The First Report Meeting of AZL’s Joint Partner Project “Trends and Design Factors for Hydrogen Pressure Vessels” on February 7th provided the consortium with a comprehensive review of state of the art applications, design considerations and production technologies. Over 150 informative slides now form the baseline for the further stages of the project.
The focus of the upcoming project’s ambitious phases was already defined during an interactive discussion session at the kick off meeting in November addressing primary objectives, the most pressing challenges, the contribution to competitiveness, and the priorities that would best meet the expectations of the project partners.
Discussions covered regulatory issues, the evolving value chain and the supply and properties of key materials such as carbon and glass fibres and resins. The consortium defined investigations into different manufacturing technologies, assessing their matu rity and potential benefits. Design layouts, including liners, boss designs and winding patterns, were thoroughly considered, taking into account their implications for mobile and stationary storage. The group is also interested in cost effective testing m ethods and certification processes, as well as the prospects for recycling into continuous fibres and the use of sustainable materials. Insight was requested into future demand for hydrogen tanks, OEM needs and strategies, and technological developments to produce more economical tanks.
The AZL engineering team is now starting the next project phase, which will be the creation of reference designs. These designs will cover a range of pressure vessel configurations using a variety of materials and production concepts. The aim is to develop models that not only reflect current technological capabilities, but also provide deep insight into the cost analysis of different production technologies, their CO₂ footprint, recycling aspects and scalability.
Currently working with a consortium of 20 renowned companies from across the composite pressure vessel value chain, the AZL’s project remains open to additional participants. Companies interested in joining this pioneering initiative are invited to contact Philipp Fröhlig for further information and to explore how they can contribute to and benefit from this cutting edge project.
If you’re interested in the project, please contact:
Philipp Fröhlig
Head of Industrial Services | AZL Aachen GmbH
Mail: philipp.froehlig@azl-aachen-gmbh.de
Phone: +49 (0)241 475735-14
