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AZL Aachen GmbH: Kick-off meeting for "Trends and Design Factors for Hydrogen Pressure Vessels" project (c) AZL Aachen GmbH
21.12.2023

AZL Aachen GmbH: Kick-off meeting for "Trends and Design Factors for Hydrogen Pressure Vessels" project

The kick-off meeting for the "Trends and Design Factors for Hydrogen Pressure Vessels" project, recently held at AZL Aachen GmbH, was a successful event, bringing together more than 37 experts in the field of composite technologies. This event laid a solid foundation for the Joint Partner Project, which currently comprises a consortium of 20 renowned companies from across the composite pressure vessel value chain: Ascend Performance Materials, C evotec GmbH, Chongqing Polycomp International Corp. (CPIC), Conbility GmbH, Elkamet Kunststofftechnik GmbH, F.A. Kümpers GmbH & Co. KG, f loteks plastik sanayi ticaret a.s., Formosa Plastics Corporation, Heraeus Noblelight GmbH, Huntsman Advanced Materials, Kaneka Belgium NV, Laserline GmbH, Mitsui Chemicals Europe GmbH, Plastik Omnium, Rassini Europe GmbH, Robert Bosch GmbH, Swancor Holding Co. Ltd. Ltd., TECNALIA, Toyota Motor Europe NV/SA, Tünkers do Brasil Ltda.

The project follows AZL´s well proven approach of a Joint Partner Project, aiming to provide technology and market insights as well as benchmarking of different material and production setups in combination with connecting experts along the value chain.

The kick-off meeting for the "Trends and Design Factors for Hydrogen Pressure Vessels" project, recently held at AZL Aachen GmbH, was a successful event, bringing together more than 37 experts in the field of composite technologies. This event laid a solid foundation for the Joint Partner Project, which currently comprises a consortium of 20 renowned companies from across the composite pressure vessel value chain: Ascend Performance Materials, C evotec GmbH, Chongqing Polycomp International Corp. (CPIC), Conbility GmbH, Elkamet Kunststofftechnik GmbH, F.A. Kümpers GmbH & Co. KG, f loteks plastik sanayi ticaret a.s., Formosa Plastics Corporation, Heraeus Noblelight GmbH, Huntsman Advanced Materials, Kaneka Belgium NV, Laserline GmbH, Mitsui Chemicals Europe GmbH, Plastik Omnium, Rassini Europe GmbH, Robert Bosch GmbH, Swancor Holding Co. Ltd. Ltd., TECNALIA, Toyota Motor Europe NV/SA, Tünkers do Brasil Ltda.

The project follows AZL´s well proven approach of a Joint Partner Project, aiming to provide technology and market insights as well as benchmarking of different material and production setups in combination with connecting experts along the value chain.

The kick-off meeting not only served as a platform to foster new contacts and get informed about the expertise and interests of the consortium members in the field of hydrogen pressure vessels, but also laid the groundwork for steering the focus of the upc oming project's ambitious phases. As a basis for the interactive discussion session, AZL outlined the background, motivation and detailed work plan. The central issues of the dialogue were the primary objectives, the most pressing challenges, the contribut ion to competitiveness, and
the priorities that would best meet the expectations of the project partners.

Discussions covered regulatory issues, the evolving value chain and the supply and properties of key materials such as carbon and glass fibres and resins. The consortium defined investigations into different manufacturing technologies, assessing their matu rity and potential benefits. Design layouts, including liners, boss designs and winding patterns, were thoroughly considered, taking into account their implications for mobile and stationary storage. The group is also interested in cost effective testing m ethods and certification processes, as well as the prospects for recycling into continuous fibres and the use of sustainable materials. Insight was requested into future demand for hydrogen tanks, OEM needs and strategies, and technological developments to produce more economical tanks.

The meeting highlighted the importance of CAE designs for fibre patterns, software suitability and the application dependent use of thermoset and thermoplastic designs.

