Clara Venture Labs to power space exploration with innovative Solid Oxide Fuel Cell technology
Bergen, Norway – February 15 – 2022 – Clara Venture Labs has signed a contract with ESA (European Space Agency) for the supply of a Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) system that will power a space craft aiming to land on one of the moons to the giant planets Jupiter or Saturn.
By Annette Frotjold Published
Planetary space exploration relies heavily on energy from solar panels, but the limited solar energy density in deep space makes exploration problematic. For instance, ESA's Huygens mission transmitted data for only 90 minutes after landing on Saturn's moon Titan in 2005. Therefore, such missions cannot rely on only solar panels, and the energy required for the lander must be brought from earth. Batteries, hydrogen fuel cells, fuel cells with alternative fuels, and nuclear sources are some alternative energy sources.
According to ESA, Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFC) that use methane and oxygen are a very promising energy source, as the fuel can be stored in storage tanks for long durations. Such a system can provide electric power and at the same time valuable heat to keep the critical systems of a landing probe in an acceptable temperature range.
Senior Researcher in Clara Venture Labs, Ivar Wærnhus, will lead the project that shall develop a 200 W fuel cell that can be operated with methane and oxygen, suitable for space missions with transfer time of more than 5 years.
Best efficiency with Solid Oxide Fuel Cells
The project is a collaborative effort between Clara Venture Labs, Added Value Solution (AVS) and Centre of Research and Technology Hellas (CERTH).
Space exploration for innovative breakthroughs on Earth
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