Rolls-Royce establishes fuel cell research centre at Genoa University

Citation

(2005), "Rolls-Royce establishes fuel cell research centre at Genoa University", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 77 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/aeat.2005.12777aaf.015

Rolls-Royce establishes fuel cell research centre at Genoa University

Rolls-Royce establishes fuel cell research centre at Genoa University

Keywords: Rolls-Royce, Research and development, Aerospeace industry

Rolls-Royce and the University of Genoa in Italy have formally inaugurated a new university technology centre (UTC) to conduct research into fuel cell systems, which are expected to become an increasingly important and environmentally acceptable power source in the future.

The University of Genoa centre is the latest in a series of international UTCs that Rolls-Royce has established to help in researching discrete technologies that give the company its technical edge in its products for global aerospace, marine and energy markets.

Rolls-Royce has conducted research with university departments for decades, but in 1990 began to formalise these relationships with birth of the first UTCs. There are more than 20 Rolls-Royce funded centres at 15 universities in the UK, and several others in Europe and the US.

Rolls-Royce has 10 years of fuel cell system research and development experience and recently formed a new company – Rolls-Royce Fuel Cell Systems Limited (RRFCS) – dedicated to the exploitation of the huge potential represented by this emerging field. A fuel cell is an electrochemical device that converts fuel and oxygen chemically to produce electricity, efficiently and cleanly.

The University of Genoa is an experienced centre for fuel cell research and currently has ten people working in its Thermo-chemical Power Group working on technical programmes for RRFCS. Rolls-Royce is concentrating on solid oxide fuel cells, which the company believes is optimum for stationary power generation applications while also offering longer-term potential for development for transportation, military and marine applications.

Dr Mike Howse, Director – Engineering and Technology, said: “Rolls-Royce develops UTCs only with true centres of research excellence, and we are delighted to have identified such a partner in Genoa”.

Fuel cells are expected to become a viable and environment-friendly replacement for heat engine technology as a power systems prime mover.

Chairman and CEO of RRFCS, Charles Coltman, said: “Fuel cells will have huge potential in a range of markets and applications over the next few decades. The distributed electricity generation annual market is expected to reach $10 billion within ten years”.

RRFCS is committed to developing a competitive system that will minimise power plant cost at high simple-cycle efficiencies, and using existing hydrocarbon-based fuel sources.

Professor Aristide Massardo of the Department of Machinery, Energy Systems and Transportation (DIMSET) of the Faculty of Engineering of Genoa University says that “The founding of this UTC places the research studies of Genoa University on a truly international level and consolidates the ongoing relationship between Rolls-Royce and the DIMSET. And by giving this collaboration a strategic role we can rely on an improved stability, also financial, which enables us to focus on long term research in a sector of fundamental importance for the production of energy and the safeguard of our environment”.

Genoa's Faculty of Engineering dates back to the Royal Naval Academy, founded in 1870 to provide technical education for the production of hulls and marine engines.

Today it has twelve 5-year degree courses and seven 3-year university diplomas and it is also an important presence in the Savona area.