The first report meeting will also set the stage of the next project phase, which will be the creation of reference designs by AZL's engineering team. These designs will cover a range of pressure vessel configurations using a variety of materials and production concepts. The aim is to develop models that not only re flect current technological capabilities, but also provide deep insight into the cost analysis of different production technologies, their CO2 footprint, recycling aspects and scalability.

AZL's project remains open to additional participants. Companies interested in joining this initiative are invited to contact Philipp Fröhlig.

11.09.2023

Project and technology study: Trends and Design Factors for Hydrogen Pressure Vessels

Die AZL Aachen GmbH, bekannter Innovationspartner für Industriekooperationen auf dem Gebiet der Leichtbautechnologieforschung, startet eines neuen Projekts mit dem Titel "Trends und Designfaktoren für Wasserstoffdruckbehälter". Das Projekt wird Fragestellungen der Industrie in Bezug auf die Wasserstoffspeicherung adressieren.


AZL Aachen GmbH, a recognized innovator in lightweight technologies research and industry collaboration, announces the initiation of a new project titled "Trends and Design Factors for Hydrogen Pressure Vessels". The project aims to address industry needs surrounding hydrogen storage.

Hydrogen has gained significant attention as a key technological solution for decarbonization, with high pressure storage and transportation emerging as vital components. Its applications extend from stationary storage solutions to mobile pressure vessels employed in sectors such as transportation and energy systems.

Die AZL Aachen GmbH, bekannter Innovationspartner für Industriekooperationen auf dem Gebiet der Leichtbautechnologieforschung, startet eines neuen Projekts mit dem Titel "Trends und Designfaktoren für Wasserstoffdruckbehälter". Das Projekt wird Fragestellungen der Industrie in Bezug auf die Wasserstoffspeicherung adressieren.


AZL Aachen GmbH, a recognized innovator in lightweight technologies research and industry collaboration, announces the initiation of a new project titled "Trends and Design Factors for Hydrogen Pressure Vessels". The project aims to address industry needs surrounding hydrogen storage.

Hydrogen has gained significant attention as a key technological solution for decarbonization, with high pressure storage and transportation emerging as vital components. Its applications extend from stationary storage solutions to mobile pressure vessels employed in sectors such as transportation and energy systems.

The AZL team, renowned for its high reputation in providing market and technology insights as well as developing component and production concepts in the format of Joint Partner Projects seeks for companies along the whole composite value chain interested in further developing their application know how in this economically highly relevant field.

The project will provide an in depth exploration of market insights, regulatory standards, and intellectual property landscapes. Beyond this, there is a dedicated focus on staying updated with state of the art and advancements in design, materials, and man ufacturing techniques.

An integral component of the project involves the creation of reference designs by AZL´s engineering team. The reference designs will encompass a variety of pressure vessel configurations and will consider a diverse range of materials and production concep ts.

With the scheduled project start in October 2023, and a project timeline of approximately nine months, AZL encourages companies active across the composite value chain to participate. Companies interested in participating or seeking further information should reach out directly to the AZL expert team.

Source:

Aachener Zentrum für integrativen Leichtbau

(c) AZL. Comparison of battery casing in modular design and “cell-to-pack” design
Comparison of battery casing in modular design and “cell-to-pack” design
02.09.2022

AZL: Plastic-based multi-material solutions for cell-to-pack battery enclosures

The future of e-mobility will be determined in particular by safe battery enclosures. As batteries for electric vehicles become more performant, higher volumetric energy density plays a crucial role. If more energy is to be stored in less installation space, new material and design solutions are required. The development of suitable enclosures made of safe and highly robust lightweight materials is also required. This is a case for the Aachen Centre for Integrative Lightweight Production (AZL). A project on cell-to-pack battery enclosures for battery-electric vehicles, which has been eagerly awaited in the industry, will start in October this year there.

The future of e-mobility will be determined in particular by safe battery enclosures. As batteries for electric vehicles become more performant, higher volumetric energy density plays a crucial role. If more energy is to be stored in less installation space, new material and design solutions are required. The development of suitable enclosures made of safe and highly robust lightweight materials is also required. This is a case for the Aachen Centre for Integrative Lightweight Production (AZL). A project on cell-to-pack battery enclosures for battery-electric vehicles, which has been eagerly awaited in the industry, will start in October this year there.

