Schaeffler LOHC cooperation: Milestone in the hydrogen plan

LOHC for Increased Safety and Cost Efficiency

Hydrogen is typically stored and transported in gas form under high pressure or in liquid form at extreme sub-zero temperatures in specialized containers. An alternative is offered by liquid organic hydrogen carriers, or LOHCs. In the proprietary process of Hydrogenious, benzyltoluene is used, as outlined by the supplier company. This is an oil-like, organic substance that chemically binds the hydrogen and allows it to be transported under normal ambient conditions. Unlike the conventional method, no molecular hydrogen would be present in an LOHC fuel cell or in the supply chain. The liquid carrier material can be used multiple times and is therefore particularly sustainable.

“With its properties, the LOHC technology using benzyltoluene enables a safe and cost-efficient hydrogen infrastructure, from storage to transport to utilization,” says Prof. Dr.-Ing. Tim Hosenfeldt, Head of Research & Innovation and Central Technologies at Schaeffler AG.

The use of LOHC in fuel cells is seen as complementary to traditional hydrogen technologies, Hosenfeldt adds. The project builds on the extensive pioneering work of Hydrogenious and HIERN in research and development in the field of LOHC, as well as on corresponding expertise and patents. Schaeffler, together with the Helmholtz Institute Erlangen-Nuremberg, is developing the corresponding fuel cell technology for the direct use of hydrogen bound in LOHC.

This requires adaptations to the construction of the fuel cells. Schaeffler manufactures the bipolar plates, utilizing synergies and drawing on know-how from previously developed fuel cell technology. The catalysts and membranes necessary for this technology are being specially developed for this application at the Helmholtz Institute Erlangen-Nuremberg, the company further explains.