Die Bewertung und Optimierung neuer H2 Innovationen umfasst weite Skalen und Felder. Die Forschung an der TU Darmstadt hat zum Ziel sowohl Details auf kleinster Skala zu verstehen und zu optimieren und auch eine Prozess- und Systemweite Bewertung vornehmen zu können. Hierbei geht die Forschung bis zu gesellschaftlichen und politischen Aspekten.

Kurzportrait involvierter Arbeitsgruppen und Kontaktdaten

Research Focus

  • The vkm institute focuses its research on the usage of hydrogen
    • for fuell cell systems (FCS) and
    • in internal combustion engines directly in form of e-fuels.
  • The vkm institute works on these topics with the aid of simulation tools and by using the institute's own test benches
  • Innovative, multicriteria drivetrain operating strategies – Development of operating strategies utilizing (global) optimal control and predictive driving information in real-time targeting H2 consumption, efficiency, degradation, comfort, etc.
  • Fuel cell system & powertrain optimization – Optimization of component dimensioning and vehicle operation for a variety of vehicle applications (Passenger cars, Light- & Heavy-Duty, refuse vehicle, etc.) using related real life route data.
  • Thermal management & thermal system design – Optimal re-use of waste heat from all powertrain components using a scalable and modular thermal system at the FCS testbed supported by simulative investigations.
  • Innovative fuel cell development methodology – Self-developed climate box for low temperature investigations down to -7 °C through cooling down the FCS and peripherals before operation and continuously conditioning during operation in order to emulate an in-vehicle warm-up phase.
  • The vkm institute is currently setting up a x-in-the-loop FCS test bed for FCS up to 160 kW system power. The test bed allows the real-time co-simulation of high sophisticated system and component models via a FCS-in-the-Loop approach substituting the virtual FCS model with a real FCS. In addition, the test bed allows the conditioning of all media, e.g. air and cooling water, the representation of different battery and electric powertrain characteristics using a battery simulator as well as the investigation of thermal systems under extreme conditions using the so-called Thermolab (see EU-REACT) and self-developed climate box.
  • The hydrogen powered internal combustion engine (H2-ICE) is particularly suitable for use in Heavy-Duty trucks and industrial engines. The vkm institute deals with the assessment of the implementation of the H2-ICE for different applications and its related control strategies. The main focus is on zero emission especially regarding NOx and the operation with stochiometric mixture.
  • CO2-neutral fuels based on hydrogen are produced using green hydrogen in the first production step. They are an important component for climate-neutral mobility. The vkm institute investigates the use of so-called efuels, e.g. of Oxymethylene ether (OME) for Diesel engines as well as synthetic gasoline, using a single cylinder research engine or full engines at test beds or in vehicle application.
  • As part of the Matched PhD program, the universities of TU Graz and TU Darmstadt are working together to develop digital twins for components of hydrogen-powered vehicles. These are built in MATLAB and AVL CruiseM and linked via AVL Model.CONNECT. TU Graz is focusing on the fuel cell stack, and TU Darmstadt on the fuel cell system. For the validation of the models, a corresponding test bench for the X-in-the-loop application will be built at each of the two universities. The goals of the project are to find the optimal system design for different vehicle applications, to develop aging models for the components and to improve durability and vehicle efficiency via the operating strategy and thermal management.

Contact

Internal Combustion Engines and Powertrain Systems

Department of Mechanical Engineering

Research Focus

Governance of Hydrogen Strategy

  • Integrated analysis of multilevel hydrogen governance (European, national, and regional strategies)
  • Credible, legitimate and effective intervention of the state: development of supply, consumption, and transport infrastructures
  • Stabilization of stakeholder expectations: medium- and long-term planning for market integration

Methods

  • Content analysis
  • Semi-structured expert interviews
  • quantitative and qualitative network analysis

Research Problems and Topics

  • Coordination problems of hydrogen governance: conditions and instruments of effective multilevel coordination
    • Vertical coordination of national and state strategies in the European context, involvement of subnational authorities and actors
    • Horizontal coordination between the federal states
  • Integration of hydrogen in the European Green Deal
  • Hydrogen partnerships and hydrogen import in political economy perspective:
    • Governance of hydrogen import relations
    • Integrating economic affordability, security of supply, and ecological and social sustainability

