All activities that are part of any hydrogen based system in a final application are included in the hydrogen technology application area. These applications can be found in sectors such as stationary applications, transportation and integration into low and medium power devices.
Current technological availability, as well as the suitability demonstrated by the systems, allows for the use of hydrogen technology in final applications where validation duties can be undertaken in real system operating conditions. These applications are intended to improve energy efficiency and equipment and installation availability, as well as a reduction of emissions derived from their use.
Among the objectives pursued by the applications area are:
- Development, optimisation, testing and operation of hydrogen systems in renewable energy based electrical networks for energy storage and cogeneration. This line of work is currently supported by a micro network laboratory with testing and simulation capabilities for hybrid energy storage systems as well as HIL and P-HIL techniques on Opal RT and a domestic demonstrator for m-CHP systems validation.
- Development and testing of hydrogen powered vehicles and the integration of fuel cell systems into small mobile or portable applications, including a vehicle laboratory with the required capacity to integrate and develop prototype vehicles, as well as their subsequent analysis and validation using a dynamometric power bank. Likewise, CNH2 is fitted with a test hydrogen station in order to provide full range mobility solutions.
- Modelling and simulation of energy systems with built in hydrogen systems, including advanced software for system simulation, energy simulations and fluid field simulations (Matlab, Simulink, PSCAD, Trnsys, Comsol, Ansys)
All the above actions promote the development and progress of the current technique into new applications and its final use by the general public, which is the connecting link in the technology implementation process.
In order to successfully achieve these goals, the CNH2 has several highly equipped laboratories that support its R&D activities.
Laboratories related to hydrogen technology application
Microgrids Laboratory
Vehicles Laboratory
Domestic Application Laboratory (DemoLab H2OME)
Simulation Laboratory
Hydrogen Refuelling Station – HRS (350bar