Omega Dot is an engineering consultancy specialising in turbomachinery specific to air foil bearings (AFB). An application of our technology is within the hydrogen fuel cell system for electric vehicles (EVs). Turbomachinery can be used within the fuel cell system to boost efficiency, offer an oil-free operation that runs near frictionless and has low noise levels. Although it can run near frictionless, the AFB system has issues during start-stop cycles where there is contact between the bearing and the shaft. This contact occurs at low speeds and causes frictional wear which weakens the overall system. To date, Omega Dot can validate their AFBs to 5,000 start-stop cycles but for production within the EV market and automotive industry, it is imperative to validate them to 250,000 start-stop cycles.

This project will detail the analysis of the PTFE coating used in Omega Dot's AFB for surface distress for when this occurs and how deep the impact on a material level is to the overall system. We have partnered with NPL and ASTUTE to answer this question. It is imperative to provide practical evidence of our bearings' cyclic life as the market has emphasised this importance.

Omega Dot and their A4i partners are hoping to bring together their expertise and facilities to tackle the challenge described in this application which Omega Dot is not able to solve without NPL and ASTUTE. The results from this project may identify strengths and weaknesses within the current AFB configurations and how they can be improved for production. NPL and ASTUTE will help Omega Dot to interpret the results from the studies. The outcomes from this project will push Omega Dot into commercialisation of their AFBs through lifecycle validation and allow Omega Dot to invest in their production and manufacturing capabilities. This will help to secure larger client orders which will give us sustained economic growth and boost the hydrogen fuel cell system supply chain.