A solid-state hydrogen storage device integrating internal and external synergistic heat exchange and mass transfer / stress management

Abstract

This invention relates to a solid-state hydrogen storage device integrating internal and external synergistic heat exchange and mass transfer / stress management, belonging to the field of hydrogen storage equipment. It includes: a tank body; a central porous gas guide pipe arranged axially within the tank body; multiple layers of H-shaped finned plates arranged parallel to the tank body; U-shaped heat exchange tubes inserted within the H-shaped finned plates; hydrogen storage material disposed between the H-shaped finned plates; an electric heating rod inserted into the hydrogen storage material; and external heat exchange tubes surrounding the outer wall of the tank body. It also includes a hydrogen inlet, a hydrogen storage material inlet, and a coolant outlet located at the top of the tank body, and a hydrogen storage material outlet and a coolant inlet located at the bottom of the tank body. The hydrogen inlet is connected to the top of the central porous gas guide pipe; the coolant outlet and coolant inlet are respectively connected to the two ends of the U-shaped heat exchange tubes. This invention provides a wide and precise power regulation and temperature control range, improves hydrogen storage / release rates and material utilization, and ensures the stability of the device's circulation structure and heat exchange efficiency.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] This invention belongs to the field of hydrogen storage equipment and relates to a solid-state hydrogen storage device that integrates internal and external synergistic heat exchange and mass transfer / stress management. Background Technology

[0002] Solid-state hydrogen storage technology has become a research hotspot in the field of hydrogen energy storage and transportation due to its advantages such as high hydrogen storage density and good safety. Current technological development mainly focuses on optimizing the thermal management system, especially the innovation of heating methods, to improve hydrogen absorption and desorption efficiency, system response speed, and overall energy efficiency. At present, solid-state hydrogen storage devices are mainly divided into two mainstream structures: internally heated hydrogen storage tanks and externally heated hydrogen storage tanks, which represent different technical paths and applicable scenarios.

[0003] Internally heated hydrogen storage tanks typically insert electric heating elements directly into the hydrogen storage material for rapid and efficient heating. For example, patent applications CN215981985U and CN104654004A illustrate such designs. This internal heating method significantly shortens preheating time and improves thermal efficiency, making it particularly suitable for applications requiring rapid start-up. However, because the electric heating elements are distributed in a point or line pattern, localized overheating or cold zones can easily occur during heat conduction within the hydrogen storage material bed, making it difficult to guarantee temperature uniformity. Uneven temperature distribution not only reduces the effective utilization rate of the hydrogen storage material but may also cause differences in local hydrogen absorption and desorption reaction rates, thereby affecting the system's cycle stability and safety.

[0004] Externally heated hydrogen storage tanks heat the tank wall through an external heat source (such as a heating jacket or liquid jacket), and then conduct heat from the tank wall to the internal hydrogen storage material, forming a hot zone for indirect heating. Patent applications CN114001274A and CN113757561A represent this type of technology. The advantages of external heating are its relatively simple structure, avoiding the difficulties of arranging internal components, and a more uniform temperature distribution compared to internal heating. However, its inherent drawbacks are also prominent: heat must pass through the tank wall and the hydrogen storage material bed sequentially, resulting in a long heat conduction path and high thermal resistance, leading to low heating efficiency and significant energy loss; at the same time, external heating has a slow response speed, making it difficult to meet the temperature control requirements under rapidly changing operating conditions, especially during the hydrogen release start-up phase, where the long preheating period limits the overall response capability of the system.

[0005] Besides the challenges in thermal management, existing solid-state hydrogen storage devices generally face two other technical difficulties. First, hydrogen mass transfer is hindered. During hydrogen absorption, hydrogen typically enters the tank through a single inlet. The hydrogen storage material near the inlet preferentially absorbs hydrogen and expands in volume, easily blocking subsequent hydrogen diffusion channels. This makes it difficult for hydrogen to reach the far end of the tank evenly, resulting in decreased material utilization and a reduced hydrogen absorption rate. Second, the hydrogen storage material undergoes significant volume expansion and contraction during the hydrogen absorption and desorption cycle. Repeated mechanical stress can easily lead to tank structural deformation, damage to internal heat exchange elements, or even leakage failure, seriously affecting the device's service life and safety.

