BAND-IT ULTRA-LOK for Fuel Cell Stacking

September 23.2024 | Product News

The world is in a race to decarbonize our energy sources, shifting away from fossil fuels. The US Federal Government has a historic opportunity to lead the way in decarbonization with their goal of achieving 100% carbon free electricity by 2035 and a net zero carbon economy by 2050. Included in the goal is the transition to battery electric for light duty vehicles and hydrogen fuel cell for delivery vans, buses, as well as medium and heavy-duty trucks.

Fuel cells take compressed hydrogen and oxygen from the air to generate electricity to power electric vehicles. The number of cells stacked together determines the wattage output of the fuel cell. Fuel cell stacks are held together under tremendous pressure – thus requiring clamps to withstand a cumulative tensile load, in some cases of over 80kN (18,000 lbs.)

The tensile load calculator calculates the number of Ultra-Lok single or double wrapped clamps required to hold the tensile force of a fuel cell. Please reach out to BAND-IT for more information.

This is where BAND-IT steps in. The Ultra-Lok clamp system is one of the strongest clamp systems we produce, made from 1/4 for added tensile strength. The Ultra-Lok Free End clamp system is a great choice to assemble fuel cell stacks compared to custom made tie rods and custom brackets fastened together.

 Key Benefits of using The Ultra-Lok Free End clamp system include:

• Reducing cost and lead time – No tooling or unique parts to design.
• Conforms to irregular shapes – The band conforms to the shape of the cell stack as the band is tensioned.
• Cut Cycle Time – Ultra-Lok can cut cycle time by reducing the number of parts to assemble.
• Maximize range and fuel efficiency – Using Ultra-Lok Free End can reduce the cell stack package size by as much as 20% and the cell stack weight by as much as 10%-15%.
• Scalability – Ultra-Lok Free End can be used as a single wrap or a double wrap depending on the fuel cell force requirements.

If you’re interested in finding out more about the Ultra-Lok Clamp System for fuel cell applications, please reach out to BAND-IT for more information.