Newsletter of the Fraunhofer IST

On 27^th November, a delegation from the German National Hydrogen Council visited the Wasserstoff Campus Salzgitter. The National Hydrogen Council, which is comprised of 23 high-ranking experts from business, science and civil society, acts as an independent, non-partisan advisory body. The visit provided an opportunity to present the activities, expertise and innovative strength of the Campus at a national level.

Climate change, increasingly frequent extreme-weather events and the growing demand for high-quality food are creating major challenges for agriculture worldwide. In order to secure yields while ensuring the efficient utilization of resources such as water, fertilizer and energy, farmers require ever more precise information regarding the condition of plants and soils. Hyperspectral remote sensing can provide crucial support here. 

In times of increasingly stringent hygiene and food-safety requirements, the need for effective but simultaneously environmentally-friendly disinfection methods is growing. One possible alternative to conventional disinfectants is provided by plasma-activated water. The Fraunhofer Institute for Surface Engineering and Thin Films IST, in collaboration with the Fraunhofer Institute for Electron Beam and Plasma Technology FEP, has investigated the effectiveness and durability of this innovative solution, and has summarized the results in a study.

Compile an emissions balance sheet, evaluate climate-protection measures and implement the most efficient of these first: Researchers from three Fraunhofer institutes have developed a method with which companies from all sectors are able, based on scenarios, to evaluate their climate-protection measures in accordance with ecological and economic criteria.

In high-precision internal-gear hubs, all the components must function reliably within an extremely confined space - even in cases where the installation space does not allow the insertion of conventional shaft seals. Together the Fraunhofer IST, Rohloff AG, and the Danish plasma and corona equipment manufacturer Tantec A/S have now developed a solution that specifically improves the adhesion of these sealants.

A research platform for hydrogen and fuel cell technologies is being built at the Lower Saxony Research Centre for Vehicle Technology (NFF) at TU Braunschweig. The aim is to comprehensively expand a gaseous and liquid hydrogen infrastructure to support both basic and application-oriented research in the field of energy storage and propulsion. Science Minister Falko Mohrs officially presented funding approvals to TU Braunschweig and the Fraunhofer IST.