[0006] Therefore, how to solve comprehensive problems such as temperature uniformity, hydrogen mass transfer, and expansion stress damage while ensuring rapid response and high energy efficiency is a technical bottleneck that urgently needs to be overcome in the current research and development of solid-state hydrogen storage devices. Summary of the Invention

[0007] In view of this, the purpose of the present invention is to provide a solid-state hydrogen storage device that integrates internal and external synergistic heat exchange and mass transfer / stress management, so as to solve the problems of existing technologies, such as difficulty in ensuring uniformity, low heating efficiency, large energy loss, slow response, as well as the problems of hydrogen mass transfer obstruction and tank structure damage caused by the volume expansion of hydrogen storage materials.

[0008] To achieve the above objectives, the present invention provides the following technical solution: A solid-state hydrogen storage device integrating internal and external synergistic heat exchange and mass transfer / stress management, comprising: Tank body; A central porous gas guide pipe is installed along the axial direction inside the tank. Multi-layered H-shaped finned plates arranged in parallel inside the tank body; U-shaped heat exchange tubes interspersed in H-shaped finned plates; Hydrogen storage material positioned between H-shaped finned plates; An electric heating rod inserted into the hydrogen storage material; And the external heat exchange pipes surrounding the outer wall of the tank.

[0009] It also includes a hydrogen inlet, a hydrogen storage material inlet, and a coolant outlet located at the top of the tank, and a hydrogen storage material outlet and a coolant inlet located at the bottom of the tank; wherein, the hydrogen inlet is connected to the top of the central porous gas guide pipe; the coolant outlet and the coolant inlet are respectively connected to the two ends of the U-shaped heat exchange tube.

[0010] In addition, it includes support ribs, which are fixed to the outer wall of the tank to keep the tank off the ground.

[0011] Furthermore, the central porous gas guide tube is equipped with hydrogen diversion holes.

[0012] Furthermore, the opening size of the hydrogen diversion hole in the central porous gas guide tube gradually increases from top to bottom.

[0013] Furthermore, each layer of H-shaped finned plates is connected to the longitudinal slide rails on the inner wall of the tank via elastic connectors.

[0014] Furthermore, the hydrogen storage material is placed in the hydrogen storage material filling cavity formed between the H-shaped finned plates.

[0015] Furthermore, in the non-hydrogen-absorbing state, a reserved expansion gap of 10% to 20% of the cavity volume is retained in each hydrogen storage material filling cavity.

[0016] Furthermore, the U-shaped heat exchange tubes are arranged in a serpentine pattern, and all pipe connections are made using flexible sealing joints.

[0017] The beneficial effects of this invention are as follows: (1) Fast response and strong controllability: The present invention is equipped with an internal electric heating rod group and an external liquid heat exchange tube. The dual heat sources provide rapid start-up capability, overcoming the disadvantage of slow preheating of pure external heating systems. Furthermore, the combination of internal and external heat sources provides a wider and more precise range of power adjustment and temperature control.

[0018] (2) Solved the mass transfer bottleneck: The present invention adopts a design of central porous gas guide pipe + radial staged gas distribution. By increasing the opening size of the hydrogen diversion hole from top to bottom on the central porous gas guide pipe, the problem of hydrogen diffusion obstruction caused by unidirectional gas intake is eliminated, and the pressure loss along the process can be compensated. This realizes the parallel and uniform transportation of hydrogen inside the tank, which significantly improves the hydrogen storage / desorption rate and material utilization rate.

[0019] (3) Solved the problem of expansion stress damage: The present invention adopts a combination structure of elastic constraint + reserved expansion gap + flexible heat-conducting filling inside the tank, which decouples the mechanical stress generated by the volume expansion of hydrogen storage material from the U-shaped heat exchange tube, H-shaped fin plate and tank structure, fundamentally ensuring the structural stability and heat exchange efficiency of solid hydrogen storage device after multiple cycles.

