Whether at concerts and festivals on greenfield sites, in crisis areas and after disasters or during remote research missions: A reliable power supply without a connection to the power grid is a challenge. Noisy diesel generators are often the alternative. But can't this also be done sustainably?
This is precisely where the "eTrail-Ing" master's project comes in. Mechanical engineering students at Dortmund University of Applied Sciences and Arts are developing a mobile energy trailer that can be operated completely independently of the public power grid for several days using photovoltaics, battery storage and a hydrogen fuel cell.
"The trailer supplies power for appliances as well as for the integrated cold storage room," explains student Niklas Wenderoth. "Depending on the application, drinks can be kept cold there, but blood reserves or medicines can also be cooled." This is made possible by the interaction of fold-out photovoltaic modules with an output of almost 4 kilowatts, a powerful battery storage system and a 2.5-kilowatt hydrogen fuel cell. "The challenge is the complex interaction of different systems," says Finn Floßbach.
The focus is on the students
In addition to technology, safety also plays a central role. A software system continuously monitors the critical electrical processes and thus ensures maximum operational safety so that, for example, cooling chains are not interrupted.
The frame for the energy trailer is currently being assembled in the workshops at Fachhochschule Dortmund's Sonnenstraße campus. The electrical components, including the battery storage system and the fuel cell, have already been tested and prepared for later installation. For the prototype, the students are also focusing on the greatest possible flexibility in order to further optimize the trailer in the process.
"The focus of the eTrail-Ing project is on the students themselves," emphasizes Prof. Dr. Sönke Gößling from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering. He is supervising the project together with Prof. Dr. Yves Rosefort. "The students plan, design and develop the energy trailer over several semesters - from the dimensioning of the subsystems to safety concepts and the integration of the fuel cell," says Sönke Gößling. They are also coordinating the collaboration with industrial partners. "The result is not only a functional, sustainable product, but also a platform for knowledge transfer and applied engineering training - the actual aim of the project." The energy trailer should be fully functional and operational by the end of 2026.
Key data on the energy trailer
- Self-sufficient operation: up to 7 days
- Fuel cell: 2500 W
- Photovoltaic output: 3915 W (STC)
- Cooling/heating volume: 6.76 m³
- Temperature range of the cold room: 4 °C to 20 °C
- Connections: 230 V sockets, USB charging options
Background Master project
The "eTrail-Ing" project is one of two Master's projects at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering at Fachhochschule Dortmund, in which students implement a project independently over several semesters. The lecturers take on mentoring roles, but do not set any guidelines. Each student is involved in a project for at least two semesters. In addition to the actual construction, this also involves project management methods.