Cottbus, July 13^th, 2023

Greetings! I am Dr. Shiva Kumar Sampangi. I completed my doctoral (Ph.D.) degree in the field of hydrogen production through water electrolysis in 2020. After my Ph.D., I gained three years of research experience as a postdoctoral researcher and industrial experience as a Deputy Manager-Team Lead for Hydrogen projects. Starting on July 13^th 2023, I have been working as a Postdoctoral Researcher and Project Manager at the Department of Thermal Energy Technology and the Hydrogen Research Centre, BTU, in the EIZ-ESEW Project. In this project, my responsibilities include designing and developing single-cell and 5-10 cell stacks of AEM water electrolyzers with an active area of up to 360 cm², operating at high temperature and pressure. Additionally, I will be designing and developing novel non-precious metal-free catalyst materials and membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) for anion exchange membrane electrolysis (AEMEL). These materials will be investigated to contribute significantly to the technology's development, from laboratory scale to industrial implementation. Furthermore, my research work involves investigating and optimizing the physical and electrochemical properties of the electrolyzer system. This includes determining optimal design parameters for long-term stability, as well as operating parameters at higher pressure and current densities.

Cottbus, June 1^st, 2023

With the involvement of BTU, today the new EU project PEACE (Pressurized Efficient Alkaline Electrolyser) has been launched. PEACE is developing an advanced alkaline electrolysis system (AEL) that can operate under high pressures. Our participation demonstrates BTU's commitment to innovative hydrogen research. The main objective of PEACE is to optimize the AEL system for high efficiency. Through a unique concept, we achieve a pressure of up to 90 bar using a dual-stage pressure design. Our research focuses on designing a pressure vessel and cell stack to overcome the challenges of high-pressure operation and achieve exceptional efficiencies. At our hydrogen research center, we are conducting tests on the AEL system with a capacity of over 50 kW to validate the technology. Cost efficiency is a central aspect of the project, and we aim for low capital and operating costs. PEACE will make a significant contribution to sustainable energy generation and support the transition to a cleaner future.

Cottbus, April 24^th, 2023

Greetings! I am Dr. Prerana Sharma, Ph.D. On April 24^th, 2023, I joined the Chair of Thermal Energy Technology as a research scientist, working on the EIZ-ESEW project. My primary focus is on improving anion-exchange membrane (AEM) water electrolysis, with a particular emphasis on enhancing the properties of the membrane, including the membrane-electrode assembly (MEA). Additionally, my work involves analyzing the physical and chemical properties of the system, including optimal design parameters for long-term stability and controlling operational parameters at high current densities and low OH^- concentrations. My research also aims to develop AEM-based water electrolysis technology for industrial-scale applications, which requires the transformation of laboratory techniques into large-scale manufacturing processes. To achieve this goal, we are setting up a pressurized experimental test bench for cell and stack tests in the Hydrogen Research Centre at BTU, where all outcomes and statistics will be validated using experimental data.

Cottbus, April 1^st, 2023

Hello, my name is Betty Tietzmann. Since April 1st, 2023, I have a new position as a lab engineer in the field of thermal energy technology and work for the EIZ-ESEW project. Here, a novel anion exchange membrane (AEM) water electrolyzer will be built for efficient hydrogen production, to test membrane-electrode assemblies (MEA) with 100 cm² active area under high pressure (30 bar) on a laboratory scale. My task will be to prepare the AEM electrolyzer test stand for experimental investigations of different MEA combinations, carry out these experiments and evaluate the results. In the medium term, the catalyst area will be scaled up to 360 cm² and the durability of the components will be investigated in degradation tests (up to 1000 h). The goal is to find the best components for AEM water electrolysis and to further develop this technology.