The design of battery housings is crucial for safety, capacity, performance, and economics. The Cell-to-Pack project, which is starting now, will focus on developing concepts for structural components and for producing them based on a variety of materials and design approaches. The concepts will be compared in terms of performance, weight and production costs, creating new know-how for OEMs, producers and their suppliers throughout the battery vehicle value chain. Companies are now invited to participate in this new cross-industry project to develop battery enclosure concepts for the promising and trend-setting cell-to-pack technology.

The basis for the project is the lightweight engineering expertise of the AZL experts, which they have already demonstrated in previous projects for multi-material solutions for module-based battery housings. Together with 46 industry partners, including Audi, Asahi Kasei, Covestro, DSM, EconCore, Faurecia, Hutchinson, Johns Manville, Magna, Marelli and Teijin, 20 different multi-material concepts were optimized in terms of weight and cost and compared with a reference component made from aluminum. All production steps were modelled in detail to obtain reliable cost estimates for each variant. Result: depending on the concept, 20% weight or 36% cost savings potential could be identified by using multi-material composites compared to the established aluminum reference.

It is expected that the design concept of battery enclosures will develop in the direction of a more efficient layout. In this case, the cells are no longer combined in modules in additional production steps, but are integrated directly into the battery housing. The elimination of battery modules and the improved, weight-saving use of space will allow for higher packing density, reduced overall height and cost saving. In addition, various levels of structural integration of the battery housing into the body structure are expected. These new designs bring specific challenges, including ensuring protection of the battery cells from external damage and fire protection. In addition, different recyclability and repair requirements may significantly impact future designs. How the different material and structural options for future generations of battery enclosures for the cell-to-pack technology might look like and how they compare in terms of cost and environmental impact will be investigated in the new AZL project. In addition to the material and production concepts from the concept study for module-based battery enclosures, results from a currently ongoing benchmarking of different materials for the impact protection plate and a new method for determining mechanical properties during a fire test will also be incorporated.

The project will start on October 27, 2022 with a kick-off meeting of the consortium, interested companies can still apply for participation until then.

Bio Composites Procedure (c) AZL Aachen GmbH
24.09.2020

Starting market and technology study on the Potential for bio-based composite materials

Sustainability and environmental responsibility are important developments for the current design of productions and products. In order to obtain a comprehensive evaluation of the potential of bio-based composites, the AZL, together with an industry consortium, is investigating the market potential, future applications and relevant technologies for bio-based composite materials. The 5-month market and technology study will start on October 22nd, 2020 and is open to interested companies. Companies such as REHAU, an Automotive Tier 1, Asahi Kasei, Johns Manville, Mahr Metering Systems and several material manufacturers are participating in the study.

Bio-plastics are well established in industry, especially in packaging applications. The market for biopolymers is expected to grow from USD 10.5 billion in 2020 to USD 27.9 billion in 2025. At the same time, bio-based raw materials, such as natural fibers, are available on the market in a cost-effective manner. Composites with wood or natural fiber content are also increasingly used in products.

Sustainability and environmental responsibility are important developments for the current design of productions and products. In order to obtain a comprehensive evaluation of the potential of bio-based composites, the AZL, together with an industry consortium, is investigating the market potential, future applications and relevant technologies for bio-based composite materials. The 5-month market and technology study will start on October 22nd, 2020 and is open to interested companies. Companies such as REHAU, an Automotive Tier 1, Asahi Kasei, Johns Manville, Mahr Metering Systems and several material manufacturers are participating in the study.

Bio-plastics are well established in industry, especially in packaging applications. The market for biopolymers is expected to grow from USD 10.5 billion in 2020 to USD 27.9 billion in 2025. At the same time, bio-based raw materials, such as natural fibers, are available on the market in a cost-effective manner. Composites with wood or natural fiber content are also increasingly used in products.

