High-thermal-conductivity solid hydrogen storage tank

Abstract

The invention discloses a high-thermal-conductivity solid hydrogen storage tank, relates to the technical field of hydrogen storage equipment, and aims to solve the technical problems that an existing solid hydrogen storage tank is low in thermal conductivity, slow in hydrogen absorption and desorption rate and insufficient in structural stability. The hydrogen storage tank comprises a tank body, a high-thermal-conductivity supporting assembly, hydrogen storage composite powder, a filter element and a bottleneck valve, the high-heat-conduction supporting assembly is of a multidirectional branch elastic three-dimensional structure, is made of a material with the heat conductivity coefficient being larger than or equal to 80 W / (mK) and abuts against the inner wall of the tank body through elastic deformation, and the contact area proportion is not smaller than 10%; the hydrogen storage composite powder is formed by mixing hydrogen storage alloy powder with auxiliary heat conduction materials such as graphite powder and metal powder, and the volume ratio of the auxiliary heat conduction materials is not larger than 10%. The surface of the supporting assembly is provided with a 5-10 [mu] m protective coating. By means of the collaborative design of macroscopic elastic supporting heat conduction and microcosmic composite powder heat conduction, the overall heat conductivity coefficient of the high-heat-conductivity solid hydrogen storage tank is larger than or equal to 25 W / (mK), the hydrogen absorption and desorption rate is increased by 2-5 times, and the high-heat-conductivity solid hydrogen storage tank is easy and convenient to assemble, stable in structure, controllable in cost, slight in hydrogen storage capacity loss and suitable for new energy automobiles, portable fuel cells, distributed energy storage systems and other scenes. The method has a wide commercial application prospect.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention relates to the field of hydrogen storage equipment technology, specifically to a high thermal conductivity solid hydrogen storage tank, which is suitable for scenarios with high requirements for hydrogen storage efficiency and thermal conductivity, such as new energy vehicles, portable fuel cells, and distributed energy storage systems. Background Technology

[0002] Solid-state hydrogen storage technology has become one of the mainstream development directions in the field of hydrogen energy storage due to its advantages such as high hydrogen storage density, good safety and compact size. Its core principle is to use the hydrogenation reaction of hydrogen storage alloy powder to realize the adsorption and release of hydrogen. However, the thermal conductivity of hydrogen storage alloy powder itself is extremely low (usually only 5~15 W / (m・K)), and it is easy to form pores when it is piled up inside the tank, which leads to the obstruction of heat transfer.

[0003] In practical applications, the hydrogen absorption and release processes of hydrogen storage tanks are accompanied by significant thermal effects: when absorbing hydrogen, a large amount of reaction heat is released. If the heat cannot be dissipated in time, the temperature inside the tank will rise, which will inhibit the hydrogenation reaction from continuing and reduce the hydrogen absorption rate and hydrogen storage capacity. When releasing hydrogen, a large amount of heat needs to be absorbed. If the heat is not replenished in time, the temperature inside the tank will drop, which will lead to insufficient hydrogen release pressure and affect the stability of hydrogen supply.

[0004] To address the aforementioned issues, existing technologies have proposed various thermal conductivity optimization schemes: some schemes add thermally conductive fillers such as graphite powder and metal powder to hydrogen storage alloy powder, but the amount of a single filler added is limited (excessive addition will reduce hydrogen storage capacity), and the thermal conduction path is dispersed, making it difficult to achieve a significant improvement in overall thermal conductivity efficiency; some schemes use rigid support structures to assist thermal conduction, but the contact between the support structure and the inner wall of the tank and the hydrogen storage alloy powder is insufficient, resulting in interfacial thermal resistance, and the fixing methods (such as welding and bonding) are complex, easily introducing additional thermal resistance or leading to insufficient structural stability; other schemes use heat pipes, carbon fiber reinforcement, and other technologies, which can improve thermal conductivity, but have problems such as high cost, high processing difficulty, and limited large-scale production, making it difficult to meet the needs of commercial applications.

