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Closed Loop Regenerative HT-PEM Fuel Cell System pillars - The system was developed at CERTH
European Large Logistic Lander unloading cargo pillars
The ESA project "Development of Closed Loop Regenerative HT-PEM Fuel Cell System GR3008/T303-001EP", funded by the Technology Development Element (TDE) and the SRE-CTP (Greek Task Force Programme activity 3008), was completed in 2022 with the successful development of a closed loop Regenerative Fuel Cell System (RFCS) and demonstration of its operational capability. RFCS are a promising technology for space applications, particularly for those required to store large amounts of energy to survive a long duration eclipse – initially the development was aiming at large geostationary telecommunication satellites, however, the system is also ideal for Moon & Mars exploration missions.
The Centre for Research & Technology Hellas (CERTH) had the key role in the project, to design and manufacture the complete closed loop RFCS breadboard, and perform the life-test according to specific requirements for GEO satellite and Lunar Night survival, taking into account actual eclipse profile.
Based on this development, on September 28, 2022, ESA has kicked off a new activity with Thales Alenia Space Italia (TASI), Centre for Research & Technology-Hellas (CERTH), Foundation for Research & Technology-Hellas (FORTH) and Peak Technology, a solid team with a strong spirit of innovation to push RFCS as the future energy storage technology for lunar exploration and beyond. The project aims to develop a RFCS for the Lunar Night Survival of the European Large Logistic Lander (EL3) designed to allow a series of different missions for cargo, returning samples or prospecting resources on the Moon.
Read the article of the European Space Agency:
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