Great success for the AIT researchers Christian Schneider-Broeskamp, Florian Mayrhofer, and Stephan Ucsnik from the "Wire-based Additive Manufacturing" group at the LKR Leichtmetallkompetenzzentrum Ranshofen, part of the AIT Austrian Institute of Technology: The LKR achieved an excellent second place in the "Research Institutions" category with the project "Development & Establishment of WAM Manufacturing Technology for Lightweight Aluminum Applications using the Example of a Liquid Hydrogen (LH2) Storage Tank with the Highest Gravimetric Storage Density for Aviation," funded by the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG) and implemented in cooperation with renowned industry partners.
Innovative technology for the aviation industry: 3D-printed liquid hydrogen tank
The award-winning project addresses one of the most pressing challenges in modern aviation: the development of lighter and more efficient tanks for storing liquid hydrogen (LH2). With the goal of reducing CO₂ emissions in aviation, liquid hydrogen is increasingly coming into focus as an emission-free energy carrier. However, the use of stainless steel as a tank material, as has been common practice to date, is not very suitable due to its high weight. Aluminum, on the other hand, offers the ideal basis for significantly improving both the weight and thus the gravimetric (mass-related) storage density of the tanks due to its lightweight properties.
This is where the innovative “Wire-based Additive Manufacturing” (WAM) technology comes in: this wire-based, additive manufacturing process makes it possible to build complex aluminum structures layer by layer. As part of the project, WAM was used to develop the basic structure of a liquid hydrogen tank concept that is expected to achieve a gravimetric storage density of 8 kWh/kg at this size – a significant improvement over previous solutions with great potential for further increases. The aim is not only to make the production of the tank lighter and more efficient, but also to enable functional integration (channels, stiffeners, sensors, heat exchangers, etc.). This also contributes to further weight savings through optimized lightweight construction.
Wire-based additive manufacturing: the future of manufacturing
Wire-based additive manufacturing (WAM) is an innovative process in which welding wires are built up layer by layer to form a 3D structure. In contrast to milling and machining processes, in which material is removed, WAM offers the advantage of being extremely resource-efficient and producing almost no scrap. WAM offers significant advantages, particularly in the aerospace industry, where weight and material usage are crucial. By enabling the direct application of metals such as aluminum, magnesium or titanium, WAM allows the production of large components at a high build rate and with a theoretically unlimited component size. Since wires are more economical and purer than powders, there are also qualitative advantages that lead to high-quality end products.
Research with great potential for industry
“The development and application of WAM technology offers enormous advantages for industry, especially in sectors where small quantities are required, such as the aerospace industry,” explains Stephan Ucsnik, head of the WAM team at LKR Leichtmetallkompetenzzentrum Ranshofen. ”With this technology, we can produce components that are both lightweight and extremely robust – this is particularly important in the development of liquid hydrogen tanks. Our goal was to demonstrate a tank concept that achieves a significantly higher storage density than previous solutions. At the same time, we wanted to demonstrate the potential of WAM for functional integration, cost reduction and shorter production times. The second place at the Upper Austrian Innovation Award is a great confirmation of our work and motivates us to continue along this path.”
Strategic importance of research for greater sustainability
AIT Managing Director Alexander Svejkovsky emphasizes the strategic importance of this research for the future of industrial production: “Wire-based additive manufacturing technology opens up completely new opportunities for the production of lightweight components This technology can become a real game changer for industry. With WAM, we can make production chains more flexible, drastically reduce material and energy consumption and manufacturing times, and thus contribute to the sustainable transformation of industry. The award for the project underlines the great importance of our work and shows that our research is not only of theoretical relevance, but, above all, enables concrete industrial applications.”
About the Upper Austrian Innovation Award
For 30 years, the Upper Austrian Innovation Award has been recognizing the innovative strength of the region and showing how courageous companies and research institutions are driving progress with forward-looking ideas. The award motivates the use of new technologies and strategies to promote economic growth and employment. The awards are presented in three categories: small and medium-sized enterprises, large companies, and research institutions.