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Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
Nachrichten, Termine, Experten
idw - Informationsdienst
Wissenschaft
Federal State Secretary Matthias Hauer presents funding approval for the InnoWaerm project at Fraunhofer ILT. The project, funded by the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) with approximately 1.5 million euros, develops high-temperature-resistant lightweight reactors made from titanium aluminide that can be manufactured using additive manufacturing. They are intended to generate hydrogen directly on board aircraft, agricultural machinery, or heavy-duty vehicles.
On February 10, 2026, Parliamentary State Secretary at the Federal Ministry of Research, Technology and Space (BMFTR) Matthias Hauer presented the funding approval for the InnoWaerm project to project leader Andreas Vogelpoth and his team at the Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT in Aachen, Germany.
"With the High-Tech Agenda Germany, we are setting clear research and economic policy impulses for Germany as a location for innovation. The goal is to systematically transfer scientific excellence into marketable technologies and societal applications," said Matthias Hauer. "The BMFTR's VIP+ validation funding program creates a reliable bridge between research and value creation – open to all topics and exploitation paths. The VIP+ funded project InnoWaerm demonstrates this impressively and will make an important contribution to competitive and sustainable mobility of the future with its innovative manufacturing process. I wish the project team the greatest possible success."
In addition to representatives from the ministry, researchers from both participating Fraunhofer Institutes ILT and IMM attended the event. Representing Fraunhofer ILT were, among others, Institute Director Dr. Jochen Stollenwerk, Dr. Tim Lantzsch, Head of the Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) Department, as well as Alexander Neuke, who will assume scientific leadership of the project.
"With InnoWaerm, we are developing a solution to make hydrogen compact, lightweight, and robust for mobile heavy-duty applications. With our technology, we are creating the foundation for climate-neutral drives for aircraft and large agricultural machinery, where batteries reach their limits," explains Andreas Vogelpoth.
Afterwards, the delegation visited the laboratory where the project team is developing the novel lightweight heat exchangers and reactors.
Dr. Gunther Kolb represented the Fraunhofer Institute for Microengineering and Microsystems IMM in Mainz, where he is deputy director and head of the decentralized hydrogen technology division. The meeting provided an opportunity for a direct exchange on the technological challenges, the opportunities offered by additive manufacturing, and the next steps on the road to industrial implementation.
Fraunhofer ILT coordinates the project; the project duration is 24 months. Fraunhofer IMM contributes its many years of experience in the field of compact reactor systems for hydrogen production. Both institutes are working closely together to link the new manufacturing technology with concrete application requirements from energy and mobility research.
"With our many years of experience in hydrogen technology, we bring the perspective of system integration to InnoWaerm, from the chemical process in the microreactor to the application," explains Gunther Kolb.
Lightweight, heat-resistant, freely formable
The goal of InnoWaerm is the development of high-temperature-resistant lightweight heat exchangers and reactors for mobile applications such as heavy commercial vehicles or aviation. This involves not only classic heat exchangers for efficient energy use, but also so-called microreactors to generate hydrogen directly from liquids such as methanol or ammonia, which can then be used for propulsion.
The researchers use titanium aluminide, an extremely lightweight, heat-resistant, and corrosion-resistant alloy that they process additively. The 3D printing process LPBF used was specifically further developed at Fraunhofer ILT to enable the processing of the particularly brittle titanium aluminide, which has been problematic until now.
"Titanium aluminide belongs to the intermetallic phases. It combines properties of metallic and ceramic materials. The unusual alloy is extremely lightweight, heat-resistant, but also brittle and difficult to process," explains Vogelpoth. "That's why it was hardly usable for complex components until now. With our new preheating technique in the laser melting process, we can now change that. This makes it possible to produce microstructured reactors that are light enough for use in mobile applications, from aircraft to agricultural machinery."
Until now, titanium aluminide could only be processed with great effort, for example with electron beam melting or casting. Additive manufacturing now makes it possible to produce exact geometries and adapt them to thermal and fluid dynamic requirements. "What we want to show: It works. It's feasible. And it's worthwhile," summarizes Vogelpoth.
Together with Fraunhofer IMM, the project partners integrate the additively manufactured components into mobile reactor units in combination with fuel cells, combining low weight with high temperature resistance.
Reactors for range
Aviation is at the center of the project: every kilogram counts there, and at the same time, requirements for emission-free drives are increasing. The reactor modules developed in the project are intended to generate hydrogen directly on board by converting liquid carriers. This avoids complex tank solutions with gaseous hydrogen and creates new scope for range and safety.
The technology is particularly suitable for hybrid drive systems, where fuel cells in combination with chemical energy carriers enable flexible and low-emission energy supply. The concept also offers great advantages for other mobile applications with high loads, such as agricultural machinery or commercial vehicles. The combination of low weight, high temperature resistance, and compact design is particularly relevant where available installation space is limited and efficiency requirements are high.
In the next project phase, the focus is on validation under real operating conditions. The project team plans to demonstrate manufacturability on an industrial scale and show the potential of the new manufacturing technology for climate-neutral drive systems in aviation.
Professional contact
Andreas Vogelpoth M. Sc.
Group LPBF Process Technology
Telephone +49 241 8906-365
andreas.vogelpoth@ilt.fraunhofer.de
Niklas Prätzsch M. Sc.
Group leader LPBF Process Technology
Telephone +49 241 8906-8174
niklas.praetzsch@ilt.fraunhofer.de
Fraunhofer Institute for Laser Technology ILT
Steinbachstraße 15
52074 Aachen, Germany
www.ilt.fraunhofer.de
https://www.ilt.fraunhofer.de/en
InnoWaerm combines novel materials with application-oriented research and contributes significantly ...
Copyright: © Fraunhofer ILT, Aachen, Germany.
Dr Gunther Kolb, Head of Decentralized and Mobile Hydrogen Technologies at Fraunhofer IMM (left), Pa ...
Copyright: © Fraunhofer ILT, Aachen, Germany / Andreas Steindl.
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