The Energy and hydrogen engineering (EWT) lab comprises the following equipment and facilities for practical courses and for application-oriented research and development, whether funded by third-party funds or industry collaboration:

• Solar hydrogen production
  This rig comprises a photovoltaic system, a battery bank, and a water electrolyser. The direct current generated by the solar modules charges the unit’s batteries via a charge controller. The system controller operates the hydrogen generator (PEM electrolyser). The combination of this unit with fuel cells (see below) makes it possible to conduct experiments along the entire energy conversion chain from solar radiation energy to the end user of the electricity.
   
• Energy transfer by radiation
  Using this test rig, various laws of heat transfer by radiation can be reproduced experimentally (Lambert’s laws, Stefan-Boltzmann law, Kirchhoff’s laws).
   
• Artificial sun, photovoltaics, solar heat
  This test rig uses artificial sun (halogen spotlight field) under defined conditions (radiation intensity, angle of incidence, opacity, etc.) to irradiate photovoltaic modules and solar collectors and enables the analysis of electrical and thermal yields.                                                                                                                         
• Metal hydride storage test rig
  The students learn about the operating behaviour of metal hydride reactors, which can be used as hydrogen and heat storage systems. Data on the equilibrium of the chemically reacting gas-solid system are acquired and the effective reaction kinetics are modelled.                                                                                                           
• Fuel cell system with 50 W output
  The 50 W fuel cell system is used to teach the foundations of engineering as well as advanced knowledge of the overall context of a fuel cell system: structure and functional principle, characteristic curves, setting up and evaluating balance equations for energy and entropy, energetic and exergetic efficiencies, system and power electronics. The core of the modular system is an air-cooled 50 W PEM fuel cell with open cathode.
                                                                                                                                                                  
• Fuel cell system with 1.2 kW output
  The combination of hydrogen storage, fuel cell, and battery technology to form hybrid systems makes it possible to design self-sufficient energy or backup systems. With the help of the system, students learn about designing energy systems with fuel cell technology based on industrial system components. It is a fully-fledged energy system for the operation of consumers with a rated output of up to 1.2 kW.
   
• Fuel cell cogeneration plant
  This plant’s main components are a fuel cell, an electrical consumer, and a heat consumer. The aim is to give the students a clear understanding of the principle, the mode of operation, and the most important properties of the technology of combined heat and power generation using the example of a fuel cell cogeneration plant. During the course of the evaluation, the operating characteristics and internal consumption of the fuel cell are determined, as well as the utilization factor, the power-to-heat ratio, the energy yield, and the primary energy savings of the overall system.
   
• 100 kW Burner test stand
  This station enables the investigation of combustion processes and heat transfer phenomena (100 kW combustion heat output, industry standard components). The system is directly relevant to industry efforts to make process heat generation more efficient and to transition to renewable energy sources.
   
• Steam power station
  Using this system, it is possible to demonstrate the entire Rankine vapour cycle, including the necessary components such as feedwater tank and pump, firing system, steam generation, superheating, condenser and condensate pump, cooling water circuit, and all measuring circuits, control systems, and safety devices required for operation.
   
• Gas turbine
  Using this test rig, students can familiarise themselves with the open Joule cycle, including the components compressor, combustion chamber, turbine, generator, and all necessary subsystems (such as lubrication oil system). The operating behaviour is experimentally investigated by varying a number of test parameters and compared in characteristic diagrams.
   
• Cogeneration unit using thermoelectric generators (research topic)
  This system generates electricity using thermoelectric generators and with the Seebeck effect, i.e., silently and without moving parts. All gaseous fuels, e.g., natural gas or hydrogen, can be used as energy sources. The aim of the research is to develop small-scale, cost and energy efficient cogeneration plants, so-called nano-CHP units, which could be a useful addition to a renewable, decentralised energy system in the future, especially in the so-called “dark doldrum” periods.
   
• Calorimeter
  This apparatus makes it possible to experimentally determine the calorific value of different fuels. The reaction heat generated during the oxidation of a fuel with pure oxygen can be measured in a nearly adiabatically closed system by means of the temperature rise in a water bath. The exact mass of the fuel used is also required. This is measured with a precision balance. This is followed by the comparison and discussion of the experimentally determined calorific values with the values from the literature.
   
• Wet cooling tower
  The 1:150 scale model provides a realistic representation of the operating behaviour of a wet cooling tower. Important test parameters such as the temperature of the water to be cooled, the flow velocity, or the packing density of the internals can be studied experimentally. In addition to other analyses, the results are entered into a Mollier diagram (h-x) and consequently the cooling capacity of the model is determined.                                                                                                                                          
• Wind tunnel
  This system can be used to carry out various tests on turbomachinery (e.g., wind turbines, fans, blowers). In particular, the affinity laws for the selection and dimensioning of turbomachinery can be reproduced experimentally by using different variable-speed fans in the system.                                                                                                                                                                  
• Water turbines (Pelton and Francis)
  This system is used to investigate hydraulic turbines. A free-jet turbine (Pelton) can be examined experimentally with regard to its operating behaviour and its optimum operating point (circumferential velocity versus free-jet velocity).
  The Francis turbine has adjustable guide vanes and its operating behaviour and optimum operating points can also be investigated. The system also allows, for example, the experimental verification of the problem of impact losses with non-congruent blade flow using velocity triangles.

Besides the lab’s activities in student courses, it hosts experimental work carried out in research and development projects or in collaboration with industry (student projects, final theses, doctoral theses, research associate work).

Research projects (page in german)

https://www.th-nuernberg.de/fakultaeten/vt/forschung/forschungsfelder-projekte/energietechnik/