HySPIN: Spin-Isomer and Adsorption Interactions in Hydrogen Systems

Cryogenics quietly underpin modern life, supporting technologies ranging from MRI scanners and semiconductor manufacturing to food production, spaceflight and energy systems. Low-carbon liquid hydrogen could also enable lower-emission aviation. Hydrogen contains no carbon, offers exceptionally high energy per unit mass and, in its liquid form, allows more hydrogen to be stored within a given volume than compressed gaseous hydrogen. It may also provide useful cooling potential for wider aircraft thermal management.
Realising these advantages requires us to understand cryogenic hydrogen as part of a dynamic energy system, not just as a liquid contained in a tank.
HySPIN, led by Dr Rajan Jagpal in the University of Bath’s Department of Chemical Engineering, will investigate one of hydrogen’s most intriguing molecular properties: its existence as two spin isomers, orthohydrogen and parahydrogen. As hydrogen is cooled, conversion from the higher-energy ortho form to the lower-energy para form releases heat and must be carefully managed during liquefaction. Much less is known about how spin composition subsequently evolves as cryogenic hydrogen encounters metals, oxides, porous materials and changing operating conditions throughout storage, transfer and fuel delivery.
Supported by GKN Aerospace and Molecular Products, HySPIN will develop new experimental approaches and generate system-relevant data to determine whether, when and where spin-isomer effects matter. This knowledge could support more effective control of cryogenic hydrogen and better-informed choices about materials and system architecture, helping to enable safer, more efficient and more sustainable cryogenic hydrogen technologies.