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Project Title:

Collaborative Research Center SFB 270 – Hydrogen as an energy carrier, basic researches of production and storage

Ref.No.: 73

Project Type and Category:

Hydrogen production and storage

Project Duration:

1989 – 1998

Project Participants:

Uni Stuttgart:
Inst. f. anorgan. Chemie, Prof.Dr.W. Kaim (A5)
Inst. f. Kernenergetik und Energiesysteme (IKE) , Prof. Dr.-Ing. M.Groll (B5) Inst. f. organ. Chemie (IOC), Prof. Dr. F. Effenberger (A4.2)
Inst. f. physikal. Elektronik (IPE), Prof. Dr. J.H Werner (A4.1)
Inst. f. techn.Thermodynamik u. Wärmetechnik (ITW), Prof. Dr.-Ing. E.Hahne (B4)
Inst. f. techn. Thermodynamik u. therm. Verfahrenstechnik (ITT), Prof. Dr.-Ing. J. Mitrovic (A2)
Dipl.-Ing. H. Rebholz, Institut für Thermodynamik und Wärmetechnik
Inst. f. chem. Verfahrenstechnik, Prof. Dr.-Ing. G.Eigenberger (A7)
Inst. f. techn. Chemie I, Prof. Dr.-Ing. J. Weitkamp (A6, B7)
Staatl. Materialprüfungsanstalt, Dr. Deimel
, Inst. f. techn. Thermodynamik, Prof. Dr.-Ing. M. Fischer (A1)
MPI für Materialforschung:
Inst. f. Physik, Prof. Dr. H. Kronmüller (B1) und Dr. G.Majer (B8)
Inst. f. Werkstoffwissenschaften, Dr. E. Fromm (B2)

Sponsor:

DFG 16 405 700 DM (89 - 97), State of Baden Württemberg

Project Budget and
Funding:

17,8 Mio DM (1989 - 1999)

Project Description and Objectives:

The main activities of the Collaborative Research Center 270 are in the fields of electrolysis, catalysis, photo-electrochemical processes, the interaction of hydrogen with surfaces and grain boundaries with diffusion processes in solid materials. The activities are centered to tackle the important problems related to the generation and storage of hydrogen.
Therefore, the fields of research are divided into two project parts linking the problems of generation of hydrogen (Part A) and storage of hydrogen (Part B).
In project part A, the work is concentrated on the development and characterization of new catalysts for water electrolysis and fuel cells. The mechanisms of the electrochemical reaction are investigated. Analysis of the mass exchange on the electrode surfaces during the evolution of gas is carried out under different conditions. One of the essential objectives is the development of highly ion-conductive, inexpensive and stable cation exchange membranes for the application in solid polymer electrolysis and in solid polymer fuel cells. Alternative possibilities of splitting water using metal-organic complexes, that can be particularly sensitized by light, as well as the investigation of the photo-electrochemical behavior of modified semiconductor electrodes are also a part of the research program. Furthermore, the hydrogen generation by steam - reforming of methanol on molecular sieve catalysts is investigated.
The project part B is dominated by the investigation of the fundamentals of adsorption and diffusion of hydrogen in the storage materials. One of the applied methods to analyze the diffusion mechanisms of hydrogen in intermetallic compounds is the nuclear magnetic resonance. The interaction of atomic hydrogen with vacancies, dislocations and grain boundaries are also investigated. Using an optimized production of intermetallic alloys the corresponding energy distribution of interstitial sites leads to characteristic pressure concentration isotherms of hydrogen which is compared with theoretical models. Further subprojects are in the field of contamination on the surface of storage material. The study is carried out for investigating the effective microscopic heat conductivity of metal hydride powder and the cyclic longtime behavior of single and coupled metal hydride reaction beds as well as the heat and mass transfer in zeolite powders, which are developed and characterized by another subproject as hydrogen storage materials. The hydrogen embrittlement as an important question for hydrogen utilization with respect to safety of metallic components containing high pressure hydrogen is also a task of the research of the Collaborative Research Center 270.