[0020] Other advantages, objectives, and features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows, and in part will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the following examination, or may be learned from practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention can be realized and obtained through the following description. Attached Figure Description

[0021] To make the objectives, technical solutions, and advantages of the present invention clearer, the preferred embodiments of the present invention will be described in detail below with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein: Figure 1This is a schematic diagram of a solid hydrogen storage device provided in an embodiment of the present invention; Figure 2 Schematic diagram of an expansion-resistant, heat exchange tube integrated structure; Figure 3 This is a schematic diagram showing the arrangement of external liquid heat exchange pipes on the outer wall of the tank. Detailed Implementation

[0022] The following specific examples illustrate the implementation of the present invention. Those skilled in the art can easily understand other advantages and effects of the present invention from the content disclosed in this specification. The present invention can also be implemented or applied through other different specific embodiments, and various details in this specification can be modified or changed based on different viewpoints and applications without departing from the spirit of the present invention. It should be noted that the illustrations provided in the following embodiments are only schematic representations of the basic concept of the present invention. Unless otherwise specified, the following embodiments and features can be combined with each other.

[0023] The accompanying drawings are for illustrative purposes only and are schematic diagrams, not actual pictures. They should not be construed as limiting the invention. To better illustrate the embodiments of the invention, some parts in the drawings may be omitted, enlarged, or reduced, and do not represent the actual product dimensions. It is understandable to those skilled in the art that some well-known structures and their descriptions may be omitted in the drawings.

[0024] In the accompanying drawings of the embodiments of the present invention, the same or similar reference numerals correspond to the same or similar components. In the description of the present invention, it should be understood that if terms such as "upper," "lower," "left," "right," "front," and "rear" indicate the orientation or positional relationship based on the orientation or positional relationship shown in the drawings, they are only for the convenience of describing the present invention and simplifying the description, and do not indicate or imply that the device or element referred to must have a specific orientation, or be constructed and operated in a specific orientation. Therefore, the terms used to describe positional relationships in the drawings are only for illustrative purposes and should not be construed as limiting the present invention. For those skilled in the art, the specific meaning of the above terms can be understood according to the specific circumstances.

[0025] This invention provides a solid-state hydrogen storage device integrating internal and external synergistic heat exchange and mass transfer / stress management. It offers a wide and precise power regulation and temperature control range through a combination of internal and external dual heat sources. The design of a central porous gas duct and radial staged gas distribution eliminates the problem of hydrogen diffusion obstruction caused by unidirectional gas intake. Simultaneously, a combined structure of elastic constraint, reserved expansion gap, and flexible thermally conductive filling decouples the mechanical stress generated by the volume expansion of the hydrogen storage material from the U-shaped heat exchange tube, fins, and tank structure, ensuring the structural stability and heat exchange efficiency of the hydrogen storage device after multiple cycles.

[0026] like Figure 1 As shown, a solid hydrogen storage device is provided in an embodiment of the present invention. The device includes: a pressure-resistant tank, a staged hydrogen flow guiding system, an internal heat source synergistic heat exchange system, an external heat source auxiliary heating system, and an expansion-resistant uniform temperature fin-heat exchange tube integrated structure.

[0027] The pressure tank is equipped with a hydrogen inlet at the top, which is connected to a staged hydrogen diversion system located inside the tank. This system is used to introduce hydrogen and diffuse it into the tank.

[0028] The pressure tank is equipped with a hydrogen storage material inlet and a hydrogen storage material outlet at the top and bottom, respectively. New hydrogen storage material is added to the tank through the hydrogen storage material inlet, and depleted or poorly performing hydrogen storage material is removed from the tank through the hydrogen storage material outlet.

[0029] The pressure tank is equipped with a coolant outlet and a coolant inlet at the top and bottom, respectively, for the inflow and outflow of coolant within the tank.

[0030] In this embodiment, the hydrogen storage material inlet is located at the middle of the top of the pressure tank, while the hydrogen inlet and coolant outlet are located at the edge of the top of the tank.

[0031] At the bottom of the pressure tank, the hydrogen storage material outlet is located in the middle of the bottom, and the coolant outlet is located at the edge of the bottom of the tank.

