The following projects are currently being worked on as part of our research focus "Hydrogen Technologies":
Innovative forming technology for the production of new metallic materials as an enabler for the decarbonization of the economy - Mat4Dekarb
An ERDF project at Leibniz-IWT is expanding the existing infrastructure to include an industry-oriented laboratory rolling mill in order to map the entire process chain from alloy development to the component on a pilot plant scale and to meet the challenges of decarbonization.
Companies operating in the transportation industry and in mechanical engineering in general have traditionally been under constant pressure to innovate in order to develop more efficient, lighter and more resource-efficient components and products for the global market. The current national and international measures to decarbonize the economy will lead to a further significant increase in innovation pressure in the future.
Accordingly, process and material developments will have to be stepped up considerably in the coming years. However, regional and national manufacturers and research institutions in Germany often lack the corresponding R&D capacities or the available laboratory facilities often do not cover the industrial scale (e.g. multi-stand rolling).
The aim of this Bremen ERDF project is therefore to build up corresponding R&D capacities at Leibniz-IWT in Bremen. To this end, the entire process chain of “conventional manufacturing” is to be mapped on a pilot plant scale, starting from metallurgy and alloy development through to the forming technology of the materials produced and on to the component. The processes already available at Leibniz-IWT are to be supplemented with the help of this project to complete the process chain with an industry-oriented laboratory rolling mill with corresponding peripherals (Figure).
Processing: Leibniz-IWT
Funding: European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), Bremen
Duration: 19.06.2024 - 31.12.2027
This project is part of the research focus “Hydrogen Technologies” at IWT Bremen and is implemented in the working group Metallurgy and Forming Technology.
Contact:
Assoc. Prof. (Thai) Dr.-Ing. Piyada Suwanpinij
Phone: +49-421/218 51470
suwanpinij@iwt-bremen.de
Figure: Structure of the “conventional manufacturing” process chain at Leibniz IWT - existing infrastructure and additions
ERDF REACT Invest project “GreenMat”: Material technologies to reduce CO₂ emissions - materials for hydrogen infrastructure and energy storage
The aim of the REACT Invest project “GreenMat” is to supplement the existing R&D infrastructure at Leibniz-IWT with additional research equipment in order to adequately address climate change and the associated challenges in applied research.
This project was funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) and is financed as part of the European Union's response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Against the backdrop of climate change, industrial production and mobility solutions must be converted in such a way that CO2 emissions are avoided as far as possible or at least significantly reduced. A key approach here is to use hydrogen as an energy source, but also as a reducing agent in steel production. In the long term, hydrogen production must be converted to so-called green sources that do not cause any additional CO2 emissions. While the decarbonization of energy production through the use of renewable sources is already relatively advanced, longer-term energy storage remains a challenge. Storage is particularly necessary in order to at least partially decouple the volatile supply of renewable energy from demand.
The aim of the REACT Invest project “GreenMat” is to supplement the existing R&D infrastructure at Leibniz-IWT with the research equipment listed below in order to adequately meet the aforementioned challenges through applied research, as is already being requested by many companies against the backdrop of decarbonization:
- Energy storage: Measurement and control technology for setting the required material/powder properties as well as devices for characterizing the properties achieved during the production process and after the end of the process with correspondingly greater detail resolution.
- Materials for hydrogen storage: Systems with controlled atmospheric properties for the thermochemical treatment of materials for the adjustment of specific protective layers without the use of critical elements.
- Characterization of “green” steel: Equipment for high-precision determination of the chemical composition and its variance within a batch and in comparison between differently processed batches.
Processing: Leibniz-IWT
Funding: European Regional Development Fund (ERDF)
Duration: 01.01.2023 to 31.12.2023
This project is part of the research focus “Hydrogen Technologies” at IWT Bremen.
Contact:
Dr.-Ing. Rainer Tinscher
Phone: +49421 218 51302
E-mail: tinscher(at)iwt-bremen.de
TiHydrAero - Alloy development, microstructure adjustment and edge zone modification of titanium alloys with increased hydrogen compatibility
As part of the Leibniz-IWT sub-project, titanium alloys with increased hydrogen compatibility are being developed, the microstructure of which is to be adjusted locally using additive manufacturing and post-processing methods.
In addition to the mechanical property profile at operating temperature, the target parameters are hydrogen diffusion and resistance to hydrogen embrittlement. The processing of the alloy is being investigated at Leibniz-IWT using PBF-MB/M at build plate temperatures above 500 °C and by means of cold gas spraying. The aim is to adjust the alloy following additive component production by means of heat treatment and machining. In order to evaluate the performance of the new alloy and the effects of the microstructure and edge zone modifications carried out, the microstructure and mechanical properties of the different states are characterized and the performance is demonstrated by manufacturing a technology demonstrator.
Processing: WT-LW, WT-FT
Funding: LuFo VI-3 20E2227A
Duration: 01.04.2023 to 31.03.2026
This project is part of the research focus “Hydrogen Technologies” at IWT Bremen.
Contact:
Dr.-Ing. Anastasiya Tönjes
Phone: +49421 218 51491
E-mail: toenjes(at)iwt-bremen.de
Me2H2 - Iron-vapor process for the transport and storage of hydrogen
The scientific and technical objective of the project is the further development of iron-steam technology for the large-scale transportation and storage of iron (alloys) for domestic hydrogen production. In addition to the identification of optimized material systems, the development of a suitable process technology is seen as a core task.
Hydrogen plays a central role in industrial decarbonization. However, the quantities of hydrogen required are so large that the possibility of supplying it solely on the basis of domestic renewable energy is problematic. Therefore, in addition to the storage problem, the aspect of how energy can be imported to ensure a sufficient supply of hydrogen also plays an important role. In addition to transportation, for example in compressed and liquefied form, the metal-steam process offers the possibility of generating hydrogen, heat and additional electrical energy from metals at the point of consumption (internally) through oxidation with steam. The oxide is then returned to regions with a high availability of renewable energy (external) for further reduction.
The scientific and technical objective of the project is the further development of iron-steam technology for the large-scale transportation and storage of iron (alloys) for domestic hydrogen production. In addition to the identification of optimized material systems, the development of a suitable process technology is seen as a core task. This is intended to solve the problem of decreasing reactivity of the iron carrier in the classic iron-steam process. The project is being carried out by the IWT across the main departments of process engineering (molten metal atomization) and materials technology (metallographic analysis).
Processing: WT-MA
Cooperation: University of Duisburg-Essen, Institute for Technologies of Metals (ITM), Chair of Metallurgy of Iron and Steel Production; Clausthal University of Technology, Institute of Metallurgy (IMET), Metallurgical Process Technology; thyssenkrupp Steel Europe AG; SMS group GmbH
Funding: BMBF 03SF0658C (Me2H2)
Duration: N.N.
This project is part of the research focus “Hydrogen Technologies” at IWT Bremen.
Contact:
Dr.-Ing. Andree Irretier
Phone: +49 421 218 51419
E-mail: irretier(at)mpa-bremen.de
