Today we would like to tell you about a project from the very beginning of KICKBOX at RUAG, which is now about to go into series production. It is the "Hybrid APU" project by Nico Hensgens, Gunnar Heimsch and Anton Sulovsky, which was developed in the RIO business area in the Sustainability & Autonomy cluster.
The starting point
Electricity and gas prices have changed dramatically in recent years, which has led to uncertainty among companies and governments. The question is whether this will continue in the long term and how we can counteract this trend. Current events such as the energy crisis and the conflict in Ukraine influence energy prices. Like any other market, the energy market is driven by supply and demand. Increased consideration of sustainability and climate policy is moving into focus through legislation and regulation and also plays an important role in price trends.
These trends and the rising dependency on energy suppliers are increasing the need for self-sufficient solutions for energy production. The Hybrid APU project addresses this issue.
What is the project about?
The "Hybrid APU" is an innovative emergency generator that uses sustainable hydrogen as fuel. The mobile system allows for location-independent and carbon-neutral energy production.
The main components are advanced hydrogen fuel cells and a high-performance battery. Hydrogen can be produced from renewable energy sources and stored locally. It therefore not only contributes to a sustainable energy supply, but also to independence from fossil fuels such as natural gas, diesel or gasoline.
The highly robust design, the low thermal signature and the option of near silent battery operation allow it to be used in security environments and power system-critical infrastructure.
The Hybrid APU is a working and near-production prototype that can be used in live demonstrations today.
Nico Hensgens, Product Owner, had this to say about the KICKBOX program: "KICKBOX has enabled us to develop and test a prototype based on the original KICKBOX ideas of Anton and Gunnar from the Ground Engineering business area. The next step we would like to take is to get it ready for series production."