The first pillar, linked to the I-CampusH₂ infrastructure, is dedicated to the in situ and in operando characterization of materials and components for hydrogen production, storage, and use. Thanks to the installation and fine-tuning of an innovative in situ sample holder integrated with the LAME electron microscopes and interoperable with the Elettra synchrotron beamlines, it will be possible to carry out unique experiments under realistic conditions, both in gaseous and liquid environments.
This infrastructure will make it possible to observe in real time the processes occurring at the atomic and nanoscale levels, providing crucial information on phenomena such as catalyst degradation, surface poisoning of electrodes, and the dynamics of hydrogen absorption and release in storage materials (metal hydrides, MOFs, perovskites). The activity includes the technical integration of the device, validation under operating conditions, and the launch of high-resolution experimental measurements, thereby strengthening the role of I-Campus H₂ as a national and European node of excellence for frontier research in the hydrogen value chain.
The second strand, developed within the H2SmartLab research infrastructure, concerns the study and testing of intelligent systems for the integrated management of hydrogen-based energy infrastructures, with particular attention to resilience and response under stress conditions. The planned activities include:
-
modeling and simulation of the behavior of renewable energy–electrolyzer, storage, and utilization systems;
-
virtual and experimental stress testing to assess system robustness in critical scenarios;
-
development of quantitative resilience indicators and mitigation strategies (redundancy, backup, predictive control).
OBJECTIVES
-
in operando characterization of materials and components for hydrogen production, storage, and use;
-
study of intelligent integrated management systems to improve the resilience and reliability of energy infrastructures.
