Hydrogen Storage Tank With Segmented Metal Hydride Compartments
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current hydrogen storage tanks using metal hydrides face challenges in maintaining homogeneous powder distribution, optimizing heat exchange, and preventing mechanical stress due to decrepitation and swelling, which affects efficiency and safety.
Innovation Solution
A hydrogen storage tank design featuring a longitudinal axis with an outer containment enclosure and an internal structure comprising superimposed stages with transverse compartments and a heat exchange system, where each stage consists of channels formed by a bottom and longitudinal side walls, ensuring leaktight confinement and efficient heat management.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If metal powder is used for hydrogen storage, then high storage volume density is achieved, but density variation causes decrepitation and swelling which deteriorate tank structure
Solution Approach 1:
The tank is divided into multiple compartments separated by partitions, which segment the metal powder into smaller zones. This segmentation prevents uniform swelling from propagating throughout the entire tank, thereby protecting the tank structure from deterioration while maintaining high storage density.
Solution Approach 2:
Different regions of the tank are designed with specific functions: some compartments are optimized for heat exchange with integrated heat exchangers, while others are designed to accommodate swelling. The partitions create local zones with tailored properties to address specific problems (swelling, heat management) without compromising overall storage density.
2Productivity
If rapid hydrogen charging is implemented, then loading rate is improved, but heat evacuation becomes critical to avoid slowing down absorption
Solution Approach 1:
The heat exchangers are merged with the internal structure and partitions of the tank, creating an integrated thermal management system. This merging allows efficient heat evacuation during rapid charging without adding separate, complex cooling systems, thereby maintaining high loading rates while controlling temperature.
Solution Approach 2:
The heat exchanger network is pre-positioned within the tank structure before hydrogen charging begins. This preliminary arrangement of thermal management infrastructure ensures that heat can be evacuated immediately during absorption, preventing temperature buildup that would slow down the charging rate.
3Stability of the object's composition
If multiple partitions and floors are added to maintain powder distribution, then homogeneous distribution is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The partitions serve multiple functions simultaneously: they compartmentalize the metal powder to maintain homogeneous distribution, provide structural support to prevent swelling damage, and act as heat exchange surfaces. This multi-functionality reduces the need for separate components, thereby limiting device complexity while achieving distribution homogeneity.
Solution Approach 2:
The internal structure combines metal partitions with integrated heat exchanger elements, creating a composite structure that provides both mechanical support for powder distribution and thermal management functions. This composite approach achieves multiple goals with a unified structure rather than separate components.
4Ease of manufacture
If simple construction is used to minimize parts, then ease of manufacture is improved, but heat exchange optimization becomes difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The heat exchangers are merged with the partitions and internal structure, eliminating the need for separate heat exchange components. This merging maintains simplicity in construction and ease of manufacture while ensuring optimized heat exchange through the integrated thermal management network.
Solution Approach 2:
The partitions are designed to serve dual purposes: structural compartmentalization and heat exchange. This multi-functionality allows the same simple components to provide both mechanical support for powder distribution and efficient thermal management, achieving both ease of manufacture and heat exchange optimization.
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
This design maintains homogeneous powder distribution, reduces mechanical stress, and enhances hydrogen loading and unloading efficiency by providing a simple construction that minimizes the number of parts and ensures effective heat exchange, thereby improving the overall performance and safety of the tank.
Implementation Method 1
The absorption and desorption of hydrogen on a powder or a metal matrix M take place according to the following reaction: M + xH2 ↔ MHx. The storage of hydrogen is an exothermic reaction, i.e. which releases heat
Implementation Method 2
The storage of hydrogen is an exothermic reaction, i.e. which releases heat
Implementation Method 3
The hydride formed can again yield hydrogen gas and a metal. This reaction is called desorption. Absorption or desorption takes place depending on the partial pressure of hydrogen and the temperature
Implementation Method 4
the release of hydrogen is an endothermic reaction, i.e. which absorbs heat
Implementation Method 5
it is necessary to evacuate the heat produced during this charging to avoid slowing down the absorption of hydrogen on the powder or the metal matrix. When discharging hydrogen, heat is supplied. Therefore, the efficiency of cooling and heating conditions the loading and unloading rates
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3A~3B
Figure 4
AI summary
The invention relates to a tank for storing hydrogen by means of absorption in a material, said tank having a longitudinal axis (X) and comprising an outer chamber (2), an inner structure (4) of the longitudinal axis (X) comprising a plurality of levels (E1, E2...) and a heat exchange system within the inner structure (4), each level (E1, E2...) comprising a lower end wall, an upper end wall and longitudinal (10) and transverse (12) partitions; said partitions (10, 12), together with the upper and lower end walls, form compartments (8) receiving the hydrogen storage material (6), in which the upper and/or lower end wall and the transverse (12) or longitudinal (10) partitions are made of a single piece.