LeiWaCo - Lightweight tanks for cryogenic hydrogen for use in...
Lightweight tanks for cryogenic hydrogen for use in a modular, container-based supply unit
The use of hydrogen as an energy storage and energy carrier is seen as a key element for the success of the energy transition, as described in the national hydrogen strategy. An important aspect of this is the development of an infrastructure for the transport of hydrogen.
In addition to large-scale transport via pipelines, there is also a significant need in almost all sectors for solutions for locally flexible hydrogen transport on a smaller scale, e.g. in the area of filling station supply, in shunting operations for rail vehicles and in port and airport logistics. Currently, trucks with pressurised gas storage in the form of so-called large cylinders are mainly used for this purpose. The typical capacity of such a lorry is currently approx. 500 kg of hydrogen, so that this variant is suitable for transporting small and medium quantities of hydrogen. For larger quantities and longer transport distances, liquid hydrogen tanks allow significant increases in efficiency, even if additional energy consumption is required for liquefaction. However, previous solutions with stainless steel tanks have not yet been able to gain widespread acceptance.
The aim of the project is therefore to develop a cost-effective yet high-strength lightweight hydrogen tank made of fibre composite materials for liquid hydrogen with the aim of using it in a new logistics solution that can be used across industries in the form of a container-based transport and supply unit. In addition, the cross-industry consortium is also looking at adapting the developed technologies for tanks in the road transport, shipping, rail transport and aviation sectors.
One of the main challenges in the development of cryogenic fibre composite tanks is leak tightness, which is impaired by thermally induced microcracks in the material. This is to be prevented in the project using a novel approach: The use of thermoplastic materials in combination with the application of thin-film technology. New production methods for the semi-finished product, test methods, design and calculation methods and corresponding production technologies are being developed for this purpose.
Compared to the existing large cylinders, the tank to be developed in the project should achieve the following increases in performance:
- Increase in capacity from approx. 500 kg to 2500 kg
- Limiting the weight of the entire container to 10 tonnes
Compared to existing metallic tanks for liquid hydrogen, the tank made of fibre composite materials promises the following advantages:
- Lower production costs due to the highly efficient winding process with in-situ consolidation
- Reduced weight with the same internal pressure of the tank
- No hydrogen embrittlement, which often occurs at welded joints
- Increased pressure resistance due to the mechanical properties of fibre composites allows a higher pressure in the tank
Compared to previous cryogenic tanks made of CFRP, the following improvement is envisaged:
- Increase in service life from the previous approx. 40 refuelling cycles (cryogenic tanks in aerospace) with the aim of fatigue strength
DLR institutes & facilities involved
Participating project partners
