The “LH2-WAM-Tank” research project, which is being led by the LKR Leichtmetallkompetenzzentrum Ranshofen of AIT, focuses on the development of a lightweight liquid hydrogen tank made of aluminum using wire-based additive manufacturing (WAM) technology.
“Liquid hydrogen tanks are currently made from stainless steel,” explains LKR researcher Stephan Ucsnik. However, stainless steel is three times heavier than aluminum, or more precisely: aluminum is three times less dense than stainless steel. Tanks made of aluminum could therefore be a promising solution for the efficient use of climate-friendly fuel in aviation. In an interview with the daily newspaper “Die Presse”, Stephan Ucsnik explains the advantages of WAM technology (in German):
https://www.diepresse.com/18809488/wasserstoff-im-tank-eine-aluminiumdose-schafft-das