On the morning of September 15, ICARE held an academic lecture on international hydrogen energy research in Room S311 of the Clean Energy Building. Professor Gojmir Radica and Associate Professor Ivan Tolj from the University of Split, Croatia, together with Assistant Professor Fangqin Guo from Hiroshima University, Japan, were invited to deliver keynote presentations. More than 60 faculty members and students of the college attended the lecture.
Professor Gojmir Radica is currently Head of the Thermal Machinery Department and Director of the Thermal Machinery Laboratory at the University of Split, Croatia. In his lecture titled "Modelling, Simulation, and Performance Analysis of PEM Fuel Cell Hybrid Energy Systems for Marine and Industrial Transport Applications," Professor Radica presented research on PEM fuel cell (PEMFC) hybrid energy systems for the transition toward low-emission transport. The work combines numerical fuel cell modeling with system-level simulation of hybrid powertrains, applied to passenger vessels and ferries, commercial vehicles, and industrial forklifts. For marine applications, the study assessed propulsion and auxiliary power performance of PEMFC–battery hybrid systems under realistic voyage profiles, covering vessel dynamics, power demand, battery state of charge, hydrogen consumption, and control strategies. Simulation results show that replacing diesel auxiliary loads or conventional propulsion with PEMFC-based hybrid systems can significantly reduce fuel consumption and CO₂ emissions while maintaining operational performance.
Associate Professor Ivan Tolj is at the Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering and Naval Architecture, University of Split, Croatia. In his lecture titled "Additive-Enhanced Coconut Oil Phase Change Material for Improved Thermal Management and Hydrogen Storage Efficiency in Metal Hydride Reactors," Associate Professor Tolj noted that integrating metal hydride reactors (MHR) with phase change materials (PCM) is a promising strategy for passive thermal management of hydrogen storage systems, but efficiency is often limited by poor heat transfer and PCM subcooling. The study investigated TiMn₂-based reactors using coconut oil as a bioorganic PCM, with nano-oxides (Al₂O₃, MgO) and expanded natural graphite added to improve thermal conductivity. Experiments showed that pristine PCM limits hydrogen storage efficiency to 40% due to subcooling; adding 1 wt.% additives reduces absorption time from 41 to 20 minutes and increases hydrogen capacity by 11%; 5 wt.% graphite raises storage efficiency to 71%. Numerical predictions agree with experiments within ±8%.
Dr. Fangqin Guo is a Tenure-Track Assistant Professor at the Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering, Hiroshima University, Japan. In her lecture titled "Hydrogen Energy Materials toward Carbon Neutrality: Hydrogen Compression and Poisoning Resistance of Hydrogen Storage Alloys," Dr. Guo first introduced the carbon-neutrality-oriented research framework of the Hydrogen Energy Laboratory at Hiroshima University, covering hydrogen storage materials, thermochemical hydrogen compression, ammonia storage and conversion, water electrolysis, and electrochemical energy materials. The lecture highlighted two areas: first, utilizing the temperature-dependent equilibrium pressure of metal hydrides to achieve hydrogen compression driven by low-grade thermal energy, thereby significantly reducing the electricity consumption of conventional mechanical compression; second, investigating the surface deactivation and poisoning behavior of activated TiFe-based hydrogen storage alloys upon exposure to air and gaseous impurities, along with performance recovery strategies. Characterization techniques including XRD, XPS, and SEM were employed to elucidate the effects of alloy composition and surface oxide layers on hydrogen dissociation, diffusion, and cycling stability.
Following the lectures, faculty and students actively asked questions on topics including control strategies for fuel cell hybrid systems, poisoning resistance mechanisms of hydrogen storage alloys, and thermal management optimization of phase change materials, engaging in in-depth discussions with the three experts in a lively and intellectually stimulating atmosphere. This lecture provided a valuable platform for faculty and students to engage directly with leading international scholars in hydrogen energy, helping to broaden academic horizons and stay abreast of cutting-edge developments. The event will positively promote research collaboration and disciplinary development in hydrogen energy storage and fuel cells, while laying a solid foundation for deeper international cooperative research in the future.
