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Performance of a full-scale hydrogen-storage tank based on complex hydrides
Terry A Johnson1, Scott W Jorgensen, Daniel E Dedrick
1Sandia National Laboratories, PO box 969, Livermore, CA, USA. tajohns@sandia.gov
Faraday Discussions
|March 30, 2012
Summary
Engineers built a hydrogen storage system using complex hydrides, storing 3 kg of hydrogen. The system successfully met demanding hydrogen use schedules, showcasing hydride storage capabilities.
Area of Science:
- Materials Science
- Chemical Engineering
- Energy Storage
Background:
- Hydrogen is a promising clean energy carrier, but efficient storage remains a significant challenge.
- Complex hydrides offer high hydrogen storage densities but often face issues with kinetics and thermodynamics.
- Developing practical hydrogen storage systems is crucial for advancing fuel cell technologies.
Purpose of the Study:
- To design and construct a full-scale hydrogen storage system utilizing complex hydrides.
- To evaluate the performance of the system under dynamic hydrogen demand conditions.
- To investigate the role of detailed modeling in optimizing the design and performance of hydrogen storage systems.
Main Methods:
- Utilized modified sodium alanate as the hydrogen storage medium.
- Employed a four-module system architecture for the full-scale hydrogen storage.
- Conducted extensive testing to simulate real-world driving hydrogen demand schedules.
- Developed and refined detailed computational models throughout the design and testing phases.
Main Results:
- Successfully stored 3 kg of hydrogen in the developed system.
- Demonstrated the system's capability to follow aggressive, dynamic hydrogen demand profiles.
- Validated the effectiveness of detailed models in improving system design and performance.
- Collected test data for further model refinement.
Conclusions:
- Complex hydrides are capable of meeting the dynamic demands of vehicular applications.
- A multi-module system using modified sodium alanate is a viable approach for practical hydrogen storage.
- Computational modeling is an essential tool for the efficient design and optimization of hydrogen storage systems.
- The developed system and refined models represent a significant advancement in hydrogen storage technology.
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