Project
In How2MultiWind, we develop a technical-economic design tool for sustainable multifilament-wound fiber composite pressure vessels in order to promote the energy transition in the transport sector together with small and medium-sized companies.
The development of alternative driving concepts in the transport sector, such as hydrogen fuel cells, is a decisive contribution to shaping the energy transition demanded and driven by the Federal Government. This is accompanied by the development and implementation of hydrogen storage concepts. In current research projects fiber composite pressure vessels are focused on. These do not only offer low weight to the application but also adaptable mechanical properties.
At the same time, series production is essential for penetrating the market. The established wet-winding method does not do justice to this requirement due to the high cycle times. An alternative is the braiding process, which allows shorter production times, but does not fully utilize the mechanical potential of the fibers due to the crossed placement of the braiding threads. A new multifilament winding process , which can process a large number of fiber rovings at the same time and thus reduce cycle times is another option. Due to the market novelty, however, this method lacks instruments for a technical specification, material parameters and models that are necessary for an economically and socially-ecologically sustainable production.
The aim of the project is to ensure the economic and sustainable production of fiber composite pressure vessels in SMEs . In order to enable the standard use of the multifilament winding process, the limits and potential of the technology as well as its relationships are systematically recorded and made usable. For this purpose, an economic-technical design tool is developed, which on the one hand uses technical correlations and machine parameters as a basis for calculation and on the other hand enables the systemic analysis and evaluation of economic and sustainability-related factors.
System suitability is proven by means of a component demonstrator (fiber composite pressure vessel) manufactured using the multifilament winding process. Ultimately, SME-specific business models will be developed to enable the transfer of research results to the economy.
As a result of the research project, SMEs in particular have access to a tool as a calculation base, including the interdependencies and machine parameters, as well as analysis and evaluation of economic and socio-ecological factors. By an economically and socially-environmentally advantageous process, the production volume of fiber composite pressure vessels is increased, while lower cycle times reduce the production costs. During production, resources and energy can be used more efficiently. At the same time, negative socio-ecological impacts are minimized, thus ensuring overall sustainability of the new process. This new profitable and highly sought-after business will create new jobs in the energy and storage industries. Through the involvement of the Project Accompanying Committee throughout the project, a transfer to industry will be ensured during the lifetime of the project.
How2MultiWind is divided into seven work packages, managed either by the IfU or the ITA, with both research units involved in all work packages. First of all, the requirements for the instrument and the technical, economic and sustainability-related framework conditions are determined and defined as part of the potential analysis (WP 1). With various tests on the multifilament winding machine in the technical center of the ITA, the technical effects are uncovered and process parameters derived (WP 2).
These and the defined requirements serve as a basis for the development of a model for the economic-technical and sustainability-related analysis and evaluation of the multifilament winding process and correspondingly produced fiber composite pressure vessels (WP 3). Based on a reference geometry, mechanical characteristics of multifilament-wound fiber composite pressure vessels are also determined with different test methods (WP 4). Subsequently, a component demonstrator is manufactured. Based on the evaluation model and the material characteristics a software demonstrator is developed, which serves the economic-technical decision support process design for SMEs (WP 5).
Component and software demonstrators are validated and measures are derived for promoting the energy transition in the transport sector (WP 6). Project management and the transfer of research results into science and practice are bundled in a continuous work package (WP 7). Within this work package, SME-specific business models for multifilament-wound fiber composite pressure vessels will also be developed.
Welcome to the How2MultiWind website. On the 1st of January 2019, the research project How2MultiWind started and runs until December 31, 2020. On this website you can find more information about the project, the consortium and news about the current project progress.
On January 29, 2019, the project was launched with a project presentation and a workshop. In cooperation with an interdisciplinary team of the ITA and IfU and with the participation of various participants of the project-accompanying committee, initial requirements for the project were defined. We thank the participants for their active participation and a successful meeting.
In order to achieve the project goal, the bundled cooperation of competent research institutions from various disciplines and industrial partners is necessary. The two research centers guarantee a high-quality project handling through their technical and methodological competence. Involved:
In order to maximize the practical relevance of the research project and its results, the project will be accompanied by representatives of various industrial companies in order to ensure a lively exchange of information between the research site and the industry representatives.
The project of the Research Association Institute for Management Cybernetics is funded by the Association of Industrial Research Associations "Otto von Guericke" eV (AiF) from January 1, 2019 on for over two years as part of the Industrial Community Research (IGF, Project No. 38 EWN) Energy research funded by the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy (BMWi) on the basis of a resolution of the German Bundestag.
The association Institute for Management Cybernetics (IfU) at RWTH Aachen University is an independent, private and interdisciplinary research and development institute. It deals with the description, processing and evaluation of elusive variables and has i.a. Focal points in the areas of profitability analyzes, sustainability, risk, innovation and personnel management as well as business model innovation. It expands classical disciplines through its interdisciplinary approach and cybernetic principles. It thus shows new ways of solving complex problems both in the technical and in the organizational field. In interdisciplinary research projects, these areas are treated by the IfU as an interplay of engineering, social and economic sciences.
The core competencies of the Institute of Textile Technology (ITA) consist of the development of textile machinery and components, high-performance fiber materials, manufacturing processes and all process chains as well as the development of innovative textile-based products in the fields of mobility, construction and housing as well as energy and health. The central technology fields are material and energy efficiency, functional integration and integrative production technologies.
With the opening of the High Performance Fiber Center in December 2012, ITA will enable small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) to save on research through a unique research infrastructure, thereby providing SME incentives to use new technologies.
For industrial companies, the ITA offers direct research as part of a research and development project or framework agreement. Moreover, the ITA offers direct research in the framework of publicly funded projects (state, federal, EU) for industrial companies; Further education and seminars on textile topics in-house or at the ITA; Creative workshops for brainstorming and patent and literature research. Research services are offered and processed in cooperation with the company ITA Technologietransfer GmbH, which belongs to the ITA.
Project manager
Association Institute for Management Cybernetics
+49 241 80 91171
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