[0032] In addition, the pressure tank also includes supporting stiffeners, which are fixed to the outer wall of the tank to keep the tank off the ground so as to fix the coolant inlet and the hydrogen storage material outlet.

[0033] The staged hydrogen flow system is a central multi-porous gas guide tube, such as Figure 1 As shown, the gas guide pipe is arranged vertically in the tank along the axial direction of the tank body, and its pipe wall is provided with hydrogen diversion holes of different diameters and opening ratios.

[0034] The bottom of the central porous gas guide tube is sealed, while the top is connected to the hydrogen inlet. When hydrogen enters, it diffuses evenly along the radial direction of the tank to the surrounding hydrogen storage material bed through the various distribution holes on the central porous gas guide tube, avoiding the problem of "the material at the inlet preferentially absorbing hydrogen and blocking subsequent hydrogen channels" caused by a single inlet.

[0035] In this embodiment, the porosity (i.e., the size of the holes) of the central porous gas guide tube gradually increases from top to bottom to compensate for pressure loss along the flow path and ensure uniform axial hydrogen distribution in the tank.

[0036] For the hydrogen release process, the central porous gas guide tube also serves as the main channel for hydrogen collection and output.

[0037] The expansion-resistant, temperature-equalizing finned-heat-exchange-tube integrated structure includes multiple layers of parallel-arranged H-shaped finned plates and U-shaped liquid heat exchange tubes inserted within the finned plates, wherein the spaces between the finned plates form a hydrogen storage material filling cavity, such as... Figure 2 As shown.

[0038] Each finned plate is not rigidly fixed to the tank wall, but is connected to the longitudinal slide rail of the inner wall of the tank through elastic connectors, allowing the finned plates to undergo slight displacement in the axial or radial direction when the hydrogen storage material absorbs hydrogen and expands in volume.

[0039] In addition, in the non-hydrogen-absorbing state, a reserved expansion gap of 10%-20% of the cavity volume is retained in each hydrogen storage material filling cavity. The gap is filled with a highly thermally conductive flexible graphite gasket, which not only conducts heat but also absorbs expansion stress, preventing the hydrogen storage material from rigidly compressing the U-shaped heat exchange tube and fins due to hydrogen absorption and expansion.

[0040] The U-shaped heat exchange tubes are arranged in a serpentine pattern within the finned plate, and all pipe connections use flexible sealing joints to accommodate possible minor deformations.

[0041] The internal heat source co-heat exchange system includes multiple electric heating rods inserted into the hydrogen storage material. However, the group of externally powered electric heating rods is not simply inserted in parallel into the hydrogen storage material, but is arranged close to the surface of the expansion-resistant and temperature-equalizing finned plate.

[0042] In this embodiment, the surface of the electric heating rod is provided with a ceramic insulating coating.

[0043] The internal heat source co-exchange system includes an external liquid heat exchange tube, such as... Figure 3 As shown, external liquid heat exchange pipes are arranged around the outer wall of the tank to provide external heating.

[0044] The solid-state hydrogen storage device provided in this embodiment operates as follows: When the hydrogen storage device starts working, the hydrogen storage material is directly and rapidly heated by a group of electric heating rods connected in parallel within the hydrogen storage material, which quickly increases the temperature of the hydrogen storage material bed. External liquid heat exchange tubes wrapped around the outside of the tank provide auxiliary heating to ensure the temperature uniformity of the hydrogen storage material.

[0045] Once the temperature of the hydrogen storage material reaches the hydrogen absorption reaction temperature, the hydrogen storage device begins to store hydrogen and releases heat. At this time, coolant is introduced into the U-shaped heat exchange tube inside the tank through the coolant inlet and coolant outlet. The heat released by the hydrogen absorption reaction is carried away by heat conduction through the H-shaped finned plates, preventing the tank from overheating, ensuring the stability and safety of hydrogen storage, and improving hydrogen absorption efficiency.

