Hypersonic engine, battery manufacturing get support

The federal government has announced $8 million in grants to 14 Australian businesses to support commercialisation.

The latest Accelerating Commercialisation grants go to a range of manufacturing companies including Queensland firm Hypersonix, which will use its $952,575 to develop an Australian manufactured hydrogen fuelled scramjet engine, designed to put small satellites into low-level orbit.

Scramjets (pictured) are air-breathing engines capable of ignition and operation at hypersonic speeds above Mach five.

Using supersonic combustion, Scramjets do not need to carry oxygen as does a rocket, nor do they need rotating blades that characterise turbojet engines.

Sydney-based Sicona Battery Technologies will use its $704,302 matched grant to build a pilot plant to manufacture batteries using existing Australian supply chains.

The company’s anode technology has been demonstrated to increase the capacity of lithium-ion batteries.

Victorian company Ker Ker will develop its skin care ointment that significantly reduces the healing time of minor burns.

And Brisbane-based Microbio will commercialise its blood stream infection test panel, to achieve better outcomes for sepsis sufferers, including the 8,700 Australians that die each year from the condition.

Industry minister Karen Andrews said the latest round of Accelerating Commercialisation grants brought the total invested under the scheme to $240 million.

Picture: Hypersonix scramjet

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