Dr. Michael Emonts, Managing Partner of AZL: "Together with our partner companies we want to identify hidden business potential for composites with bio-based materials. To do so, we will reapply our established approach for market and technology studies: Based on a detailed market analysis, we will dive deep into the technological evaluation of technologies, applications and business cases.”

Based on a detailed market segmentation, AZL's technology experts analyze the various market segments in terms of their size, growth potential, relevant players and existing and future applications. For the identified applications, the participants in the study will receive detailed insight into the respective technical and legal requirements as well as an overview of value chains, processes and materials. In the following, the strengths and challenges of bio-composites compared to conventional materials are elaborated. The consortium will select the components with the highest potential, for which suitable production scenarios will be developed and analyzed in terms of costs in a business case analysis.

"We are participating in the AZL study to identify and evaluate new product areas with bio-materials. The technological analyses of the AZL studies have already helped us in the past to initiate new developments," says Dr. Steven Schmidt, Director Technology Platforms Materials at REHAU, explaining the motivation for working with the AZL and the industry consortium. "As one of the 50 Sustainability & Climate Leaders, we at REHAU are incorporating environmentally friendly materials into more and more products. Wherever the company is active - from the furniture and construction industries to the automotive industry - REHAU is already developing and manufacturing high-quality products from recycled raw materials. By 2025, REHAU plans to increase its recycling rate across the Group to significantly more than 15 percent and at the same time reduce CO2 emissions by at least 30 percent," adds Dr. Steven Schmidt.

Bio-composites will also be the topic of the upcoming Lightweight TechTalk by AZL on September 29, 2020. Experts from industry and academia will give technology and market insights on sustainability and recycling of composites in 6 presentations. Registration is free of charge at: https://azl-aachen-gmbh.de/termine/recycling-of-composites/.

The kick-off of the project will take place on October 22nd, 2020 in the form of a video conference. Further background information on the project can be found under the following link: https://azl-aachen-gmbh.de/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/2020-251_OP_Bio-Bases_Composites.pdf

Bio Composites Procedure (c) AZL Aachen GmbH
24.09.2020

Startende Markt- und Technologiestudie zum Potential für bio-basierte Composite-Materialien

Nachhaltigkeit und Umweltbewusstsein sind wichtige Entwicklungen für die derzeitige Gestaltung von Produktionen und Produkten. Um eine umfassende Einschätzung des Potentials von bio-basierten Composites zu erhalten, untersucht das AZL zusammen mit einem Industriekonsortium das Marktpotential, zukünftige Anwendungen und relevante Technologien für bio-basierte Composite-Materialien. Die 5-monatige Markt- und Technologiestudie startet am 22. Oktober 2020 und ist offen für interessierte Firmen. Firmen wie REHAU, ein Automotive Tier 1, Asahi Kasei, Johns Manville, Mahr Metering Systems sowie mehrere Materialhersteller beteiligen sich an der Studie.

Bio-Kunststoffe sind in der Industrie, vor allem in Verpackungsanwendungen etabliert. Es wird erwartet, dass der Markt für Biopolymere von 10,5 Milliarden USD im Jahr 2020 auf 27,9 Milliarden USD im Jahr 2025 wachsen wird. Gleichzeitig sind bio-basierte Rohmaterialien, wie Naturfasern, kosteneffektiv auf dem Markt erhältlich. Auch Composites mit Holz- oder Naturfaseranteilen werden zunehmend in Produkten eingesetzt.

Nachhaltigkeit und Umweltbewusstsein sind wichtige Entwicklungen für die derzeitige Gestaltung von Produktionen und Produkten. Um eine umfassende Einschätzung des Potentials von bio-basierten Composites zu erhalten, untersucht das AZL zusammen mit einem Industriekonsortium das Marktpotential, zukünftige Anwendungen und relevante Technologien für bio-basierte Composite-Materialien. Die 5-monatige Markt- und Technologiestudie startet am 22. Oktober 2020 und ist offen für interessierte Firmen. Firmen wie REHAU, ein Automotive Tier 1, Asahi Kasei, Johns Manville, Mahr Metering Systems sowie mehrere Materialhersteller beteiligen sich an der Studie.

