For safety in hydrogen transportation and storage
Project start and first committee meeting in the H2Sens project to analyze hydrogen leakage using microelectromechanical systems (MEMS)
The picture shows a MEMS gas sensor photographed with a scanning electron microscope. At the heart of the sensor structure is a thin perforated membrane in which a heating element and temperature sensors are integrated. (Source: Hahn-Schickard)
The German government's new import strategy is intended to provide Germany and the German economy with a sufficient supply of hydrogen and H2 derivatives. Hydrogen is a highly topical issue and more and more components, such as pipelines, must be able to withstand the use of hydrogen.
Hahn-Schickard from Villingen-Schwenningen and the SKZ Plastics Center from Würzburg have joined forces on this topic. Hahn-Schickard manufactures solutions using microsystems technology, so-called microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). These systems are smaller than a fingernail and are also used in the field of hydrogen-guided parts. As Europe's largest institute in the field of plastics, the SKZ would like to integrate such systems into pipes and plastic components, for example, in order to establish a warning system for H2 leaks. In the 'H2Sens' project, the two institutes are working together to develop and validate a cost-effective hydrogen (H2)-selective sensor concept for H2-bearing components and semi-finished products. The prototypes created as part of the project will be tested for their sensitivity in a specially developed measuring chamber. The H2-selective sensors will then be attached to weak points of hydrogen-bearing components (such as sleeves or weld seams) to enable rapid intervention in the event of a hydrogen breakthrough.
The first results of the project were presented to cooperating companies in the project support committee on 24.10.2024 and discussed in digital collaboration.
One partner in the project is the company Hahn-Schickard from Villingen-Schwenningen, which has many years of expertise in the development, production and characterization of miniaturized sensor systems with thermal operating principles.
“In the field of flow sensors, customer-specific silicon sensors and sensor modules have been developed for various applications in the past. The MEMS clean room is ISO-certified (ISO 9001:2015) and offers individual process steps through to complex production runs,” says the project manager at Hahn-Schickard.
“Research lives for practice! Accompany the H2Sens project together with us on the project committee and benefit from the results of the project. Be one step ahead of the development of hydrogen-carrying components and materials!” adds Stefanie Grunert, Scientist in the Spectroscopy department.
https://www.hahn-schickard.de/
Hahn-Schickard (HS) uses a process technology for the selective ablation of sacrificial layers to produce surface micromechanics (OMM) structures with precise gap dimensions down to a few hundred nanometers. This enables a new generation of miniaturized thermal sensor structures with specific sensitivity due to the drastic aspect ratios. With this technology, highly integrated pressure, temperature and thermal gas sensors can be produced on a single sensor chip, which allow very precise compensation for thermal gas analysis due to their location at the same measuring point.
The areas of application for the sensor technology extend along the entire value chain of H2 applications - from efficiency monitoring in electrolysis or fuel cells to accelerated material development and safety monitoring of transportation and storage infrastructure (pipes, tanks).
