Hydrogen storage reactor and device based on phase change material and metal hydride partition arrangement

Abstract

The invention belongs to the field of solid hydrogen storage reactors, and provides a hydrogen storage reactor and device based on phase change material and metal hydride partition arrangement. Wherein the hydrogen storage reactor comprises a hydrogen storage reactor body, a hydrogen inlet channel, an expansion area, a shell and a partition plate; the hydrogen inlet channel is used for introducing hydrogen; the expansion area is used for temporarily storing and uniformly distributing entering hydrogen and relieving pressure fluctuation and volume expansion of metal hydride at the same time; the hydrogen storage reactor body is divided into a plurality of areas by the partition plates; in the areas, the phase change materials and the metal hydrides are alternately arranged, so that reaction heat released by the metal hydrides in the hydrogen storage process is simultaneously transferred to the phase change materials in the adjacent areas through the two side wall surfaces in the areas to which the metal hydrides belong, and the effective heat transfer area is increased.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present invention belongs to the field of solid-state hydrogen storage reactors, and in particular relates to a hydrogen storage reactor and a device based on a partitioned arrangement of phase change materials and metal hydrides. Background Art

[0002] The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present invention and do not necessarily constitute prior art.

[0003] Metal hydride hydrogen storage technology has the advantages of high volumetric hydrogen storage density, good reversible cyclability, and good safety. However, metal hydrides are accompanied by strong thermal effects during the hydrogen storage and desorption reactions, and require an efficient thermal management system to maintain suitable temperature conditions for the reaction. Among them, the thermal management methods of metal hydride hydrogen storage are mainly divided into active and passive categories. The active thermal management method mainly achieves the removal and supply of heat during the hydrogen storage and desorption process by embedding pipes with heat exchange fluid in the hydrogen storage reactor. At present, a lot of research has been carried out on the influence of parameters such as the number, shape and size of heat exchange tubes on hydrogen storage and desorption performance.

[0004] However, active thermal management methods have disadvantages such as high energy consumption and complex systems. During the hydrogen storage process, the reaction heat released by the metal hydride is absorbed by the heat exchange fluid and dissipated into the air. In addition, during the hydrogen release process, additional heat is required to drive the desorption of hydrogen, resulting in low energy utilization. Therefore, in order to fully recover the reaction heat, phase change materials are used to replace the embedded heat exchange tubes, and the reaction heat is recovered and supplied through the melting and solidification characteristics of the phase change materials, giving full play to the advantages of the reactor's thermal self-drive, thereby improving energy utilization. However, the existing solid-state hydrogen storage reactors coupled with phase change materials have the problem of low hydrogen storage efficiency due to a single heat transfer path and uneven temperature distribution. Summary of the invention

[0005] In order to solve the technical problems existing in the above-mentioned background technology, the present invention provides a hydrogen storage reactor and device based on the zoning arrangement of phase change materials and metal hydrides, which can increase the heat transfer path through the alternating zoning arrangement of phase change materials and metal hydrides, and at the same time improve the uniformity of temperature distribution, thereby improving the hydrogen storage efficiency.

[0006] In order to achieve the above object, the present invention adopts the following technical solution:

[0007] A first aspect of the present invention provides a hydrogen storage reactor based on a partitioned arrangement of phase change materials and metal hydrides.

[0008] A hydrogen storage reactor based on the partitioned arrangement of phase change materials and metal hydrides, comprising a hydrogen storage reactor body, a hydrogen inlet channel, an expansion zone, a shell and a partition; the hydrogen inlet channel is used to introduce hydrogen; the expansion zone is used to temporarily store and evenly distribute the incoming hydrogen, while alleviating pressure fluctuations and volume expansion of the metal hydride; the partition divides the hydrogen storage reactor body into a plurality of areas; in these areas, phase change materials and metal hydrides are alternately arranged, so that the reaction heat released by the metal hydride during the hydrogen storage process is simultaneously transferred to the phase change material in the adjacent area through the two side walls in the area to which it belongs, so as to increase the effective heat transfer area.

[0009] As an embodiment, the partition divides the hydrogen storage reactor body in a honeycomb partitioning manner to form a plurality of honeycomb chambers.

[0010] As an implementation method, metal hydride is placed in the honeycomb chamber at the center, and the honeycomb chambers in each layer from the center to the outside are alternately filled with phase change materials and hydrogen storage materials.