Contact

Institute of Political Science

Department of History and Social Sciences

Research Focus

One research focus of the research group of System Reliability, Adaptive Structures and Machine Acoustics SAM is the investigation of the influence of different media and environmental conditions on the reliability and lifetime of components and systems. Therefore, existing test rigs are modified and new test rigs are set up to investigate under safe conditions the influence of e.g. hydrogen under pressures of up to 100 bar in combination with temperatures in the range of -40 °C to +130 °C and cyclic loads on components made of metal as well as plastic. One focus here is the investigation of hydrogen embrittlement. The results of the developments form the basis for a damage assessment and, subsequently, for an operationally stable component design, with regard to both design and material selection. In addition, monitoring systems are being developed using vibroacoustic methods, which can be used, for example, to monitor crack initiation in the CFRP shell of type 4 hydrogen tanks.

Contact

Research Group of System Reliability, Adaptive Structures and Machine Acoustics SAM

Department of Mechanical Engineering

Research Focus

The Chair of Fluid Systems is a pioneering research institute in the field of fluid energy machines and fluid systems. We consider ourselves as pioneers both for systems and for their components. We thereby span the spectrum from the fundamentals to the applications.

The social developments of modern times require rethinking the way of developing technical products and systems. In addition to energetic efficiency, technical solutions today need to be characterized by a low environmental impact while maintaining economic profitability. These requirements define the concept of sustainable product and system design and partly conflict with one another. Consequently, the optimal technical solution can only represent a trade-off between these criteria. With the method of Multi-Pole System Analysis (MPSA) the Chair of Fluid Systems provides a methodical approach for finding the optimal system with respect to sustainability conditions. The method of MPSA consists of (i) system synthesis, (ii) system analysis under uncertainty, (iii) stochastic optimization and (iv) sensitivity analysis. The method is applied to hydrogen-based energy systems, e.g. wind-energy converters (Power-to-gas) or combined heat and power (CHP) systems.

Contact

Fluid Systems Technology

Department of Mechanical Engineering

Mehrpolmodell eines Windenergiekonverters.
Mehrpolmodell eines Windenergiekonverters.

Research Focus

Our research focus lies in the development of mathematical optimization methods, in particular, if discrete decisions (on/off, open/closed, …) have to be made. One important application is the optimal operation of gas and H2 networks as well as an optimal design of such networks. We develop methods based on explointing underlying structure and perform mathematical analyses of their properties. Moreover, we consider robust optmization in order to design systems that are robust/resilient against uncertain usage or disruptions.

Competences and Methods

Design and analysis of (discrete) nonlinear optimization methods. Development of general and specialized software, in particular, using the framework SCIP and SCIP-SDP.

Contact

AG Optimierung

Department of Mathematics

Research Focus

The mission of Department of Material Flow Management and Resource Economy at the Faculty of Civil and Environmental Engineering of TU Darmstadt is to contribute to solutions to reduce raw material and energy consumption. This reduction is an essential prerequisite for global sustainable development.

With its competences in system-analytical assessments, Prof Schebek and her research team develop solutions for concrete problems in the context of resource and energy efficiency: We use systems analysis methods in particular life-cycle analysis and material flow analysis. We elaborate scenarios and models, develop methods in analytical chemistry and work experimentally on the development of new processes and concepts for a circular economy. Our latest research topics are in the fields of energy technologies, resource-efficient production, urban mining, biobased economy and microplastics.

In several current projects on resource efficiency in production/digitization, we deal with life cycle-based analyses of the energy and material resources used in industrial production processes and production networks. The investigation of resource efficiency is also the focus of research projects on low carbon technologies. Here, future energy technologies are analyzed in terms of the energy and material resources used (critical raw materials) and their environmental impact on the producer and user side.

Contact

Fachgebiet Stoffstrommanagement und Ressourcenwirtschaft

Fachbereich Bau- und Umweltingenieurwesen

Research Focus

  • Evaluation of hydrogen strategies
  • Identification of criteria (costs, security, sustainability) for multi-criteria systems analysis
  • Quantification of factors and integration into mathematical models
  • Evaluation of trade-offs between competing goals

Contact

Institute of Political Science

Department of History and Social Sciences