Linde supplies DLR gas turbine test stand with liquid hydrogen

Munich – The technology company The Linde Group has been awarded a contract to supply hydrogen to the combustion chamber test facilities run by Germany’s national research center for aeronautics and space (DLR) in Cologne.

At the DLR’s combustion chamber test facilities run by the Institute of Propulsion Technology, researchers are investigating efficient, flexible, low-emission ways to burn fossil and alternative fuels. The objective is to further optimise efficiency in the combustion chambers of aircraft turbines and stationary gas turbines.

“This project clearly demonstrates how the special properties of hydrogen make it ideal for a wide range of innovative applications,” says Dr Andreas Opfermann, Head of Clean Energy & Innovation Management at Linde. “Hydrogen is not just growing in popularity as a zero-emissions fuel in the automotive segment, it also has huge potential in the aviation industry and as large-scale electricity storage. We are proud to have the opportunity to channel our long-standing expertise into this exceptional DLR project.”

Through this deal with Linde, DLR is addressing rising demand for test facilities specialised in alternative fuels. High energy density, carbon-free combustion and suitability for high-powered combustion engines are making hydrogen an extremely attractive option among turbine manufacturers. By 2013, Linde will have built an extensive on-site supply infrastructure, thus eliminating the need for high-pressure hydrogen deliveries by tube trailer trucks. At the heart of the new infrastructure is a cryogenic storage tank with an innovative cryopump system developed by Linde. This converts liquid hydrogen stored at a temperature of -253° C into high-pressure gaseous hydrogen. Direct compression of the liquid hydrogen reduces energy consumption compared with conventional compressor systems by up to 70%. It also reduces maintenance effort and wear-and-tear.

As the largest engineer of hydrogen plants worldwide, Linde has been producing hydrogen for the most varied of applications for over 100 years. These include the desulphurisation of fuel in the petrochemical industry. The company is also making a valuable and active contribution to the current move to build up a hydrogen refuelling network by developing the enabling technologies – innovative supply and refuelling solutions included.


About The Linde Group
The Linde Group is a world-leading gases and engineering company with around 50,000 employees working in more than 100 countries worldwide. In the 2010 financial year, it achieved sales of EUR 12.868 bn. The strategy of The Linde Group is geared towards sustainable earnings-based growth and focuses on the expansion of its international business with forward-looking products and services. Linde acts responsibly towards its shareholders, business partners, employees, society and the environment – in every one of its business areas, regions and locations across the globe. Linde is committed to technologies and products that unite the goals of customer value and sustainable development.

For more information, see The Linde Group online at http://www.linde.com