[0011] As an embodiment, the partition divides the hydrogen storage reactor body in a sector-shaped partitioning manner.

[0012] As an embodiment, the partition divides the hydrogen storage reactor body into triangular partitions.

[0013] As an embodiment, the partition divides the hydrogen storage reactor body in a regular polygonal partitioning manner.

[0014] As an implementation mode, phase change materials with different phase change temperatures are arranged in stages in the region where the phase change materials belong.

[0015] As an implementation mode, within the region where the phase change material is located, the temperature of the phase change material placed in the region dominated by natural convection is the highest.

[0016] As an implementation mode, within the region where the phase change material belongs, the temperature of the phase change material placed in the region dominated by heat conduction is the lowest.

[0017] A second aspect of the present invention provides an energy supply device.

[0018] An energy supply device includes a hydrogen storage reactor based on the partitioned arrangement of phase change material and metal hydride as described above.

[0019] The beneficial effects of the present invention are:

[0020] (1) The present invention proposes a hydrogen storage reactor based on a partitioned arrangement of phase change materials and metal hydrides. The phase change material is used to store the reaction heat released by the metal hydride during the hydrogen storage process, and the heat is used during the dehydrogenation process. This solves the problem of complex system and high energy consumption caused by traditional solid-state hydrogen storage reactors, thereby realizing a self-driven cycle of heat and improving energy utilization.

[0021] (2) The zoned arrangement of phase change materials and hydrogen storage materials in the solid-state hydrogen storage reactor proposed by the present invention can increase the effective heat transfer area, widen the heat transfer path, and reduce the average heat conduction distance, so that the entire reactor can operate under more uniform and stable temperature conditions, thereby solving the problems of poor heat exchange performance and low hydrogen storage rate of existing solid-state hydrogen storage reactors coupled with phase change materials, avoiding local overheating or overcooling, and thus improving the hydrogen storage rate and efficiency.

[0022] (3) The metal hydride hydrogen storage reactor based on the step-by-step arrangement of phase change materials proposed in the present invention solves the current problem of low hydrogen storage efficiency caused by uneven temperature distribution by evenly arranging phase change materials with different phase change temperatures and latent heat values ​​along the axial direction of the reactor, optimizes heat management, reduces energy waste, and thus significantly improves the hydrogen storage efficiency.

[0023] (4) The hydrogen storage reactor based on the partitioned arrangement of phase change materials and metal hydrides proposed in the present invention can be applied to the field of mobile hydrogen storage, such as fuel cell vehicles, drones and other equipment that require efficient and lightweight hydrogen storage systems. By optimizing heat management, energy utilization can be improved and the battery life of the equipment can be extended. This design effectively solves the problems of high energy consumption and low efficiency of traditional hydrogen storage systems, improves the performance and reliability of mobile devices, and meets the requirements of modern mobile hydrogen storage technology for high efficiency, lightness and high energy density.

[0024] Advantages of additional aspects of the present invention will be given in part in the following description, and in part will become obvious from the following description, or will be learned through practice of the present invention. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0025] The accompanying drawings in the specification, which constitute a part of the present invention, are used to provide a further understanding of the present invention. The exemplary embodiments of the present invention and their descriptions are used to explain the present invention and do not constitute improper limitations on the present invention.

[0026] Figure 1 A schematic diagram of the structure of a conventional solid-state hydrogen storage reactor coupled with a phase change material;

[0027] Figure 2 It is a schematic structural diagram of a hydrogen storage reactor based on the partition arrangement of phase change materials and metal hydrides according to the present invention;

[0028] FIG3( a ) is a comparison of the curves of the metal hydride reaction fraction and the average temperature changing with time in the comparative example and Example 1 of the present invention;

[0029] FIG3( b ) is a comparison diagram of the reaction fraction distribution at different times of the comparative example and Example 1 of the present invention;

[0030] Figure 4 It is a schematic diagram of the structure of a solid-state hydrogen storage reactor based on a stepped arrangement of phase change materials;

[0031] Figure 5 This is a schematic diagram of the structure of a solid-state hydrogen storage reactor based on a honeycomb partition arrangement of phase change materials and metal hydrides.

[0032] Among them, 1 is a hydrogen inlet channel, 2 is an expansion zone, 3 is a metal hydride bed, 4 is an inner tube, 5 is a phase change material, 6 is an outer shell, and 7 is a partition. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0033] The present invention will be further described below in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and embodiments.

