Archive for March, 2023
How Hydrogen Can Make Combustion Cleaner
The aluminum and steel industry is one of the most energy-intensive industries in the world. The “HyInHeat” research project, funded by the EU to the tune of 17.7 million Euros, now aims to test the use of hydrogen as a fuel in the high-temperature processes of the aluminum and steel industry. It will focus on the procedures of processing, in particular melting, heating and heat treatment, and will thus make an important contribution to decarbonization along the process chains of these sectors. The possible reduction of CO2 and nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions with a simultaneous increase in energy efficiency through new technology would be an important contribution to achieving climate targets.
The project, which will run until the end of 2026 with 30 partners from 12 countries, is being coordinated by the Department for Industrial Furnaces and Heat Engineering (IOB) at RWTH Aachen University. The University’s Institute of Mineral Engineering (GHI) and the Institute for Combustion Technology (ITV) are also involved. “While some components such as burners have already been classified as suitable for hydrogen combustion, the holistic integration of hydrogen as a fuel in industrial thermal processes requires an adaptation of the plant technology, the process technology as well as the infrastructure,” explains the head of the IOB, Professor Herbert Pfeifer at the kick-off of the project in Aachen.
