Hydrogen Technologies: 723,000 Euro Funding for Leibniz-Institut für Verbundwerkstoffe Kaiserslautern

The Leibniz-Institut für Verbundwerkstoffe GmbH (IVW) in Kaiserslautern has received funding of 723,000 euros to carry out the project "Holistic concept development of flat lightweight tanks for liquid hydrogen storage". Dr. Denis Alt, State Secretary in the Ministry of Science and Health, presented the funding decision in Kaiserslautern to Prof. Dr. Ulf Breuer, the Scientific Director of IVW. Within the scope of the project, IVW is dedicated to the possibilities offered by lightweight construction with composite materials in the field of storage and transport of hydrogen liquefied by cold. Materials must be tested for extreme cold resistance, good dimensional stability, adequate pressure resistance, low permeability and good recyclability. Flat and lightweight tanks with variable geometry can be more easily installed in vehicles of all types than heavy cylindrical tanks made of metal.

"The state government is vigorously promoting hydrogen technologies. They play a key role in the long-term success of the energy transition and in climate protection. The fact that IVW is making highly relevant contributions here is also demonstrated by the Leibniz Start-up Prize 2023, which went to the EXIST spin-off project "isitec composites" of the Leibniz-Institut für Verbundwerkstoffe GmbH (IVW) in Kaiserslautern: The business idea is a novel manufacturing process that can be used to produce pipelines for transporting hydrogen. With the new project, the institute is dedicating itself to another field of the future. In the field of composite materials, IVW's know-how is making a significant contribution to producing tanks, as well as pipelines, with a longer service life and making them lighter than is the case with metal-based technologies," said Denis Alt. This shows once again how important the work of IVW is for science and industry in the region and throughout Rhineland-Palatinate.

Professor Breuer said, "The funding from the state enables us to research the complex relationship between changing pressure loads, possible microcrack formation, tightness and strength of fiber composite tanks even at very low temperatures. We will be able to use the knowledge gained to optimally design cryogenic tanks for different applications in the future."   

At IVW, basic research is carried out for future applications of composite materials, which are particularly important for the mobility of the future, the fields of energy, climate and the environment, production technology and healthcare. New materials, construction methods and manufacturing processes are investigated and tailored to the respective requirements after the basic understanding has been developed. The focus is on the entire process chain, from materials fundamentals, characterization and simulation, construction methods and manufacturing technology to component testing and recycling. As particularly lightweight and energy-saving materials, composites make important contributions to the reduction of emissions, the conservation of natural resources and safety. IVW was founded in 1990 and included in the joint funding of the Leibniz Association in 2021.