[0005] Therefore, developing a solid hydrogen storage tank with simple structure, high thermal conductivity, controllable cost, and strong stability has become a technical challenge that the industry urgently needs to solve. Summary of the Invention

[0006] To address the shortcomings of existing solid hydrogen storage tanks, such as low thermal conductivity, slow hydrogen absorption and desorption rates, and insufficient structural stability, this invention provides a high thermal conductivity solid hydrogen storage tank. Through the synergistic design of "elastic multi-directional branch support components + hydrogen storage composite powder," the invention achieves an organic combination of macroscopic structural thermal conductivity and microscopic powder thermal conductivity. While ensuring hydrogen storage capacity, it significantly improves the overall thermal conductivity of the hydrogen storage tank, optimizes hydrogen absorption and desorption performance, and reduces processing and assembly difficulty, thus balancing commercialization costs and practicality.

[0007] Technical solution

[0008] A high thermal conductivity solid hydrogen storage tank includes a tank body, a high thermal conductivity support assembly, hydrogen storage composite powder, a filter element, and a bottle valve.

[0009] The high thermal conductivity support component is an elastic three-dimensional structure with multi-directional branches, made of a thermally conductive material with a thermal conductivity ≥80 W / (m・K), and the thermal conductivity of this material is superior to that of the tank body. The natural unfolding diameter of the high thermal conductivity support component is larger than the inner diameter of the tank. After assembly, it expands and presses against the inner wall of the tank through its own elastic deformation. The contact area between the component and the inner wall of the tank accounts for no less than 10% of the total surface area of ​​the inner wall of the tank, and its volume accounts for 5% to 15% of the water volume of the tank.

[0010] The hydrogen storage composite powder is composed of hydrogen storage alloy powder and auxiliary thermal conductive material. The volume of the auxiliary thermal conductive material accounts for no more than 10% of the water volume of the tank. The auxiliary thermal conductive material is selected from one or more of graphite powder, metal powder, and thermally conductive ceramic powder.

[0011] The surface of the high thermal conductivity support component is provided with a protective coating with a thickness of 5~10 μm; the overall thermal conductivity of the high thermal conductivity solid hydrogen storage tank is ≥25 W / (m・K).

[0012] Furthermore, the can body is a can-type structure with a single-sided opening and a bottle neck valve, or a tubular structure with double-sided openings and a bottle neck valve on each side; the can body is made of a metal material with a thermal conductivity ≥50 W / (m・K), preferably 6061 aluminum alloy.

[0013] Furthermore, the material used to prepare the high thermal conductivity support component is selected from pure aluminum, aluminum alloy, copper alloy, or other metallic materials with a thermal conductivity ≥300 W / (m・K); the diameter of a single support rod of the high thermal conductivity support component is no greater than 1 mm, the number of branches is 3 to 12, the included angle between adjacent branches is 30° to 90°, the branch length is greater than 50% of the inner diameter of the tank, and the branches are evenly distributed along the axis of the tank.

[0014] Furthermore, in the auxiliary thermally conductive material, graphite powder accounts for 3% to 7% of the total volume of the hydrogen storage composite powder, metal powder accounts for 1% to 5% of the total volume of the hydrogen storage composite powder, and thermally conductive ceramic powder accounts for 1% to 6% of the total volume of the hydrogen storage composite powder; the metal powder is selected from at least one of nano-aluminum powder, copper powder, and silver powder; the thermally conductive ceramic powder is selected from at least one of aluminum nitride powder and silicon carbide powder.

[0015] Furthermore, the protective coating is a copper plating layer, a nickel plating layer, or a nickel-phosphorus alloy plating layer, and the coating uniformity error does not exceed ±1 μm. The uniformity error is measured by the maximum thickness difference between any two points of the coating.

[0016] Furthermore, the hydrogen storage alloy powder is selected from at least one of rare earth-based AB5 type, titanium-based AB2 type, magnesium-based hydrogen storage alloy, and titanium-iron-based hydrogen storage alloy; the bulk density of the hydrogen storage composite powder is 1.5~5.0 g / cm³.

[0017] Furthermore, the high thermal conductivity support component and the auxiliary thermal conductive material can be the same or different types of thermal conductive materials; when different types are used, the thermal conductivity of the high thermal conductivity support component is not lower than the thermal conductivity of the auxiliary thermal conductive material.

[0018] Furthermore, the water volume of the tank is 0.4~100 L, and the natural unfolding diameter of the high thermal conductivity support component is 5~20 mm larger than the inner diameter of the tank.

[0019] Furthermore, the hydrogen storage composite powder is filled inside the tank, and the contact area between the hydrogen storage composite powder and the high thermal conductivity support component accounts for no less than 40% of the total surface area of ​​the high thermal conductivity support component.

[0020] Furthermore, the aforementioned high thermal conductivity solid hydrogen storage tank utilizes any of the foregoing claims.