Technical Goals:

Subdivided research fields:
A1 - ELECTROCATALYSIS AND TRANSPORTATION PROCESSES IN WATER ELECTROLYSIS AND MEMBRANE FUEL CELLS
A2 -TWO-PHASE-FLOW DURING HYDROGEN PRODUCTION THROUGH ELECTROLYSIS OF ALKALINE SOLUTIONS
A4/1 - MODIFICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF FUEL PRODUCING (PHOTO-)ELECTRODES WITH NEW ORGANIC AND INORGANIC SURFACE LAYERS
A4/2 - MODIFICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF FUEL PRODUCING (PHOTO-)ELECTRODES WITH NEW ORGANIC AND INORGANIC SURFACE LAYERS
A5 - BINDING AND GENERATION OF MOLECULAR HYDROGEN THROUGH MONO- AND DINUCLEAR METAL COMPLEXES
A6 - HYDROGEN GENERATION THROUGH STEAM - REFORMING OF METHANOL ON MOLECULAR SIEVE CATALYSTS
A7 - DEVELOPMENT OF MEMBRANES FOR ELECTROLYSIS AND MEMBRANE FUEL CELLS
B1 - MICROSTRUCTURE AND DIFFUSION OF HYDROGEN IN HETEROGENEOUS ALLOYS
B2 - EFFECT OF SURFACE CONTAMINATION OF THE HYDROGEN ADSORPTION KINETICS OF STORAGE MATERIALS
B4 - HEAT AND MASS TRANSFER IN ZEOLITE POWDERS AS HYDROGEN STORAGE MATERIALS
B5 - CHARACTERIZATION OF METAL HYDRIDES
B6 - INFLUENCE OF THE TEMPERATURE ON HYDROGEN EMBRITTLEMENT OF SELECTED WELD JOINTS OF FERRITIC AND AUSTENITIC MATERIALS AS WELL AS ALUMINIUM ALLOYS IN RANGE FROM ROOM TEMPERATURE UP TO 300°C AT MAXIMUM
B7 - ZEOLITES AS MEDIA FOR HYDROGEN STORAGE
B8 - NUCLEAR MAGNETIC RESONANCE STUDIES OF HYDROGEN DIFFUSION IN INTERMETALLIC COMPOUNDS

Project Status

Research is finalized

Preliminary or Final Results:

Final report is in preparation, will be published 1999

Related Reference Papers and Other Publications:

Some of the subtasks have own ref.no.!
Status Reports 1991, 1994 und 1997 published VDI Verlag: Wasserstoff als Energieträger, VDI-Verlag GmbH, Düsseldorf

