Simulation as the Key: Thermal Management in Hydrogen Systems
The hydrogen market in Germany and Europe remains under pressure. High costs, regulatory uncertainties, and delayed investment decisions are slowing down the ramp-up in many places. At the same time, technical requirements are increasing: uneven temperature distributions, local hotspots, and inadequately designed cooling concepts are among the key technical challenges facing electrolysers and fuel cell systems. They directly impact efficiency, service life, and operational safety. Simulation can be a game-changer here.
“Thermal management is not a peripheral issue, but rather central to the performance and robustness of hydrogen systems,” says Stefan Merkle, Dipl.-Ing. (TU), managing partner of Merkle CAE Solutions GmbH. “By the time thermal effects are identified during testing, it is usually too late. Simulation makes it possible to understand these relationships early on and design systems accordingly.”
The design requirements increase significantly, particularly during the transition from pilot plants to industrial-scale production. Systems must function reliably under varying load conditions, while simultaneously prioritizing efficiency and cost. Traditional testing strategies reach their limits here: Many thermal effects only arise from the interaction of the stack, media flow, cooling circuit, and operating strategy. Physical tests provide important validation data, but they are often costly and only partially suitable for systematically investigating complex variant spaces.
Simulation provides the necessary transparency in this context. Multiphysics approaches integrate thermo-fluidic, structural, and, in some cases, electrochemical effects, making critical conditions visible at an early stage. For example, in electrolysers, local temperature gradients, flow inhomogeneities, or safety-critical scenarios—such as leaks or membrane failure—can be analyzed and evaluated as early as the development phase.
A key enabler lies in systemic thermal management: The combination of 1D system simulation and detailed 3D CFD makes it possible to design complete cooling circuits, heat exchangers, and operating strategies. Developers can realistically simulate load cycles, avoid hotspots, and gain an early understanding of the interactions between components. This not only reduces development risks but also improves the focus of subsequent test programs.
Against the backdrop of a challenging economic and regulatory market environment, this approach is becoming even more important. The ramp-up of the hydrogen economy requires robust, scalable, and cost-effective systems. Companies that validate thermal relationships digitally at an early stage create a solid foundation for this.
Virtual models do not replace real-world testing; rather, they make it more efficient. For development departments, this means that simulation is increasingly becoming an integral part of modern testing strategies and a decisive factor for successful hydrogen projects.
