Nov 29, 2024
The Hydrogen Journey - Brazilian hydrogen specialists visit the RTG
On Wednesday, 27.11.24, the Boysen-TU Dresden-Research Training Group and the Chair of Electric Railways at TU Dresden hosted a group of Brazilian scientists and engineers.
Prof. Bruno Ramos and Prof. Bruna Pratto are faculty members of the Chemical Engineering Department at the FEI University Center in the Brazilian state of São Paulo. They are part of a project called "The Hydrogen Journey", in which they are working with engineers from SP-Metro to investigate the first steps towards the introduction of green hydrogen in the Brazilian rail sector. The project is part of the Brazilian "Mover" initiative (Mobilidade Verde/Green mobility = Mover/to move), whose main objective is to promote the production of new technologies in the mobility industry through fiscal incentives for low-carbon routes and a more comprehensive analysis of greenhouse gases (GHG): cradle-to-crave.
Prof Bruno Ramos (2nd from left) presents the project "The Hydrogen Journey" to the doctoral students of the RTG.
Both researchers are investigating new catalyst routes for energy conversion technologies. Prof. Bruna Pratto focuses on biochemical processes involving the conversion of lignocellulosic feedstocks, hydrolysis and fermentation for ethanol and butanol production, while Prof. Bruno Ramos researches technologies for pollutant remediation and materials for energy transition using photocatalytic processes, including multiscale modeling.
In this context, SP-Metro has established a cooperation with FEI University to identify possible points in its operations where hydrogen could be used as a sustainable energy source, for example as an uninterruptible power supply (UPS).
Dipl.-Ing. Tobias Bregulla (2nd from left) guides visitors through the Chair of Electric Railways.
Our visitors came into contact with the Boysen-TU Dresden-Research Training Group through joint networks that were established in the context of this year's Autumn School. The guests were particularly interested in the Boysen-TUD-RTG's interdisciplinary research and the question of how the hydrogen economy can be approached from different perspectives. After fruitful discussions at the Research Training Group, the group was welcomed by Dipl.-Ing. Tobias Bregulla, an Autumn School Advisor on the topic of "Hydrogen for Railways", at the Chair of Electric Railways . The group attended a lecture and was given a guided tour of the railroad laboratory.
During the project, the SP-Metro engineers have already attended lectures with specialists in the field of energy transition and advanced biomass gasification in Brazil, participated in the World Hydrogen Week in Copenhagen, visited national institutions such as the Green Hydrogen Hub (state of Ceará, Brazil) and international institutions (Berlin, Dresden, Leuna) to get a first-hand impression of the maturity of hydrogen technologies. The outcome of the project, according to the plan, is to draft an H2 implementation proposal. As a cultural activity, the group also enjoyed an evening at the oldest Christmas market in Germany - the Dresden Striezelmarkt, which turns 590 years old this year.
We would like to thank Tobias Bregulla for making the visit to the Chair of Electric Railways possible.