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Project Title: Collaborative Research Center SFB 270 – Hydrogen as an energy carrier, basic researches of production and storage		Ref.No.: 73
Project Type and Category:	Hydrogen production and storage
Project Duration:	1989 – 1998
Project Participants:	Uni Stuttgart: Inst. f. anorgan. Chemie, Prof.Dr.W. Kaim (A5) Inst. f. Kernenergetik und Energiesysteme (IKE) , Prof. Dr.-Ing. M.Groll (B5) Inst. f. organ. Chemie (IOC), Prof. Dr. F. Effenberger (A4.2) Inst. f. physikal. Elektronik (IPE), Prof. Dr. J.H Werner (A4.1) Inst. f. techn.Thermodynamik u. Wärmetechnik (ITW), Prof. Dr.-Ing. E.Hahne (B4) Inst. f. techn. Thermodynamik u. therm. Verfahrenstechnik (ITT), Prof. Dr.-Ing. J. Mitrovic (A2) Dipl.-Ing. H. Rebholz, Institut für Thermodynamik und Wärmetechnik Inst. f. chem. Verfahrenstechnik, Prof. Dr.-Ing. G.Eigenberger (A7) Inst. f. techn. Chemie I, Prof. Dr.-Ing. J. Weitkamp (A6, B7) Staatl. Materialprüfungsanstalt, Dr. Deimel , Inst. f. techn. Thermodynamik, Prof. Dr.-Ing. M. Fischer (A1) MPI für Materialforschung: Inst. f. Physik, Prof. Dr. H. Kronmüller (B1) und Dr. G.Majer (B8) Inst. f. Werkstoffwissenschaften, Dr. E. Fromm (B2)
Sponsor:	DFG 16 405 700 DM (89 - 97), State of Baden Württemberg
Project Budget and Funding:	17,8 Mio DM (1989 - 1999)
Project Description and Objectives:	The main activities of the Collaborative Research Center 270 are in the fields of electrolysis, catalysis, photo-electrochemical processes, the interaction of hydrogen with surfaces and grain boundaries with diffusion processes in solid materials. The activities are centered to tackle the important problems related to the generation and storage of hydrogen. Therefore, the fields of research are divided into two project parts linking the problems of generation of hydrogen (Part A) and storage of hydrogen (Part B). In project part A, the work is concentrated on the development and characterization of new catalysts for water electrolysis and fuel cells. The mechanisms of the electrochemical reaction are investigated. Analysis of the mass exchange on the electrode surfaces during the evolution of gas is carried out under different conditions. One of the essential objectives is the development of highly ion-conductive, inexpensive and stable cation exchange membranes for the application in solid polymer electrolysis and in solid polymer fuel cells. Alternative possibilities of splitting water using metal-organic complexes, that can be particularly sensitized by light, as well as the investigation of the photo-electrochemical behavior of modified semiconductor electrodes are also a part of the research program. Furthermore, the hydrogen generation by steam - reforming of methanol on molecular sieve catalysts is investigated. The project part B is dominated by the investigation of the fundamentals of adsorption and diffusion of hydrogen in the storage materials. One of the applied methods to analyze the diffusion mechanisms of hydrogen in intermetallic compounds is the nuclear magnetic resonance. The interaction of atomic hydrogen with vacancies, dislocations and grain boundaries are also investigated. Using an optimized production of intermetallic alloys the corresponding energy distribution of interstitial sites leads to characteristic pressure concentration isotherms of hydrogen which is compared with theoretical models. Further subprojects are in the field of contamination on the surface of storage material. The study is carried out for investigating the effective microscopic heat conductivity of metal hydride powder and the cyclic longtime behavior of single and coupled metal hydride reaction beds as well as the heat and mass transfer in zeolite powders, which are developed and characterized by another subproject as hydrogen storage materials. The hydrogen embrittlement as an important question for hydrogen utilization with respect to safety of metallic components containing high pressure hydrogen is also a task of the research of the Collaborative Research Center 270.
Technical Goals:	Subdivided research fields: A1 - ELECTROCATALYSIS AND TRANSPORTATION PROCESSES IN WATER ELECTROLYSIS AND MEMBRANE FUEL CELLS A2 -TWO-PHASE-FLOW DURING HYDROGEN PRODUCTION THROUGH ELECTROLYSIS OF ALKALINE SOLUTIONS A4/1 - MODIFICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF FUEL PRODUCING (PHOTO-)ELECTRODES WITH NEW ORGANIC AND INORGANIC SURFACE LAYERS A4/2 - MODIFICATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF FUEL PRODUCING (PHOTO-)ELECTRODES WITH NEW ORGANIC AND INORGANIC SURFACE LAYERS A5 - BINDING AND GENERATION OF MOLECULAR HYDROGEN THROUGH MONO- AND DINUCLEAR METAL COMPLEXES A6 - HYDROGEN GENERATION THROUGH STEAM - REFORMING OF METHANOL ON MOLECULAR SIEVE CATALYSTS A7 - DEVELOPMENT OF MEMBRANES FOR ELECTROLYSIS AND MEMBRANE FUEL CELLS B1 - MICROSTRUCTURE AND DIFFUSION OF HYDROGEN IN HETEROGENEOUS ALLOYS B2 - EFFECT OF SURFACE CONTAMINATION OF THE HYDROGEN ADSORPTION KINETICS OF STORAGE MATERIALS B4 - HEAT AND MASS TRANSFER IN ZEOLITE POWDERS AS HYDROGEN STORAGE MATERIALS B5 - CHARACTERIZATION OF METAL HYDRIDES B6 - INFLUENCE OF THE TEMPERATURE ON HYDROGEN EMBRITTLEMENT OF SELECTED WELD JOINTS OF FERRITIC AND AUSTENITIC MATERIALS AS WELL AS ALUMINIUM ALLOYS IN RANGE FROM ROOM TEMPERATURE UP TO 300°C AT MAXIMUM B7 - ZEOLITES AS MEDIA FOR HYDROGEN STORAGE B8 - NUCLEAR MAGNETIC RESONANCE STUDIES OF HYDROGEN DIFFUSION IN INTERMETALLIC COMPOUNDS
Project Status	Research is finalized
Preliminary or Final Results:	Final report is in preparation, will be published 1999
Related Reference Papers and Other Publications:	Some of the subtasks have own ref.no.! Status Reports 1991, 1994 und 1997 published VDI Verlag: Wasserstoff als Energieträger, VDI-Verlag GmbH, Düsseldorf