[0034] It should be noted that the following detailed descriptions are all illustrative and intended to provide further explanation of the present invention. Unless otherwise specified, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meanings as those commonly understood by those skilled in the art to which the present invention belongs.

[0035] It should be noted that the terms used herein are only for describing specific embodiments and are not intended to limit exemplary embodiments according to the present invention. As used herein, unless the context clearly indicates otherwise, the singular form is also intended to include the plural form. In addition, it should be understood that when the terms "comprising" and / or "including" are used in this specification, it indicates the presence of features, steps, operations, devices, components and / or combinations thereof.

[0036] In the present invention, terms such as "upper", "lower", "left", "right", "front", "back", "vertical", "horizontal", "side", "bottom", etc. indicate directions or positional relationships based on the directions or positional relationships shown in the accompanying drawings. They are relational words determined only for the convenience of describing the structural relationships of the various parts or elements of the present invention, and do not specifically refer to any part or element in the present invention and should not be understood as limitations on the present invention.

[0037] In the present invention, terms such as "fixed connection", "connected", "connection", etc. should be understood in a broad sense, indicating that it can be fixedly connected, integrally connected or detachably connected; it can be directly connected or indirectly connected through an intermediate medium. Relevant scientific research or technical personnel in this field can determine the specific meanings of the above terms in the present invention according to specific circumstances, and they should not be understood as limiting the present invention.

[0038] Conventional solid-state hydrogen storage reactors coupled with phase change materials such as Figure 1 As shown, it includes an outer shell 6, an inner tube 4, an expansion area 2 and a hydrogen inlet channel 1. The material of the inner tube 4 is steel, and the material of the outer shell 6 is PB. The inner tube 4 is filled with a metal hydride bed 3, and the outer shell 6 is filled with a phase change material 5. Hydrogen is introduced through the hydrogen inlet channel 1 at the top. The expansion area 2 is used to temporarily store and evenly distribute the incoming hydrogen, while alleviating pressure fluctuations and volume expansion of the metal hydride. The reaction heat released by the metal hydride in the hydrogen storage process is transferred to the phase change material through the side wall of the inner tube. The phase change material undergoes phase change after absorbing the heat and stores the heat in the form of sensible heat and latent heat.

[0039] Comparative Example:

[0040] The total length of the reactor is 50 mm, the inner radius of the inner tube is 12 mm, the inner radius of the outer shell is 19 mm, the thickness of the inner tube is 1 mm, the metal hydride is LaNi5, the phase change material is LiNO3·3H2O, the initial temperature is 293.15 K, the initial pressure is the equilibrium pressure corresponding to the initial temperature of 0.143 MPa, the initial density of the metal hydride is the density in the non-hydrogen absorbing state, and the hydrogen supply pressure is 0.8 MPa.

[0041] The present invention provides a simple and efficient metal hydride solid hydrogen storage reactor coupled with a phase change material, which increases the heat transfer path by arranging the phase change material and the metal hydride in zones, thereby improving the hydrogen storage rate. In one or more embodiments, the hydrogen storage reactor based on the zoning arrangement of the phase change material and the metal hydride is provided. Figure 2 As shown, it includes a hydrogen storage reactor body, a shell 6, a partition 7, an expansion zone 2 and a hydrogen inlet channel 1. The partition 7 divides the hydrogen storage reactor body into several areas. In these areas, the phase change material 5 and the metal hydride 3 are arranged alternately, so that the reaction heat released by the metal hydride during the hydrogen storage process is transferred to the phase change material in the adjacent area through the two side walls of the area to which it belongs, so as to increase the effective heat transfer area. Hydrogen is introduced through the hydrogen inlet channel 1 at the top, and the reaction heat released by the metal hydride during the hydrogen storage process is transferred to the phase change material in the adjacent area through the two side walls of the area to which it belongs, thereby increasing the effective heat transfer area and widening the heat transfer path.

[0042] Embodiment 1:

[0043] On the premise of filling the same mass of metal hydride and phase change material as in the comparative example, 10 partitions are used to divide the reactor into 5 metal hydride partitions with a central angle of 28.72° and 5 phase change material partitions with a central angle of 43.28° along the circumferential direction. The thickness of the partition is 1 mm. Similarly, the metal hydride is LaNi5, the phase change material is LiNO3·3H2O, the initial temperature is 293.15K, the initial pressure is the equilibrium pressure corresponding to the initial temperature of 0.143 MPa, the initial density of the metal hydride is the density in the non-hydrogen absorbing state, and the hydrogen supply pressure is 0.8 MPa.

