Hydrogen is an energy source of the future – engine researchers from Saxony-Anhalt are convinced of this. Within the HYPOS Twenty20 Consortium, WTZ Roßlau is developing the world’s first hydrogen circulation engine.
“Nothing in the world is as powerful as an idea whose time has come.” Scientists know about this quote from Victor Marie Hugo. Carsten Tietze and Manuel Cech are convinced that the time for the hydrogen circulation engine has come. The two mechanical engineers research and develop efficient and environmentally friendly drive concepts at the Wissenschaftlich-Technischen Zentrum für Motoren- und Maschinenforschung (Science and Technology Centre for Engines and Machine Research) in Dessau-Roßlau. Their generation will succeed in bringing an idea to life which was whirling around the minds of submarine builders at the beginning of the 20th century: How can an engine be operated using oxygen and hydrogen?
Later, in the 1990s, a major car manufacturer followed up on the idea of a hydrogen engine – and dropped it again. “The time was not yet right,” comments Manuel Cech. Because he is an enthusiastic inventor himself, he decided to join WTZ in Roßlau after completing his mechanical engineering studies in 2011. They have been open to research ideas here since the 1960s.
Green lighthouse LocalHy
The petunias are enjoying the supply of condensed water from the external installation of the hydrogen circulation engine.
Carsten Tietze deals with the public research funding at WTZ. He also realises that the time has come for hydrogen as an energy source. This is how he came up with HYPOS. “Hydrogen Power Storage & Solutions East Germany” pursues the basic idea of changing non-storable energy from biomass, wind and solar energy into the storable energy source of hydrogen. The initiative for this project originates from Thuringia and Saxony-Anhalt. Central Germany has the biggest national pipeline network of more than 550 kilometres, which can be used for transporting hydrogen.
The LocalHy HYPOS project, which was co-designed by the engine researchers from Roßlau, is a lighthouse in this “green” research sector. It concerns the development of an engine which is powered by this plentiful hydrogen. The single-cylinder test engine developed by WTZ has passed all of the tests so far. The engine operates using nothing but hydrogen and oxygen. The people from Roßlau explain what a milestone this is in two words: “unique worldwide.”
The engine researchers are currently setting up a second test stand for a full engine. Here, they want to show that a combustion engine can be converted into an emission and nitrous oxide-free engine using their technology.
Coupling to hydrogen reservoir
The engine is part of an overall decentralised water electrolysis system. It will initially be installed locally, as the project name LocalHy indicates. The engine builders from Roßlau see future applications for the hydrogen circulation engine in households which are equipped with a photovoltaic system – and, also with a hydrogen reservoir thanks to the research and development activities of HYPOS. The engine obtains its fuel from this as required in order to supply the household with electricity.
Test stand mechanic Tom Wilfert also has the idea of using the condensed water which is the only waste product from the motor for watering plants. This great idea also comes at the right time considering the climatic change and droughts. In any case, Tom Wilfert’s petunias are flourishing. Which is an unmistakable sign of the purity of the water.