[0021] Beneficial effects

[0022] 1. Significantly improved thermal conductivity: Through the synergistic design of "high thermal conductivity support components + hydrogen storage composite powder", the overall thermal conductivity of the hydrogen storage tank is ≥25 W / (m・K), which is 3 to 17 times higher than that of conventional solid hydrogen storage tanks, and the hydrogen absorption and desorption rate is increased by 2 to 5 times, completely solving the industry pain point of heat transfer obstruction.

[0023] 2. Stable structure and easy assembly: The high thermal conductivity support components do not require welding or bonding, the assembly process is simple, and they have full contact with the inner wall of the tank and the hydrogen storage composite powder, resulting in strong structural stability and low interfacial thermal resistance.

[0024] 3. Balance between hydrogen storage performance and practicality: The proportion of auxiliary heat-conducting materials has been optimized to improve thermal conductivity while ensuring that the hydrogen storage capacity decreases only slightly; the bulk density of the hydrogen storage composite powder is adapted to different application scenarios, and the tank specifications cover 0.4~100 L, with strong compatibility.

[0025] 4. Controllable commercialization costs: The core materials are all conventional materials in the industry, and the supporting components can reduce costs through large-scale precision processing. The overall cost is not significantly higher than that of conventional hydrogen storage tanks, and can be fully covered by performance improvements, making it a promising candidate for broad commercial applications.

[0026] 5. Long service life: The protective coating on the surface of the high thermal conductivity support components effectively prevents corrosion and chemical reactions, improves component durability, and ensures that the hydrogen storage tank maintains stable performance during long-term hydrogen absorption and desorption cycles. With improved thermal conductivity, it also greatly reduces the reduction in hydrogen storage cycle life of solid hydrogen storage tanks caused by the pulverization of hydrogen storage materials due to thermal resistance, as well as the risk of tank blockage. Attached Figure Description

[0027] Figure 1 is a cross-sectional schematic diagram of the high thermal conductivity solid hydrogen storage tank of the present invention;

[0028] Figure 2 is a schematic elevation view of the high thermal conductivity support assembly;

[0029] Figure 3 is a schematic diagram of the coating of the high thermal conductivity support component.

[0030] In the figure: 1. Solid hydrogen storage tank; 2. Tank body; 3. High thermal conductivity support assembly; 3.1. Main body of high thermal conductivity support assembly; 3.2. Protective coating; 4. Hydrogen storage composite powder; 5. Filter element; 6. Bottle valve. Detailed Implementation

[0031] Example

[0032] This embodiment provides a 2 L high thermal conductivity solid hydrogen storage tank 1, with the following specific parameters:

[0033] • Tank 2: Made of 6061 aluminum alloy, single-sided open tank structure, water volume 2 L, inner diameter 89 mm, wall thickness 3 mm, thermal conductivity 160-180 W / (m・K);

[0034] • High thermal conductivity support component 3: Made of pure aluminum material 3.1 (thermal conductivity 230 W / (m・K)), single support rod diameter 1 mm, number of branches 6, adjacent branches angle 60°, branch length is 60% of the effective length inside the tank, evenly distributed along the tank axis; natural unfolding diameter 100 mm (11 mm larger than the inner diameter of the tank), volume accounts for 10% of the tank's water volume, and the contact area with the inner wall of the tank accounts for 15%.

[0035] • Protective coating 3.2: Copper plating layer, 8 μm thick, coating uniformity error ≤ ±0.8 μm.

[0036] • Hydrogen storage composite powder 4: The hydrogen storage alloy powder is LaNi5 (rare earth type AB5), and the auxiliary thermal conductive materials are graphite powder (5%) + nano aluminum powder (3%) + silicon carbide powder (2%) (all of which are the total volume percentage of the hydrogen storage composite powder). The hydrogen storage composite powder has a bulk density of 2.2 g / cm³ and a contact area with the high thermal conductivity support component 3 of 55%.

[0037] In this embodiment, the hydrogen storage tank 1 only needs 10 minutes to absorb hydrogen in a 20°C water bath to reach 95% (150g), which is 5 minutes less than the hydrogen absorption time of a traditional solid hydrogen storage tank under the same conditions.

[0038] The above embodiments are merely preferred embodiments of the present invention and are not intended to limit the scope of the present invention. Various modifications and improvements made to the technical solutions of the present invention by those skilled in the art without departing from the inventive concept should fall within the protection scope of the present invention.