[0044] In order to intuitively explain the advantages of the alternating partition arrangement of phase change materials and metal hydrides, a multi-physics field model was established and numerical calculations were performed, and the results are shown in Figures 3(a) and 3(b). As shown in Figure 3(a), under the same hydrogen storage capacity, the hydrogen storage time of the solid-state hydrogen storage reactor based on the partition arrangement of phase change materials and hydrogen storage materials is shortened by 67.13% compared with the traditional solid-state hydrogen storage reactor. As shown in Figure 3(b), the traditional reactor is difficult to cool the high temperature at the center due to the single and limited heat transfer surface, while the reactor proposed in the present invention increases the heat transfer area, reduces the heat conduction distance, and accelerates the hydrogen storage rate. It can be seen that by alternating the arrangement of phase change materials and metal hydrides, not only the hydrogen storage rate is improved, but also the uniformity of temperature distribution is improved, which has great application potential.

[0045] Figure 2 The partitioning method of the hydrogen storage reactor body is a sector-based partitioning method.

[0046] It should be noted here that the partitioning method of the hydrogen storage reactor body also includes but is not limited to triangle, honeycomb, regular polygon, etc.

[0047] In other embodiments, a solid hydrogen storage reactor with a honeycomb partition arrangement is provided, such as Figure 5 As shown. The hydrogen storage reactor body is divided into multiple honeycomb chambers by multiple partitions 7, wherein the honeycomb chamber at the center is filled with metal hydride, and the honeycomb chambers from the center to the outside are alternately filled with phase change materials and hydrogen storage materials. Specifically, the second layer of honeycomb chambers are all filled with phase change materials, the third layer of chambers are filled with metal hydride, and the third layer of chambers are filled with phase change materials.

[0048] In this embodiment, each sub-chamber is filled with phase change material and hydrogen storage material alternately, and the reaction heat energy released during the metal hydride hydrogen storage process is quickly transferred to the phase change material. The honeycomb structure provides a larger heat transfer area and a more uniform heat transfer effect, which helps to achieve efficient heat management and hydrogen storage effect.

[0049] Considering the influence of the natural convection effect driven by the buoyancy force on the heat transfer process during the endothermic melting of the phase change material, the existence of the natural convection effect causes the hot fluid to rise and the cold fluid to sink. Therefore, the temperature of the upper phase change material is significantly higher than that of the lower part, which hinders the uniform reaction of the metal hydride and thus reduces the hydrogen storage efficiency. In order to solve the above problem, in some specific embodiments, the phase change material is arranged in a phase change material partition step, such as Figure 4 As shown, in the region where the phase change material belongs, the region dominated by natural convection is placed with the phase change material with the highest phase change temperature. In the region where the phase change material belongs, the region dominated by heat conduction is placed with the phase change material with the lowest phase change temperature.

[0050] Embodiment 2:

[0051] Under the premise of filling the same mass of metal hydride and phase change material as in Example 1, each phase change material partition is evenly separated in the axial direction by four partitions to form four chambers, forming an independent thermal management area. Four phase change materials with different phase change temperatures and phase change latent heat values ​​are selected to be evenly filled in the axial direction from bottom to top, namely paraffin RT29, LiNO3·3H2O, paraffin RT35 and paraffin RT38, the metal hydride is LaNi5, the initial temperature is 293.15K, the initial pressure is the equilibrium pressure corresponding to the initial temperature of 0.143MPa, the initial density of the metal hydride is the density in the non-hydrogen absorption state, and the hydrogen supply pressure is 0.8MPa. At this time, a large amount of reaction heat transferred by the metal hydride is transferred to the phase change materials placed in the four chambers. Due to the stepped arrangement of the phase change materials along the axial direction, RT29 at the bottom absorbs heat and melts first. As the temperature rises, the heat is gradually transferred to the middle and upper parts. LiNO3·3H2O, RT35 and RT38 melt in turn, preventing local overheating in the upper area due to buoyancy drive, ensuring uniform temperature distribution throughout the reactor. This stepped arrangement design effectively utilizes the different phase change temperatures and latent heat values ​​of the phase change materials. By managing heat in different zones, the reaction heat released during the hydrogen storage process is gradually absorbed, achieving efficient thermal management and significantly improving hydrogen storage efficiency.

