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The newly constructed “Boltzmann” gas analysis laboratory at Graz University of Technology’s (TU Graz) HyCentA hydrogen research center tackles the handling of hydrogen from production, storage, and transit to refueling or use requires a high technological level.
The fundamental prerequisite for successful technical handling is a detailed understanding of the gas composition in each process stage. Additionally, the laboratory plays a critical role in the development of high-precision gas quality and mass measurement technologies.
The addition of a new gas analysis laboratory as part of the center’s expansion complements the center’s current research infrastructure, which already includes test stands for electrolysis, fuel cell systems, and high-pressure hydrogen systems operating at up to 1000 bar.
TU Graz contributed significantly to the expansion of the entire HyCentA test facility by additional 600 square meters, thereby bolstering Graz’s hydrogen research even more. Around 160 scientists are now working on safe, climate-friendly hydrogen technologies at TU Graz and its research affiliates such as HyCentA.
At the moment, the gas analysis laboratory serves as the foundation for the development of calibration measurement technologies for hydrogen mass and methodologies for hydrogen quality measurement. For example, this mobile measurement equipment will permit calibration at the filling station in accordance with the strictest regulatory requirements. The current absence of technology for this is one of the primary reasons for the H2 infrastructure’s slow expansion and frequent constraints in industrial hydrogen processing.
The laboratory for gas analysis was established at HyCentA as part of a collaborative research project titled “Upscaling green hydrogen for mobility and industry” (UpHy I). UpHy I is a climate and energy research project supported by the Climate and Energy Fund and carried out as part of the WIVA P&G program “Energy Model Region.”
Thus, emission-free mobility takes another step forward: the collaborative overall project encompasses the planning and implementation of an industrial-scale value chain for green hydrogen, from production and distribution to usage in transportation and industry. To this end, efforts are being made to enhance the development of green hydrogen generation and distribution, as well as the requisite calibration measurement technologies.
By incorporating the project’s contents into the WIVA P&G hydrogen initiative, the project contributes to Austria’s standing as a model region for hydrogen technologies and green gases, while also maintaining contact with essential actors and business partners. This results in a trans-regional transfer of knowledge.
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