Autonomous transport systems for electrolyzer production

Images

Figure 1: AMR with control cabinet in the cabling cell. © Chair of Production Systems (LPS)

Germany's current National Hydrogen Strategy (NWS) aims to build at least 10 gigawatts of electrolysis capacity by 2030. In order to achieve this ambitious goal, it must be possible to produce electrolysers efficiently and cost-effectively in series. However, electrolysers are currently largely manufactured by hand, which is time-consuming, cost-intensive and prone to errors. The H2Giga project FertiRob focuses on the development and testing of automation solutions for the (partially) automated series production of electrolysers. The aim is to make the production and assembly of electrolysers and their stacks significantly more efficient through modular, flexible and scalable production systems. FertiRob brings together 16 partners from industry and research who are jointly developing and testing digital twins, innovative production technologies and demonstration systems to enable high-quality and efficient electrolyser production on a gigawatt scale.

Innovative workpiece carriers: Special workpiece carriers have been developed for the safe transportation of enclosures and electrolyser components. These enable the components to be provided in the exact position and ensure an efficient material flow in automated production

Matrix production and fleet management

The implemented conveyor concept with AMRs enables matrix production that is characterized by high flexibility, versatility and resilience. In contrast to classic production lines, different product variants and quantities can be realized efficiently. In our application, the mobile robot platforms connect the warehouse, the cabling cell and the assembly cell of the electrolyzer. In the warehouse, the required components are loaded onto the workpiece carriers of the AMRs. The platforms transport these to the cabling cell and dock onto the precision docking station. Figure 1 shows the AMR with a control cabinet on the workpiece carrier, while two industrial robots initiate the fully automated cabling process.

The assembly cell specializes in the final assembly of the electrolyser. Here too, an AMR brings the modular components, such as stacks, gas separators or pre-assembled tubes, to the demonstrator. Figure 2 shows how the AMR stands at the cell with a loaded workpiece carrier and an industrial robot picks up one of the components to install it in the electrolyser. Fleet management controls the parallel and efficient cooperation of the AMRs so that both robots are involved in production without long downtimes. As demand increases, the fleet can be easily expanded, which underlines the scalability of the system.

Results and outlook

The H2Giga project FertiRob has integrated the demonstrators and has already presented them several times. The flexible conveyor concept for the production of electrolysers has been successfully validated. The automation solutions developed show how the scalability of electrolyser production can be significantly supported, making an important contribution to the energy transition. The approaches for intelligent transport systems developed in the FertiRob project also have potential for numerous other fields of application in industrial production. With the ongoing development of the hydrogen economy and the expansion of electrolyser production, the concepts and technologies developed will make a significant contribution to the industrialization and upscaling of water electrolysis - a prerequisite for the economical production of green hydrogen on a gigawatt scale.

The H2Giga project FertiRob is funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) under the reference number 03HY113A.

Sezer Şahan, Idris Yorgun, Bernd Kuhlenkötter, LPS, Chair of Production Systems (LPS)