Cedrion

Cooling and Purifying the Future with Space-Age Technology

Cedrion, a pioneering Spanish start-up, is harnessing technology from the European Space Agency (ESA) to redefine cooling and air purification. Based in Madrid’s ESA Business Incubation Centre, Cedrion has taken what many in the aerospace industry view as a problem—the corona discharge effect—and turned it into a solution for reducing overheating in electronics and improving air quality.

The corona discharge occurs when high-voltage flows through the air, generating charged particles, or ions, that pushes the air in between. Normally, engineers try to avoid this effect because it can harm sensitive electronic equipment. But Cedrion’s breakthrough approach uses corona discharge to generate a strong, directed airflow, cooling down electronics without the need for bulky fans or moving parts.

From Space to Everyday Life

When Cedrion started applying corona discharge technology to cooling, they faced a significant hurdle: the high-voltage converters needed to operate efficiently and cost-effectively were either unavailable or prohibitively expensive. That’s where ESA stepped in. Cedrion accessed a technology originally developed by ESA that provided just the right solution: a high-efficiency electronic component capable of increasing voltage with minimal energy loss. This component was part of a past ESA project but had remained largely untapped. ESA’s Electrical Engineering department and the Agency’s Technology Transfer and Patents Office assisted Cedrion in their corona discharge R&D efforts. Cedrion adapted and optimized it for their unique applications, creating a converter that costs half as much as traditional options while delivering over 90% efficiency, twice the current ones.

“This was a turning point for us,adopting and enhancing this ESA technology allowed us to scale our cooling devices to meet market demands for lightweight, affordable solutions.”
said Héctor Puago, Cedrion’s CTO.

Practical Applications Beyond Aerospace

Cedrion’s cooling systems are already proving valuable in diverse areas. Cars, for example, face major challenges with overheating due to limited space for cooling systems and weight restrictions. Cedrion’s plasma-based solution, weighing less than 50% than current solutions, is perfect for such applications. By simply connecting to the back of the long-range LED light, the device generates an effective airflow that prevents overheating, that reduce its brightness, needing less than 50% of size and power. All while maintaining the industry's challenging cost constraints.

Cedrion is also exploring applications for airplane systems and has even started the commercialisation of their technology to provide highly efficient and silent air purifiers. These purifiers, now in use in ambulances, efficiently eliminate airborne bacteria, viruses and particles.

A Success Story in Technology Transfer

Cedrion’s achievements showcase the power of technology transfer, a process ESA actively supports to bring space technology into new sectors. With ESA’s Technology Transfer and Patent Office facilitating the process, Cedrion received not only the rights to adapt the component but also technical support to overcome initial challenges. This collaboration allowed Cedrion to achieve results that would have been difficult otherwise, providing the start-up with an essential foundation to grow and diversify its product offerings.

This story of innovation underlines how ESA technology is impacting life on Earth in unexpected ways. Cedrion’s journey—from a small start-up to a technology leader—is a prime example of how space-age solutions can be adapted to solve pressing problems in everyday life, driving forward sustainable, accessible technology for a cleaner, cooler world.

Note: We acknowledge Sean Blair for their initial contribution to the topic in the content created in 2020.

Visit Cedrion Web page for additional information.