors) or composite rotors (axial rotors), to final assembly and balancing.

McLaren Automotive, Ricardo, Grainger and Worrall, Lentus Composites, the University of Bath and a major European OEM have been awarded an APC grant to develop a high specific power, modular combustion system and associated engine technologies for application in future vehicle programmes. The APC grant will support the development of a completely new generation of technically advanced engines offering significantly improved CO2 figures for high performance vehicles. The grant will also improve the UK’s development and production capabilities for low CO2 ICE technology. The European OEM will transfer skills and development experience of engine systems to McLaren Automotive; Ricardo will extend its capabilities in the same areas; Grainger and Worrall will deliver complex, lightweight casting technology; Lentus Composites will seek grow from an SME status to a full automotive tier 1 supplier; and the University of Bath will advance capabilities in ICE system efficiency R&D.