Bio-Kunststoffe sind in der Industrie, vor allem in Verpackungsanwendungen etabliert. Es wird erwartet, dass der Markt für Biopolymere von 10,5 Milliarden USD im Jahr 2020 auf 27,9 Milliarden USD im Jahr 2025 wachsen wird. Gleichzeitig sind bio-basierte Rohmaterialien, wie Naturfasern, kosteneffektiv auf dem Markt erhältlich. Auch Composites mit Holz- oder Naturfaseranteilen werden zunehmend in Produkten eingesetzt.

Dr. Michael Emonts, Geschäftsführer des AZL: „Zusammen mit unseren Partnerfirmen wollen wir bisher noch unerkanntes Geschäftspotential für Composites mit aus bio-basierten Materialien identifizieren. Dazu wenden wir unseren etablierten Ansatz für Markt-/Technologiestudien an und tauchen ausgehend von einer detaillierten Marktanalyse tief in die technologische Bewertung von Technologien, Anwendungen und Business Cases.“

Ausgehend von einer detaillierten Marktsegmentierung, analysieren die Technologieexperten des AZL die verschiedenen Marktsegmente hinsichtlich ihrer Größe, ihres Wachstumspotentials, relevanter Akteure und existierender und zukünftiger Anwendungen. Die Teilnehmer der Studie erhalten für die identifizierten Anwendungen detaillierte Einsicht in die jeweiligen technischen und gesetzlichen Anforderungen sowie einen Überblick über Wertschöpfungsketten, Prozesse und Materialien. Im Folgenden werden die Stärken und Herausforderungen von Bio-Composites gegenüber konventionellen Materialien erarbeitet. Das Konsortium wählt die Komponenten mit dem höchsten Potential aus, für die geeignete Produktionsszenarien erarbeitet und im Rahmen einer Business-Case-Analyse hinsichtlich ihrer Kosten analysiert werden.

„Wir sind bei der AZL-Studie dabei, um dadurch neue Produktbereiche mit Bio-Materialien zu identifizieren und zu bewerten. Die technologischen Analysen der AZL-Studien haben uns bereits in der Vergangenheit geholfen, Neuentwicklungen anzustoßen,“ erklärt Dr. Steven Schmidt, Director Technology Platforms Materials bei REHAU die Motivation mit dem AZL und dem Industriekonsortium zusammen zu arbeiten. „Als einer der 50 Sustainability & Climate Leaders bringen wir bei REHAU umweltfreundliche Materialien in immer mehr Produkte. Überall, wo das Unternehmen tätig ist – von der Möbel-, über die Bau- bis hin zur Automobilindustrie – entwickelt und produziert REHAU bereits heute qualitativ hochwertige Produkte aus Recycling-Rohstoffen. Bis 2025 plant REHAU, seine Recyclingquote gruppenweit auf deutlich mehr als 15 Prozent zu erhöhen und gleichzeitig den CO2-Ausstoß um mindestens 30 Prozent zu reduzieren,“ ergänzt Dr. Steven Schmidt.

Bio-Composites werden auch Thema im anstehenden Lightweight TechTalk by AZL am 29. September 2020 sein. Experten aus Industrie und Academia werden in 6 Vorträgen Technologie- und Markteinblicke geben zu Nachhaltigkeit und Recycling von Composites. Die Anmeldung ist kostenfrei möglich unter: https://azl-aachen-gmbh.de/termine/recycling-of-composites/

Das Kick-Off des Projekts findet am 22. Oktober 2020 im Rahmen einer Video-Konferenz statt.

Weitere Hintergrundinformationen zum Projekt finden Sie unter folgendem Link: https://azl-aachen-gmbh.de/wp-content/uploads/2020/09/2020-251_OP_Bio-Bases_Composites.pdf

More information:
AZL Composites Studie
Source:

AZL Aachen GmbH