Vert Technologies - Experts & Thought Leaders

Vert is looking to the stars after a request from the European Space Agency (ESA) to adapt its innovative conical rotary compressor technology (CRC) for use on future lunar landing craft. The compressor technology company has been commissioned to design, manufacture, validate and deliver a novel, electrically-powered, positive-displacement propellant pump unit, under a program of, and funded by the European Space Agency. This flavor of Vert’s patented CRC technology will be incorporated into a re-startable, deep-throttling thruster system and will be known as the Conical Rotary Booster (CRB) having moon landing science and exploration vehicle applications. Reduced mission costs Consisting of an integrated module comprising a pump unit and electric motor, the CRB’s technical advantages over existing hydrodynamic technologies include easy scalability and controllable variable flow rates for high-pressure delivery for low viscosity fluids. It is the ever increasingly strong demand for vehicle mass efficiency, reduced mission costs, and higher payloads that helped Vert stand out, as David Noake, Head of Design at Vert, explains. In turn, this requires additional high-pressure tanks with thick-walls" “Current spacecraft use pre-pressurized systems that cannot effectively utilize all the fuel they carry or require gas re-pressurization of the fuel storage” explains David. “Namely, this technology employs a gas reservoir to ensure delivery of fuel at sufficiently high pressures for injection into the combustion chamber. In turn, this requires additional high-pressure tanks with thick-walls that can incur significant mass penalties and can present significant hazard since the thick tanks do not burn up on re-entry to earth atmosphere.” Hampering mission effectiveness “Considering added bulk can hamper mission effectiveness, our electrically-driven CRB’s ability to reach the 6kN of thrust ESA’s craft requires made it an attractive option for the agency. If designed appropriately rocket thrusters can achieve higher levels of thrust for the same fuel flow if the delivery of the propellants is at a higher pressure. The CRB’s viability with non-toxic RP-1 rocket fuel, and the fact the pump power source can be replenished mid-mission without decaying thrust or incomplete propellant utilization apparent in existing propulsion systems, further cemented the CRB’s viability.” This new project follows previous partnerships between the Edinburgh-based firm and ESA to adapt Vert’s existing compressor technology to Technological Readiness Level 4 – a NASA-developed definition demonstrating the technology’s validation at all stages of development and use. Other scientific minds Space has always fascinated and captivated not only engineers and other scientific minds" The first step of this ESA project will involve the development of an earth atmosphere demonstration vehicle, the Ascent and Descent Autonomous Manoeuvrable Platform (ADAMP), in which the CRB will be utilized alongside other novel and emerging technologies being developed for/by ESA. “Space has always fascinated and captivated not only engineers and other scientific minds, but also the public at large,” says David. “As such, the fact that we are adapting our innovative CRC for use in moon landings is thrilling both to me and the wider Vert team.” Multiple moon missions “Our pump’s size and its ability to achieve high levels of pressure at the required fuel flow, akin to those achieved via traditional pressure fed systems will be key to propelling ESA’s future lunar craft. After demonstrating proof-of-concept, we are extremely excited to take our work to the next stage with the ADAMP and then be on the road to help a new generation of astronauts reach the stars.” “It is highly important to us that any electrical pumps used in our vehicles’ propulsion systems be green propellant-compatible and deliver high pressure,” concludes David Perigo, Chemical Propulsion Engineer at ESA. “Alongside this, this technology needed to allow for a re-ignitable, deep-throttling engine across multiple moon missions. We are delighted that Vert’s CRB solution has met these stringent requirements and look forward to working with the company to develop the ADAMP and future space-faring craft.”

Vert Technologies’ Board of Directors is pleased to announce that Tim Havilland has joined the Vert Board as Investor Director for Aero-Den.  Tim brings a wealth of experience in the air and gas compression sector, and will work closely with the Vert team to drive integration of the company's high pressure Conical Rotary Compressor technology across the refrigeration, heat pump and gas compression sectors.

Heat pump manufacturers should review all system components on existing designs following warnings from the latest Climate Change Committee (CCC) report that the ongoing rollout could increase F-Gas emissions, according to Scottish firm Vert Technologies. The CCC’s new 2022 Progress Report to Parliament cited concerns that the anticipated widespread take-up of heat pump systems could represent a ‘significant source of F-Gas emissions’ without governmental action. Specifically, the CCC is recommending targets and plans for the rollout of heat pumps that do not use F-Gas refrigerants to address any potential rise in emissions. New environmental risks With this in mind, Nicol Low, Chief Operating Officer at Vert Technologies, is highlighting the need for manufacturers to look at how current systems can be adapted for low global warming potential (GWP) refrigerants if they are to alleviate the CCC’s concerns. “The CCC’s latest report has further spelled out what was always going to be a major hurdle for the heat pump industry. Namely, that while the technology is ostensibly more sustainable than gas boilers, the fact that a lot of existing systems use high-GWP refrigerants such as R404A, R410A and R13A poses new environmental risks.” Sustainable heat pumps Multiple compressor units need to be chained together to adequately compress greener media “In order to mitigate any concerns, manufacturers must look at components such as compressors if they are to adjust their systems for use with low-GWP media, including propane, ammonia, and carbon dioxide. Though this should already be part of these organizations’ decarbonization efforts, if these new targets are to follow previous CCC recommendations into law, what was once a preference will become a priority. As such, it is undoubtedly much better to future-proof and get ahead of the curve now insofar as heat pump design is concerned.” A major issue impeding the widespread adoption of more sustainable heat pumps is that the high-pressure ratios and absolute pressures required for low-GWP refrigerants represent a significant challenge for traditional compression technology. Consequently, multiple compressor units need to be chained together to adequately compress greener media, at added equipment and operational costs that can mount up at economies of scale. Heat decarbonization strategy Nicol concludes: “Traditionally, heat pump manufacturers have had to make a choice when it came to system compressors – would they prioritize efficiency, or sustainability? But with heat pumps representing a major plank of the Government’s heat decarbonization strategy and F-Gas regulations becoming increasingly stringent, more innovation is required in this space.” “In order to facilitate greater uptake of low-GWP-using systems to the level that is clearly required, design engineers should seek out scalable, high-performing compressor technologies. Addressing a comparatively small component could lead to a big impact and further underline the heat pump’s status as a viable, greener alternative to meeting the utility needs of the nation’s building stock.”