In Prof. Ulmer’s group working on hydrogen infrastructure, new technologies for the generation, storage, transport, and transformation of hydrogen are being developed. The group works on a broad spectrum of topics:

• Development of new electrolysis procedures to generate green hydrogen more efficiently and cost-effectively than is possible currently;
• Innovative technologies for the chemical storage of hydrogen, such as storage in solid materials like metal hydrides, for example;
• The use of hydrogen in fuel cells, primarily for stationary applications in residential areas and lodgings;
• Transformation of CO₂ and hydrogen into renewable chemicals like methanol or e-fuels by means of light energy (artificial photosynthesis);
• Heat integration of hydrogen systems;
• System analyses, planning, and realisation of projects to build up hydrogen infrastructure.

Various basic and application-oriented problems are pursued through the use of theoretical and experimental methods. In theoretical and simulation-based work, prototypes and systems are designed and simulated. Software programs like MATLAB-Simulink and Ansys Fluent are used in this work. Prototypes, for example, novel electrochemical cells or photoreactors for CO₂ transformation, are produced using rapid prototyping processes (e.g., 3D printing). Prototype efficiency is tested in thermo-catalytic, photocatalytic, and electrocatalytic test rigs. Materials scientific characterisation methods like x-ray diffraction or electron microscopy are standard-use. Additional analytic methods used are gas chromatography and spectroscopic methods.