Eaton will partner with Canadian fuel cell maker Ballard Fuel Cell Systems and the U.S. Department of Energy to develop heavy-duty truck fuel cell technology.

The partnership stems from a U.S. Department of Energy grant Eaton received. It will work with the department’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory on developing the technology, which will use Eaton’s twin vortices series (TVS) technology to improve fuel efficiency.

“Our TVS supercharger technology provides fuel cell manufacturers with a precise amount of controlled air to increase power and efficiency,” said Karl Sievertsen, vice-president and chief technology officer, Eaton’s Vehicle Group. “The efficiency of competitive fuel cells is lower because most hydrogen fuel cells use simple fans for air flow, which produces less pressure and is not controllable.”

Eaton’s Vehicle Group will design and test a subscale, proof-of-concept system prototype utilizing its TVS technology it says will deliver a significant reduction in air system power consumption and fuel cell efficiency for heavy-duty truck applications.

“The innovation will be demonstrated in a laboratory setting and will become a springboard for U.S. advanced manufacturing capabilities and technology leadership,” Sievertsen added.