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Emerging scientist awarded 10,000 Euros for research on a hydrogen tank of the future

On the 15th of September, a 10,000 Euro prize was granted to Dr. Julian Jepsen by the Wasserstoff-Gesellschaft Hamburg (Hydrogen Society Hamburg) for his doctoral dissertation. The emerging scientist from the Institute of Materials Research at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht (HZG) completed his doctorate in February 2014 at the Helmut Schmidt University (HSU) in Hamburg. The HZG and HSU have been collaborating since 2010 in the field of hydrogen technology.

On the 15th of September, a 10,000 Euro prize was granted to Dr. Julian Jepsen by the Wasserstoff-Gesellschaft Hamburg (Hydrogen Society Hamburg) for his doctoral dissertation. The emerging scientist from the Institute of Materials Research at the Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht (HZG) completed his doctorate in February 2014 at the Helmut Schmidt University (HSU) in Hamburg. The HZG and HSU have been collaborating since 2010 in the field of hydrogen technology.

Dr. Julian Jepsen  during a hydrogen test in the HZG laboratory.

Dr. Julian Jepsen (in the foreground) during a hydrogen test in the HZG laboratory. Photo: HZG/ Julia Knop

The first Heinz and Joachim Gretz Dissertation Prize was awarded at the Hamburg Chamber of Commerce on the occasion of the Hydrogen Society’s 25th anniversary. Julian Jepsen’s work examines to what extent it will be technologically and economically feasible in the future to store hydrogen in light metals.

Compared to other materials, light metal hydrides possess a higher storage capacity for hydrogen. The storage material studied by Jepsen consists of a mix of lithium, boron, magnesium and hydrogen. Hydrogen stored in this manner delivers power when connected to a fuel cell.

Professor Wolfgang Kaysser, Scientific Director of the Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht, is delighted, as is Julian Jepsen, about the award: "A requirement for hydrogen technology application and fuel cells in every day life is to store hydrogen in a compact and secure form. Julian Jepsen’s doctoral work demonstrates that this technology is sustainable for the future.”

The dissertation forms the basis of an integrated hydrogen-tank-fuel-cell-system based on materials studied by Jepsen. The system is under development in cooperation with industrial partners and other researchers as part of the EU research project BOR4STORE, coordinated by the HZG.

It forms the laboratory prototype of a grid-independent energy supply system, which could be utilised for continuously operating power supplies such as for telecommunications or for an island supply system. The start of the test phase for the integrated system is planned for spring 2015.

The precise topic of the dissertation, awarded with academic honours, is: “Technical and Economic Evaluation of Hydrogen Storage Systems Based on Light Metal Hydrides“.

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Dr. Julian Jepsen
Dr. Julian Jepsen

Department Nanotechnology

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Heidrun Hillen
Heidrun Hillen

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