HANSA 10-2023

TECH-INNOVATION POWERED BY VDMA - MARINE EQUIPMENT AND SYSTEMS
PROTON MOTOR FUEL CELL
Fuel cells for cleaner shipping
Proton Motor HyShip fuel cell system powers Fincantieri’s ZEUS
The producer of hydrogen fuel cells, Proton Motor Fuel Cell
GmbH, enables ship and maritime manufacturers to implement
climate-neutral fuel cell propulsion systems for the inland and
offshore sectors. The company specialises in modular systems
»Made in Germany« and uses graphitic bipolar plates, as only
these meet the technical and commercial performance requirements
of the applications.
© Proton Motor
The core components of the systems are the high-performance
fuel cell stacks developed in-house with their globally unique
double integration possibility. Thanks to the modular system for
hydrogen, air and cooling, specific requirements can be implemented
quickly or can be easily delivered as pre-assembled
»plug & play« solutions. The company works with customers and
partners from concept development to implementation as well as
throughout the entire product life cycle, plus they will be qualified
respectively certified on request. 25 years of electrification
knowledge and a large supplier network from related technical
areas, such as hydrogen storage systems, are also available.
Proton Motor has bundled all areas – hydrogen fuel cell development,
production and assembly including testing – at two facility
sites in the Munich metropolitan region. With over 120 employees,
fast, flexible structures are guaranteed, the company
says.
The specialist has a series production plant and successfully established
itself with maritime references for 15 years. Currently,
this includes the delivery of the new fuel cell system »HyShip« to
the largest European shipbuilding group Fincantieri as well as the
co-operation context of »Ma-Hy-Hy« (Marine-Hydrogen-
Hybrid) together with Torqeedo for the projecting of a marine
high-voltage hybrid propulsion system with battery and
hydrogen fuel cell.
AQUATHERM
Solutions for customized prefabricated pipe spools
Aquatherm’s headers, pipe spools and special
components are made from the corrosionresistant
material polypropylene
© Aquatherm
Those who choose Aquatherm want a
complete solution, not just a simple pipe,
the producer says. Therefore, the new
services accommodates all services the
company offers, including planning and
prefabrication. Aquatherm supports the
maritime industry in solving emerging
technical, operational and environmental
problems by offering polypropylene piping
for liquid media and compressed air.
Resistant to corrosion, wear and chemical
attack, the piping systems are ideal for extreme
high sea conditions and provide
excellent economic efficiency. Aqua -
therm says. Thanks to a wide range of superior
products, integrated systems and
additional technologies for the shipbuilding
industry, the producer covers all
major installations onboard the vessel:
ballast and heating/cooling systems, solutions
for water treatment as well as hot
and cold fresh water distribution systems.
Due to the diversity of today’s application
in the maritime engineering
sector, there is hardly any chance of being
able to cover the distribution of fluid
media using standardized or modular
spool design. Every construction project
has its own individual requirements.
Aquatherm supports its customers with
prefabricated pipe spools customized on
medium type, application, architectural
circumstances as well as regulations and
laws. Aquatherm services produces and
assembles in a clean environment on
around 1650 square metres of production
space. Dirty or dusty installation conditions
therefore have no influence on the
result. Direct access to all items in the inventory
makes it possible to react quickly
to any project-specific needs and to fabricate
solutions without delay.
Headers, pipe spools and special components
are made from the corrosionresistant
material polypropylene. It is
recyclable and can be reused in various
applications. There are no environmentally
polluting substances either in its processing
or in its disposal. The fibrecomposite
technology is characterized by
high pressure-resistance and dimensional
stability, as well as minimal linear thermal
expansion. The assembly method ensures
a high level of safety and durability:
pipe and fitting are briefly heated using
specially designed tools, and then joined
together. The plastic melts into a homogeneous,
integral unit. The low weight
compared to metal piping systems simplifies
handling on site.
The headers, pipe spools and special
components are built in Aquatherm’s own
factory according to the customer‘s specifications
and shipped ready for installation
anywhere in the world. At the construction
site, they only have to be connected to the
piping system by heat fusion or flange connections,
the company says.
58 HANSA – International Maritime Journal 10 | 2023