From production to distribution: new hydrogen test field is being developed at ZBT

Hydrogen as an energy carrier is the decisive link for the sectoral coupling within a successful energy and transport restructuring. Hydrogen produced from renewables by means of electrolysis offers the potential for emission-free mobility with fuel-cell vehicles such as passenger cars or buses. In the industrial sector the use of “green” hydrogen is becoming a major focus of research and development to reduce harmful emissions. Within the scope of the technology introduction into the different applications, questions about operating concepts, lifetime, quantity measurement, sensor quality and quality assurance are to be addressed.

With financial support by EU, the German government and the state of NRW, a test field for electrolysis systems, hydrogen storage, distribution and disposal as well as a laboratory for hydrogen quality analysis are being developed in Duisburg. The Fuel Cell reserach center ZBT will provide important capacities for the research of highly topical scientific and application-oriented questions.

  • Large energy-related applications are the focus of the Carbon2Chem project, funded by the German Research Ministry (BMBF), with the upgrading of process gases from steel production to chemical raw materials. ZBT investigates the suitability of various electrolysis technologies for dynamic operation. For this purpose, a PEM, an AEL and a SOEC system in the range of 5 to 10 Nm3/h of hydrogen are procured, installed in the outside area of the ZBT and operated with fluctuating load profiles.
  • In the “MobFuelH2”-project, co-financed by the EU and the State of NRW, a mobile filling unit for hydrogen is being set up as a research platform. This will enable the supply of decentralized small-scale applications with hydrogen even in difficult terrain. The research platform is intended to close a gap for the use of hydrogen in undeveloped market segments by showing an alternative to bottle or bundle exchange services.
  • In the “Hy-Lab” project, the BMVI (Federal Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure) supports the development and construction of an independent laboratory for hydrogen quality measurements according to international standards at ZBT. The focus of the project is the analysis of the hydrogen quality at filling stations according to ISO-14687 and the related standardization work.
  • The concept, development, set-up and commissioning of a test stand for different hydrogen high-pressure applications in the test field will be a further building block in the “H2TestOpt” project applied for at the Federal Ministry of Economics. This test bench includes components and systems for providing, conditioning, resuming and analyzing hydrogen as well as all the secondary installations required for operation.

The ZBT will present these activities in the field of application-oriented hydrogen research during the Hanover Fair 2017 at the joint stand of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia in Hall 27, Stand E40. Please visit us and find out more about these and other ZBT projects.

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