The German Federal Ministry of Digital Affairs and Transport (BMDV) is supporting the "RoWaBaSch" research and development project of Saarland companies with a total of €827,150. The project aims to develop robust hydrogen pressure sensors using novel barrier layers. It is one of several H2 projects in Saarland.
In Saarbrücken, Parliamentary State Secretary Oliver Luksic presented funding certificates to Fluid.iO/Zila GmbH, Mehrer Compression GmbH and INM - Leibniz Institute for New Materials gemeinnützige GmbH. This was announced by NOW GmbH in a recent press release.
The funding recipients in detail
iO / ZILA GmbH: € 238,380.00
Mehrer Compression GmbH 139.341,00 €
INM - Leibniz Institute for New Materials non-profit limited liability company € 449,429.00
Parliamentary State Secretary Oliver Luksic :
"For the successful ramp-up of the hydrogen economy and the development of infrastructure, we need practical research that ensures transport and storage under high pressure. By funding the development of robust hydrogen pressure sensors, the Federal Ministry of Transport is making a contribution to all applications in which hydrogen is used."
Novel barrier layers
A hydrogen economy requires an infrastructure to transport and store the gas under high pressure. In addition, there are tasks such as accounting for delivery quantities when refueling vehicles. All these tasks require simple and reliable detectors for pressure determination. This is because pressure is an indicator of the "fill level" of the pressure vessel.
ZILA uses pressure sensors with thin stainless steel membranes. Their elastic deformation under pressure load is detected by superficially applied strain gauges. However, hydrogen diffusing into the piezo layer leads to signal drift. This phenomenon is to be stopped by an innovative barrier layer based on transparent glass-like materials from INM with anti-corrosion properties.
Systematic adaptation of the elements forming the glass matrix, the reaction conditions and the selection of further additives are to optimize the properties of the barrier. Additional drift must be detected so that only reliable values are output. The application partner Mehrer compression GmbH supplies, among other things, compressor systems for hydrogen applications and has the capabilities to validate the new sensors under practical conditions.
The Saarland becomes H2-Land
The project aims to realize more robust hydrogen pressure sensors that can measure the pressure of hydrogen more reliably. Wherever hydrogen is used, the pressure must be monitored as a safety aspect - and as an indicator of the "fill level" of the pressure vessel. Thus, reliable and robust H2 pressure measurement is a necessary prerequisite for hydrogen infrastructure and technology
RoWaBasch is just one of many hydrogen projects in Saarland: with a grant from the "HyLand - Hydrogen Regions in Germany" program, the state has developed its own hydrogen concept with €300,000 in funding from the BMDV. Under the leadership of Saarbahn Netz GmbH, it is now applying for the next stage as a HyPerformer.
Saarland will receive €16.6 million from the BMDV for the acquisition of climate-friendly buses. In addition, the infrastructure project mosaHYc is to be built in the state - a transnational hydrogen pipeline around 100 km long.
