Japan - Integrated Hydrogen Energy Systems

This project proposal aims at forming a long term collaboration between AIST, IFE, and industry partners. The formation process will include four meetings - two in Japan and two in Norway. The meetings will comprise project proposal development between re searchers from the two institutions and the execution of preliminary research tasks in order to give further focus and strength to the future project initiation. The first task of the project is to formalise common efforts through a letter of intention. This task is set to be finalised at the first meeting in the third quarter of 2005. Identified PhD and post doc students from IFE and AIST will have one month stays at the respective institutions doing preliminary work within the following areas of resear ch: -Integrated hydrogen energy systems, specifically desentralised systems This task includes the development of concepts for design, placing, control and safety of desentralised energy systems -PEM fuel cell and electrolyzer technology, specifically regenerative systems Develop and experimentally verify theoretical models for regenerative PEMFCs systems, fuel cells and electrolysers enabling optimal system control and design and identification of marked opportunities -Metal hydride storage systems S pecifically advance the understanding of optimal design of metal hydride storage units through testing of different geometries, tank materials, auxilliary heating / cooling systems, etc. A common task for all of the scientific visits will be the definiti on of a larger project containing the above research fields. The partners aim at submitting a proposal in the second quarter of 2006. A major task will be to identify possible industry partners in Norway and Japan. The main objective of the larger project will remain within the topics mentioned above, but will comprise a concretisation towards end-user applications.