[0046] When the hydrogen storage device starts releasing hydrogen, on the one hand, the heat generated by the electric heating rod group is efficiently transferred to all the hydrogen storage material beds through the internal H-shaped finned plates; on the other hand, the temperature of the hydrogen storage material bed is ensured to rise uniformly through the heat conduction between the external liquid heat exchange pipe and the tank wall. When the temperature of the hydrogen storage material bed reaches the hydrogen release reaction temperature, hydrogen gas is released and released to the outside of the tank through the central porous gas guide pipe.

[0047] Simultaneously, by utilizing the combined heating of internal electric heating rods, U-shaped heat exchange tubes, and external liquid heat exchange tubes, rapid and uniform hydrogen release can be achieved. This can solve the problems of difficulty in ensuring temperature uniformity in internally heated hydrogen storage tanks and the low heating efficiency, large energy loss, and slow response of externally heated hydrogen storage tanks.

[0048] In summary, this invention provides a solid-state hydrogen storage device. During hydrogen storage, the hydrogen storage material is rapidly heated by an internal group of parallel electric heating rods, while externally wound liquid heat exchange tubes assist in heating to ensure uniform temperature. When hydrogen storage begins and heat is released, the internal U-shaped heat exchange tubes and H-shaped finned plates work together to rapidly remove the reaction heat, preventing overheating and improving hydrogen absorption efficiency. During hydrogen release, heat is transferred to the hydrogen storage material through the electric heating rods and H-shaped finned plates, while the external heat exchange tubes also provide heating, resulting in a uniform temperature rise of the hydrogen storage material. This invention achieves a solid-state hydrogen storage device with fast response, strong controllability, uniform temperature, smooth hydrogen mass transfer, and adaptability to hydrogen storage material volume expansion. It also boasts advantages such as high mass transfer efficiency, long cycle life, and high system safety.

[0049] Finally, it should be noted that the above embodiments are only used to illustrate the technical solutions of the present invention and are not intended to limit it. Although the present invention has been described in detail with reference to preferred embodiments, those skilled in the art should understand that modifications or equivalent substitutions can be made to the technical solutions of the present invention without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention, and all such modifications or substitutions should be covered within the scope of the claims of the present invention.

Claims

1. A solid-state hydrogen storage device integrating internal-external synergistic heat exchange and mass transfer / stress management, characterized in that, It includes a tank body, a central porous gas guide pipe arranged axially inside the tank body, a multi-layer H-shaped finned plate arranged parallel to the inside of the tank body, a U-shaped heat exchange tube inserted in the H-shaped finned plate, a hydrogen storage material arranged between the H-shaped finned plates, an electric heating rod inserted in the hydrogen storage material, and an external heat exchange tube surrounding the outer wall of the tank body. It also includes a hydrogen inlet, a hydrogen storage material inlet, and a coolant outlet located at the top of the tank, and a hydrogen storage material outlet and a coolant inlet located at the bottom of the tank; wherein, the hydrogen inlet is connected to the top of the central porous gas guide pipe; the coolant outlet and the coolant inlet are respectively connected to the two ends of the U-shaped heat exchange tube.

2. The solid-state hydrogen storage device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The central porous gas guide tube is equipped with hydrogen diversion holes.

3. The solid-state hydrogen storage device according to claim 2, characterized in that, The opening size of the hydrogen diversion hole in the central porous gas guide tube gradually increases from top to bottom.

4. The solid-state hydrogen storage device according to claim 1, characterized in that, Each layer of H-shaped finned plates is connected to the longitudinal slide rails on the inner wall of the tank via elastic connectors.

5. The solid-state hydrogen storage device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The hydrogen storage material is placed in the hydrogen storage material filling cavity formed between the H-shaped finned plates.

6. The solid-state hydrogen storage device according to claim 2, characterized in that, In the absence of hydrogen absorption, a reserved expansion gap of 10% to 20% of the cavity volume is maintained in each hydrogen storage material filling cavity.

7. The solid-state hydrogen storage device according to claim 1, characterized in that, The U-shaped heat exchange tubes are arranged in a serpentine pattern, and all pipe connections are made using flexible sealing joints.

8. The solid-state hydrogen storage device according to claim 1, characterized in that, It also includes supporting stiffeners, which are fixed to the outer wall of the tank to keep the tank off the ground.

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