Hydrogen plays a crucial role in thermal processes. In a transitional phase, hydrogen is expected to replace previously used fossil fuels in increasing concentrations in technical combustion processes and industrial processes. This poses a challenge to the understanding and design as well as the safe operation of the respective plants. Measurement techniques and simulations are therefore needed to develop suitable components and systems.

Together with partners, various departments at the University of Duisburg-Essen are developing spatio-temporal high-resolution simulation tools, system simulations and optical imaging measurement methods. These span a range from molecular detail to the development of new sensor concepts and plant-scale implementation.

In addition, increasing the dynamics of processes, reliable monitoring of dynamic systems, and guaranteeing the functionality and safety of processes such as monitoring and control algorithms including AI-based algorithms in embedded systems are the 'key enabler' methods and technologies for realizing new functions as well as guaranteed and safe operation in many new application fields. The methodological and algorithmic contributions of the working groups involved in this topic area therefore deal, among other things, with hybrid drives and power management for recuperation-capable, hydrogen-based fuel cell drives, the realization of embedded systems with special hardware with guaranteed runtime and minimal energy consumption, signal-, model- and data-based monitoring of safety-relevant materials (tanks), and the analysis and design of safety-relevant systems in terms of functional safety.