Yeovil College Hydrogen Lab to launch in early 2025
Final commissioning is taking place on the new Yeovil College Hydrogen Lab (YC H2 LAB) after the main ‘pod’ was delivered in the last month. The YC H2 LAB will deliver a range of hydrogen training for industry across a number of sectors via a combination of online, classroom and practical training. This is a first of its kind in the England, however this has been built on a successful model implemented in Mid and East Antrim Borough Council (Northern Ireland), who have prioritised supporting the development of the hydrogen economy as part of its Economic Growth Strategy (Hydrogen-Training-Academy-FINAL-Digital.pdf (investmideastantrim.com)). The YC H2 LAB is designed to help upskills and train existing staff and new trainees to emerging professional competence standards required for the developing green energy sector, specifically focusing on hydrogen subject areas. The initial areas of delivery will focus on:
Hydrogen safety;
Hydrogen generation, storage and distribution;
Principles of a hydrogen facility (H2 gas safe)
Hydrogen fuel cells for transport and aerospace
The YC H2 LAB allows cross curricular application between Advanced Engineering, Construction and Automotive Engineering. Digital Images of the new facilities below:
Shipping of the ‘Hydrogen POD’:
In addition to the equipment within the YC H2 LAB, the College is investing in around £250k of Hydrogen fuel cell training systems and equipment from the leading didactic producers. This will provide cutting edge hands-on training tools to allow learners to experience the theory and practical application of Hydrogen.
Finally, the Advanced Engineering centre will be home to new curriculum be focused on emerging ‘cell technology’ within the aerospace sector. A new Battery Evaluation Rig, a £400,000 investment, will help learners investigate the characteristics of different battery types under differing loads when applied by an electric motor. The battery and the motor components are inter-changeable, so batteries and motors of different specifications can be utilised on the rig. The battery compartment is built within a variable temperature environment so the effects of temperature on the batteries output performance can also be investigated. The motor, battery and load have an integrated cooling systems to maintain safe operation of the rig, while ensuring the rig can be used for a prolonged period to demonstrate the potential duration needed for future eVTOL or UAV flight. For future development, the rig is also designed to be adaptable for hydrogen cell technology instead of traditional battery cells.
The YC H2 LAB is due to launch early 2025 to ensure the South West has the skills required to delivery the application of Hydrogen to the region. The following video is a look at how the YC H LAB and Advanced Engineering Centre will look when completed towards the end of January 2025: Digital Video - YC HTA
For further information please contact Alex Clancy – Assistant Principal via alex.clancy@yeovil.ac.uk.
Below is an images of the HTA in Northan Ireland.