[0052] The embodiment of the present invention significantly optimizes heat management and improves hydrogen storage efficiency by introducing a solid-state hydrogen storage reactor based on a partitioned arrangement and a stepped arrangement of phase change materials and metal hydrides. Compared with a traditional hydrogen storage reactor, the alternating arrangement increases the heat transfer area and reduces the heat conduction distance, thereby greatly shortening the hydrogen storage time and improving the uniformity of temperature distribution.

[0053] Moreover, the stepped layout prevents local overheating and ensures uniform temperature distribution inside the reactor by rationally configuring phase change materials with different phase change temperatures and latent heat values. It not only improves the hydrogen storage rate and efficiency and reduces energy consumption, but also has great application potential and economic benefits. It is suitable for multiple fields such as mobile hydrogen storage, fixed hydrogen storage and industrial hydrogen storage.

[0054] In one or more embodiments, an energy supply device is also provided, which includes a hydrogen storage reactor based on the partitioned arrangement of phase change materials and metal hydrides as described above. The energy supply device can be applied to the field of mobile hydrogen storage, such as fuel cell vehicles, drones and other equipment that require efficient and lightweight hydrogen storage systems. By optimizing heat management, improving energy utilization, and extending the battery life of the equipment, the problem of high energy consumption and low efficiency of traditional hydrogen storage systems is effectively solved, the performance and reliability of mobile devices are improved, and the requirements of modern mobile hydrogen storage technology for high efficiency, lightness and high energy density are met.

[0055] The above description is only a preferred embodiment of the present invention and is not intended to limit the present invention. For those skilled in the art, the present invention may have various modifications and variations. Any modification, equivalent replacement, improvement, etc. made within the spirit and principle of the present invention shall be included in the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A hydrogen storage reactor based on a partitioned arrangement of phase change materials and metal hydrides, characterized in that: It includes a hydrogen storage reactor body, a hydrogen inlet channel, an expansion zone, a partition and a shell; the expansion zone is used to temporarily store and evenly distribute the incoming hydrogen, while alleviating pressure fluctuations and volume expansion of metal hydrides; the partition divides the hydrogen storage reactor body into several areas; in these areas, phase change materials and metal hydrides are arranged alternately, so that the reaction heat released by the metal hydrides during the hydrogen storage process is simultaneously transferred to the phase change materials in the adjacent areas through the two side walls in the area to which it belongs, so as to increase the effective heat transfer area.

2. The hydrogen storage reactor based on the partition arrangement of phase change material and metal hydride according to claim 1, characterized in that: The partition divides the hydrogen storage reactor body in a honeycomb partitioning manner to form a plurality of honeycomb chambers.

3. The hydrogen storage reactor based on the partition arrangement of phase change material and metal hydride according to claim 2, characterized in that: The honeycomb chamber at the center is filled with metal hydride, and the honeycomb chambers in each layer from the center to the outside are alternately filled with phase change materials and hydrogen storage materials.

4. The hydrogen storage reactor based on the partition arrangement of phase change material and metal hydride according to claim 1, characterized in that: The partition divides the hydrogen storage reactor body in a sector-shaped partitioning manner.

5. The hydrogen storage reactor based on the partition arrangement of phase change material and metal hydride according to claim 1, characterized in that: The partition divides the hydrogen storage reactor body in a triangular partitioning manner.

6. The hydrogen storage reactor based on the partition arrangement of phase change material and metal hydride according to claim 1, characterized in that: The partition divides the hydrogen storage reactor body in a regular polygonal partitioning manner.

7. The hydrogen storage reactor based on the partition arrangement of phase change material and metal hydride according to claim 1, characterized in that: Phase change materials with different phase change temperatures are arranged in stages in the region where the phase change materials belong.

8. The hydrogen storage reactor based on the partitioned arrangement of phase change material and metal hydride according to claim 7 is characterized in that: In the area where the phase change material belongs, the phase change material with the highest phase change temperature is placed in the area dominated by natural convection.

9. The hydrogen storage reactor based on the partitioned arrangement of phase change material and metal hydride according to claim 7, characterized in that: In the area where the phase change material belongs, the phase change material with the lowest phase change temperature is placed in the area dominated by heat conduction.

10. An energy supply device, characterized in that: It comprises a hydrogen storage reactor based on a partitioned arrangement of phase change material and metal hydride as described in any one of claims 1 to 9.

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