Hydrogen the fuel of tomorrow

The pioneering automotive and industrial supplier Schaeffler has reached a key milestone in its Hydrogen strategy. Partner-ing up with Hydrogenious LOHC technologies GmbH and Helmholtz Institute Erlangen – Nurnberg for Renewable energies (HIERN), to develop a hydrogen fuel cell that operates using a liquid–organic hydrogen carrier (LOHC).

Schaeffler will apply its industrialisation expertise and vast amounts of experience in materials engineering, materials form-ing, and surface technology in this collaboration.

Dr Daniel Teichmann, CEO and founder of Hydrogenious, states: “The direct use of LOHC in fuel cells for power generation renders the handling of hydrogen as a gas unnecessary, offering a particularly convenient and safe method for supplying mobile and stationary energy users.”

Liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHC) deliver an alternative method of storage and transport. Benzyltoluene is a proprie-tary method developed by hydrogenous, which chemically bonds hydrogen with its oily organic substance, allowing it to be transported in normal environmental conditions. The liquid carrier material can be used repeatedly, making it more sustain-able.

The unique characteristics of “LOHC technology based on Benzyltoluene allow a safe and cost-efficient hydrogen infrastruc-ture from storage to consumption”, says Prof. Dr Ing. Tim Hosenfeldt, Senior Vice President of Research and innovation, Cor-porate Technology at Schaeffler AG., who sees LOHC in fuel cells as complementary to standard hydrogen technologies.

Schaeffler is developing the corresponding fuel cell technology for the direct use of hydrogen-bonded in LOHC in partnership with Helmholtz institute Erlangen – Nurnberg. Further adaptations will be made to the design of the fuel cells for this pur-pose, with Schaeffler manufacturing bipolar plates, using synergies and expertise from previously developed fuel cell tech-nology.

See how Schaeffler is building tomorrow’s future and read the full story at: https://www.schaeffler.co.uk/en/news_me-dia/press_releases/press_releases_detail.jsp?id=87769286