As part of MUSE, a new type of power supply system based on hydrogen fuel cell technology and metal hydride storage tanks is developed and improved upon at Hereon. This will replace conventional power supplies built from primary or rechargeable lithium batteries, aiming specifically at low-power AUVs (Autonomous Underwater Vehicle), underwater crawlers and autonomous sensors. Due to the higher energy density, a power supply system based on hydrogen fuel cells has the potential to outperform traditional battery-based solutions. The superior energy density can only be obtained if the oxygen required to react with the hydrogen can be harvested from the ambient water and if the hydrogen can be stored at a high density. To that end, a system is being developed using hydrogen storage tanks with an appropriately selected metal hydride for safe and volume-efficient storage of hydrogen.
The key novelty of this approach is, however, the development of an oxygen supply system that resembles the function of gills. This artificial gill system uses membranes that separate the ambient water phase and the internal gas phase, allowing oxygen to diffuse through the membrane, enriching the gaseous phase with oxygen. A circular gas flow then transports the oxygen-enriched gas to the fuel cell and returns the subsequent oxygen-depleted gas to the artificial gill system for it to be replenished again.
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Letzte Änderung: 23. October 2025