Claims

1. A high thermal conductivity solid hydrogen storage tank, characterized in that... Includes the tank body, high thermal conductivity support components, hydrogen storage composite powder, filter element, and bottle valve; The high thermal conductivity support component is an elastic three-dimensional structure with multi-directional branches, made of a thermally conductive material with a thermal conductivity ≥80W / (m・K), and the thermal conductivity of this material is superior to that of the tank body. The natural unfolding diameter of the high thermal conductivity support component is larger than the inner diameter of the tank. After assembly, it expands and presses against the inner wall of the tank through its own elastic deformation. The contact area between the component and the inner wall of the tank accounts for no less than 10% of the total surface area of ​​the inner wall of the tank, and its volume accounts for 5% to 15% of the water volume of the tank. The hydrogen storage composite powder is composed of hydrogen storage alloy powder and auxiliary thermal conductive material. The volume of the auxiliary thermal conductive material accounts for no more than 10% of the water volume of the tank. The auxiliary thermal conductive material is selected from one or more of graphite powder, metal powder, and thermally conductive ceramic powder. The surface of the high thermal conductivity support component is provided with a protective coating with a thickness of 5~10μm; the overall thermal conductivity of the high thermal conductivity solid hydrogen storage tank is ≥25W / (m・K).

2. The high thermal conductivity solid hydrogen storage tank according to claim 1, characterized in that, The tank body is a tank structure with a single-sided opening and a bottle neck valve, or a tubular structure with a double-sided opening and a bottle neck valve on each side. The tank body is made of a metal material with a thermal conductivity of ≥50W / (m・K), preferably 6061 aluminum alloy.

3. A high thermal conductivity solid hydrogen storage tank according to claim 1, characterized in that, The high thermal conductivity support component is made of pure aluminum, aluminum alloy, copper alloy or other metallic materials with a thermal conductivity ≥300W / (m・K); The diameter of a single support rod of the high thermal conductivity support assembly is no greater than 1 mm, the number of branches is 3 to 12, the included angle between adjacent branches is 30° to 90°, the branch length is greater than 50% of the inner diameter of the tank, and the branches are evenly distributed along the axis of the tank.

4. A high thermal conductivity solid hydrogen storage tank according to claim 1, characterized in that, In the auxiliary thermally conductive material, graphite powder accounts for 3% to 7% of the total volume of the hydrogen storage composite powder, metal powder accounts for 1% to 5% of the total volume of the hydrogen storage composite powder, and thermally conductive ceramic powder accounts for 1% to 6% of the total volume of the hydrogen storage composite powder; The metal powder is selected from at least one of nano-aluminum powder, copper powder, and silver powder; The thermally conductive ceramic powder is selected from at least one of aluminum nitride powder and silicon carbide powder.

5. A high thermal conductivity solid hydrogen storage tank according to claim 1, characterized in that, The protective coating is a copper plating layer, a nickel plating layer, or a nickel-phosphorus alloy plating layer. The coating uniformity error does not exceed ±1μm. The uniformity error is measured by the maximum thickness difference between any two points of the coating.

6. A high thermal conductivity solid hydrogen storage tank according to claim 1, characterized in that, The hydrogen storage alloy powder is selected from at least one of rare earth-based AB5 type, titanium-based AB2 type, magnesium-based hydrogen storage alloy, and titanium-iron-based hydrogen storage alloy. The bulk density of the hydrogen storage composite powder is 1.5~5.0 g / cm³.

7. A high thermal conductivity solid hydrogen storage tank according to claim 1, characterized in that, The high thermal conductivity support component and the auxiliary thermal conductive material can be the same or different types of thermal conductive materials.

8. A high thermal conductivity solid hydrogen storage tank according to claim 1, characterized in that, The water volume of the tank is 0.4~100L, and the natural unfolding diameter of the high thermal conductivity support component is 5~20mm larger than the inner diameter of the tank.

9. A high thermal conductivity solid hydrogen storage tank according to claim 1, characterized in that, The hydrogen storage composite powder is filled inside the tank, and the contact area between the hydrogen storage composite powder and the high thermal conductivity support component accounts for no less than 40% of the total surface area of ​​the high thermal conductivity support component.

10. A high thermal conductivity solid hydrogen storage tank according to claim 1, characterized in that, The high thermal conductivity solid hydrogen storage tank described herein uses any one of claims 1-9.

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