{"id":6369,"date":"2020-12-04T17:26:52","date_gmt":"2020-12-04T16:26:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.fichtner.de\/?p=6369"},"modified":"2023-09-08T13:16:33","modified_gmt":"2023-09-08T11:16:33","slug":"aerospace-and-development-of-hydrogen-applications","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.fichtner.de\/en\/aerospace-and-development-of-hydrogen-applications\/","title":{"rendered":"DLR: Contribution to the Development of Hydrogen Applications"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Aerospace and Its Contribution to the Development of Hydrogen Applications<\/p>\n<\/div>

In autumn 2020, the German Aerospace Center asked me to give members of the economic committee of Baden-W\u00fcrttemberg\u2019s state parliament an understanding of the connection between aerospace and the hydrogen economy. I was more than happy to do so, given that Fichtner\u2019s expertise and, by extension, its strong position in the hydrogen sector are largely down to the work we have done for the aerospace industry. I am certain that aerospace engineering can also provide great added value to companies from other sectors as they pursue their own developments with hydrogen. So I would like to share these thoughts not only with a select few, but also with others who might be interested. In this short article, I have therefore summarized the content of the presentation given on 25 November 2020 to the members of the state parliament.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

\"DLR<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

Presentation given at a session of the economic committee of Baden-W\u00fcrttemberg\u2019s state parliament (25 November 2020)<\/h3><\/h3><\/div>

Why do I think that we at Fichtner can say something about how aerospace can help the hydrogen economy on the ground? Because aerospace has also been a great help to us in gaining a foothold in this emerging market. And I am convinced that it can also help many other companies in Baden-W\u00fcrttemberg and Germany, thus giving our country a key competitive advantage.<\/p>\n<\/div>

Our history in the hydrogen sector<\/h3><\/h3><\/div>

Hydrogen has been touted as the energy source of the future since the time of Jules Verne. Our history with hydrogen is not quite that long, but it does stretch back a good 30 years. It all began with a project that would nowadays be referred to as \u201cpower-to-gas\u201d, \u201cintegrated energy\u201d and \u201cinnovative\u201d. In around 1990, Fichtner worked on a project called \u201cSolar Hydrogen Bavaria\u201d, which produced hydrogen from solar PV power by means of alkaline electrolysis and tested various ways of storing hydrogen along with various tank concepts. Unfortunately, the energy sector lost sight of hydrogen again in the early 90s.<\/p>\n<\/div>

We, however, had the great fortune of acquiring the German Aerospace Center (DLR) as a client. Rocket engines are tested at the DLR site in Lampoldshausen, with hydrogen being the supplier of energy for most of those engines. For the past three decades, we have been planning testbeds there for rocket engines and site infrastructure, which has enabled us to gain extensive, valuable experience with hydrogen plants. Among other things, this includes handling hydrogen under a wide variety of operating conditions: cryogenic, high pressure, low pressure, extreme purity requirements \u2013 everything that is today seen as posing challenges in hydrogen plants are things that we have been learning about and applying for almost 30 years in the aerospace industry.<\/p>\n<\/div>

In light of greatly reduced costs for generating renewable power and the need to decarbonize our economy, the energy sector, which we ourselves operate in, rediscovered hydrogen a few years back. With the practical experience we have gained in hydrogen plants over many years in the aerospace industry, we are convinced that we can offer added value and thus make a valuable contribution to the development of the hydrogen economy. So we approached clients and companies who, in our view, could use support in the field of hydrogen and presented our relevant expertise to them. The response has been and continues to be fantastic, as the people we have spoken to consider our experience and expertise to be unique as well as a source of great added value. With this competitive advantage, we have managed to grow strongly in recent years. Our team grew from four to eleven employees within just one and a half years. We have worked on projects from Chile to Australia, ranging from policy consulting to general planning of commercial power-to-gas plants. Our experience from the aerospace industry was in many cases a door opener and a guarantee of success.<\/p>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

\"Fichtner:<\/span>
Fichtner: Development in the emerging hydrogen market<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

Added value for the hydrogen economy<\/h3><\/h3><\/div>

So are we at Fichtner just an exception, or can that which has been such a valuable experience for us in aerospace also provide added value for other companies? To answer this, it is important to ask what the challenges are for companies that are new to hydrogen:<\/p>\n<\/div>