Hydride Storage Buckets for Stress Management
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current hydrogen storage tanks face challenges with safety due to high pressure requirements and mechanical shock resistance, especially when storing hydrogen in liquid form, and suffer from inefficiencies in absorption-desorption cycles leading to decrepitation and swelling issues, which affect the tank's structural integrity and hydrogen storage efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A hydrogen storage device with a cylindrical casing and superimposed buckets that allow for elastic deformation, creating sealed compartments to manage stress and thermal expansion, and a heat exchange system for efficient charging and discharging, ensuring robust construction and easy assembly.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If hydrogen is stored in compressed form at high pressure (350-700 Bars), then storage volume density is improved, but safety problems and structural strength requirements worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions hydrogen storage from gaseous compressed form to solid hydride form through phase transition. Metal powders (Mg, Ti, La, Ni) absorb hydrogen to form metal hydrides, changing the physical state from gas to solid. This eliminates high pressure storage requirements while maintaining high storage density, resolving the contradiction between storage density and safety.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses composite material systems combining multiple metal powders (magnesium, titanium, lanthanum, nickel) to create metal hydride storage media. These composite materials achieve optimal storage density and safety characteristics through synergistic effects of different metals, allowing high hydrogen content while operating at moderate pressures and temperatures.
2Quantity of substance
If hydrogen is stored in liquid form, then storage volume density is improved, but mechanical shock resistance and safety worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent transitions from liquid hydrogen storage to solid metal hydride storage through phase transition. Solid metal hydrides maintain high storage density comparable to liquid hydrogen but possess superior mechanical strength and shock resistance, eliminating the fragility issue of liquid storage containers.
3Productivity
If rapid charging is achieved by increasing hydrogen absorption rate, then charging speed is improved, but heat evacuation requirements and cooling system complexity worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent optimizes the chemical composition parameters of metal powders (ratios of Mg, Ti, La, Ni) to enhance absorption kinetics. By adjusting compositional parameters, the system achieves rapid hydrogen uptake at moderate temperatures, reducing the thermal management burden and simplifying cooling system requirements.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces nickel particles as localized catalytic sites distributed throughout the metal powder mixture. These localized nickel regions accelerate hydrogen absorption reactions at specific points, enabling rapid overall charging without requiring excessive temperature increases or complex cooling systems.
4Quantity of substance
If metal powder density increases during absorption-desorption cycles, then storage capacity is improved, but decrepitation and swelling cause structural integrity to worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses composite metal powder systems where titanium and lanthanum components provide structural stability during hydride formation. These composite materials accommodate density changes and volume expansion better than pure metals, maintaining particle integrity and preventing decrepitation while achieving high storage capacity.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent optimizes particle size parameters and compositional ratios to control swelling behavior. By selecting appropriate particle size distributions and metal ratios, the system accommodates volume changes during cycling without causing excessive stress that would lead to particle fragmentation or tank degradation.
5Ease of manufacture
If simple manufacturing process is used, then ease of manufacture is improved, but manufacturing precision and quality control worsen
Solution Approach 1:
The patent segments the manufacturing process into simple steps: mixing pre-characterized metal powders in specified ratios, filling into containers, and sealing. This segmentation allows simple manufacturing procedures while maintaining precision through controlled input material specifications and standardized processing steps.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent establishes specific compositional parameters (metal ratios) and processing parameters (fill density, particle size) that can be controlled through simple measurement and mixing procedures. These parameter specifications enable manufacturing precision without requiring complex manufacturing processes.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The solution provides effective confinement and stress management of hydrogen storage material, enhancing safety and efficiency by preventing material accumulation and facilitating heat exchange, thus improving the overall performance and longevity of the storage system.
Implementation Method 1
certain materials and in particular certain metals have the capacity to absorb hydrogen to form a hydride, this reaction is called absorption
Implementation Method 2
The hydride formed can again yield hydrogen gas and a metal. This reaction is called desorption
Implementation Method 3
The storage of hydrogen is an exothermic reaction, i.e. which releases heat, while the release of hydrogen is an endothermic reaction, i.e. which absorbs heat
Data Source
Figure 1
Figure 2
Figure 3A~4
AI summary
The invention relates to a tank for hydrogen storage material, comprising: a casing (4) having a longitudinal axis (X), a duct (8) for supplying and collecting hydrogen, having a longitudinal axis (X), and a stack of a plurality of buckets (10, 10') around the duct (8). Each bucket (10. 10') comprises: a bottom (12') that is perpendicular to the longitudinal axis (X); a space that allows the bucket (10, 10') to be mounted around the duct; an outer wall (16, 16') that is perpendicular to the bottom (12') and makes contact with the casing (4); and an inner wall (18) that is perpendicular to the bottom (12) and makes contact with the duct (8). Each bucket (10, 10') is mounted by clamping onto the duct (8), and each bucket (10, 10') comprises means (21, 22) that enable the buckets to fit into each other by mechanically changing the shape of the free ends of the outer walls (16, 16') of the buckets (10, 10').