HyPStore aims to revolutionise hydrogen storage and production with innovative, safe, and efficient solutions, advancing the mobility sector's shift towards low-carbon technologies.
HyPStore is an innovative and disruptive solution that revolutionises the production and storage of liquid hydrogen. Our project focuses on developing mechanically robust, impermeable tanks with enhanced safety features, including a Leak-Before-Break (LBB) fail-safe design. These advancements will enable a new generation of hydrogen storage solutions, contributing significantly to the mobility sector.
Addressing the need for efficient hydrogen storage and distribution
The global commitment to reducing climate change impacts and achieving net-zero carbon dioxide emissions by 2050 is driving a shift from fossil fuels toward renewable and reduced-emission fuels like hydrogen. One of the main challenges in the hydrogen industry is the efficient storage and distribution of hydrogen, whether as compressed gas or cryogenic liquid. Due to their lightweight, high mechanical properties, and corrosion resistance, composite tanks are in high demand, particularly in transportation sectors like aerospace.
HyPStore stands out in the field of hydrogen storage with several unique innovations. The project focuses on developing impermeable all-composite tanks designed for liquid hydrogen storage. These tanks will be manufactured using graphene nanoplatelets tailored for optimal performance. The in-house manufacturing process combines dry filament winding with graphene, ensuring high-quality and efficient production.
One of the key features of these tanks is the incorporation of self-healing systems that address matrix microcracks caused by cryogenic conditions. This self-healing capability ensures the longevity and reliability of the tanks under extreme conditions.
The introduction of Leak-Before-Break (LBB) features is a significant safety enhancement. These features prevent catastrophic bursts due to overpressurisation by allowing for progressive and controlled failure of the tank.
The tanks will also be coated with high fire retardance, durability against ageing and chemical erosion, toughness against external impacts, and low gas permeability. This combination of features ensures that the tanks are safe, durable, and efficient for long-term use.
Benefits and impact
The HyPStore project offers numerous benefits and has the potential to make a significant impact on the hydrogen industry and beyond.
Environmental benefits:
- Elimination of CO2 emissions in flights by using green hydrogen, produced carbon-free
- Hydrogen combustion could reduce the climate impact of flights by up to 75%, making it an essential step towards sustainable aviation
Weight reduction and efficiency:
Enhanced safety features:
- Incorporation of LBB (Leak-Before-Break) features for progressive and controlled tank failure, preventing catastrophic bursts and enhancing overall safety
Economic advantages:
- HyPStore tanks contain 50% more hydrogen than Type-IV tanks, reducing the size and/or number of tanks needed.
- Potential to double the payload capacity and range of aircraft for the same size/number of tanks, offering significant economic advantages
Increased hydrogen storage capacity:
- Cryogenic liquid hydrogen offers the highest density, allowing LH2 tanks to contain 50% more hydrogen than Type-IV tanks
- Crucial for efficient hydrogen utilisation in various applications
Socio-economic impact:
- Reinforcement of the competitiveness of the UK's and Australia's hydrogen industries
- Contribution to the growth and development of these industries, creating new opportunities and driving innovation
The Brunel Composites Centre (BCC) plays a crucial role in the HyPStore project by focusing on integrating LBB safety design features into the tanks. This involves introducing prearranged design features in the composite structure to create cracks and leak paths for pressure relief in the event of overpressurisation. By doing so, BCC aims to increase the safety of the tanks and prevent catastrophic failures, ensuring the reliability and safety of hydrogen storage solutions.
Project partners
The HyPStore consortium is a collaborative effort involving several key partners:
This diverse consortium brings expertise from various fields to advance hydrogen storage technology and contribute to a sustainable, low-carbon future.
Meet the Principal Investigator(s) for the project
Vasiliki Loukodimou - Vasiliki is a Research Fellow at Brunel Composites Centre. Her main interests lie within the areas of composite manufacturing, material characterisation and composite modelling.
Dr. Sadik Omairey - Sadik is a Senior Research Fellow at Brunel Composites Centre (BCC), a joint venture between Brunel University London and The Welding Institution (TWI) since June 2019. He is currently the technical lead and support for three collaborative projects that involve industrial and academic partners in automotive crash structures design, assembly of an all-composites aircraft fuselage, and thermoplastic additive manufacturing. Besides, Sadik often represents BCC at academic and non-academic conferences and meetings, proposals writings, dissemination, and research papers. While having other duties such as postgraduate students training.
Most recently, Sadik achieved PRINCE2® Foundation Project Management certification. Before joining BCC, he was awarded an Elphinstone scholarship from the University of Aberdeen to study a PhD in the reliability and optimisation of composite materials. In 2018, he was recognised as a Chartered Engineer, a Member of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (CEng MIMechE), and a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA). Earlier, Sadik completed an MSc degree at the University of South Wales, which was a fully funded scholarship. Whereas his experience includes industrial positions (oil and gas, and construction).
In 2018, Sadik developed EasyPBC tool for homogenisation of composites and hybrid materials. For more details on EasyPBC please visit project's page on ResearchGate from here.
Dr Nithin Jayasree - Nithin is a Team Leader at the Brunel Composites Centre (BCC). He is currently leading the composite modelling and testing team at BCC and his work includes multiscale modelling of materials including composites, CFD, materials research, and composite processing including thermoset infusion & RTM. He is working in multiple Innovate UK, Horizon 2020 and Cleansky projects.
He completed his PhD at the Politechnico di Torino, Italy in 2017 on process simulations of thermoplastic composite materials.
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Project last modified 03/03/2025