Department Fuels and Processes

In our future energy system, new energy carriers will play a major role in addition to pure hydrogen. The reasons for this are the high energy storage densities required in some applications, the use and expansion of existing infrastructures and the costs of the large-scale infrastructure conversion for new energy carriers.

Our aim is to research methane, methanol and ammonia in particular as carbon-free and CO₂-neutral energy carriers for hydrogen storage and use. We develop the various chemical processes, apparatus, plants and systems on the basis of heterogeneous catalysis. The further processing of hydrogen into energy carriers utilizing nitrogen and carbon and the use of these energy carriers in fuel cells, engines and turbines is the focus of the following work:

• Analysis of fuels, gas mixtures and trace substances
• Development of chemical apparatus, processes and plants (especially hydrogen generators, gas treatment and fuel cell systems)
• Qualification and testing of catalysts, components, apparatus, plants and systems
• Design and construction of laboratory systems, functional samples and prototypes
• Operation of research facilities and systems
• Implementation of safety assessments

We are a team of about 15 employees with an agile way of working. In numerous research and service projects we have been working with strong partners from industry and science for almost 20 years. For these tasks we have extensive equipment at our premises:

• Laboratory and media infrastructure
• Gas Analysis
• Test benches
• Pilot plants
• System structures
• 100 kW fuel cell plant
• Simulation tools