Aussie supercharger-maker Sprintex gets into HVAC compressors, fuel cell tech

Incorporated in Australia in 2003, Sprintex Ltd is primarily a clean air compressor engineering, research, product development and manufacturing company. 

Its products are used to supercharge combustion engines, clean industrial air, treat wastewater, and most recently to supply hydrogen fuel cells with a constant flow of oxygen-rich air.

Sprintex has received its first production order from British tech company Aeristech to manufacture high speed e-compressors under a collaboration agreement established in September 2021.

Other design programs already completed by Sprintex for Aeristech include an ultra-speed refrigerant compressor that is claimed to deliver 35kW of heating capacity from 8kW of input power.

Intended for various domestic and industrial heat pump applications, it is also suitable for battery, motor and system cooling as well as cabin air-conditioning in electric vehicles

Sprintex also worked with Aeristech on a 4kW two-stage, 160,000rpm e-compressor for advanced fuel cells.

Founded in 2006, Aeristech is now a leader in advanced electric motor and controller systems. It won ‘The Queen’s Award for Enterprise’ for an outstanding achievement by a UK business in the category of ‘innovation’ after patenting control architecture that enables production of the world’s fastest-accelerating and most power-dense permanent magnet variable speed electric motors.

Aeristech’s motors use fewer semiconductors and generate less heat than competitive products and can accelerate to 160,000rpm in less than a second, ideal for fuel cell applications, where power density, speed and efficiency are necessary.

Following a year of collaboration on design, testing and validation, Aeristech has placed its first order for 50 units of the new S15 (6kW) hydrogen fuel cell compressors from Sprintex, with more orders to follow for the larger S20 (10kw) and S39 (25kW) compressors. 

Sprintex Managing Director Jay Upton said: “We are very pleased to achieve this milestone in our collaboration with Aeristech and proud to supply our first batch of production compressors.”

This order follows strong customer interest at Hydrogen Technology Expo Europe in Germany, where several non-disclosure agreements were signed by key players in the hydrogen energy sector, potentially leading to further orders.

Mr Upton continued: “I was really excited to see the level of interest and activity in this market segment and the level of demand for our high-efficiency electric compressors to meet the upcoming mandated reduction of carbon emissions from road vehicles in many advanced markets around the world.”