Numerical simulation of hydrogen desorption from high-density metal hydride hydrogen storage vessels

Metal hydride (MH) alloys are a promising type of material in hydrogen storage applications, allowing for low-pressure, high-density storage. However, while many studies are being performed on enhancing the hydrogen storage properties of such alloys, there has been little research on large-scale storage vessels which make use of the alloys. In particular, large-scale, high-density storage devices must make allowances for the temperature variations caused by the heat of reaction between hydrogen and MH alloys, which may impact the storage characteristics. In this study, we propose a numerical model for the design and evaluation of hydrogen storage devices using MH alloys. Hydrogen desorption reaction behavior for an alloy is observed in terms of temperature and reaction rate. This behavioral correlation is used as the basis for a comprehensive simulation model of the alloy system. Calculated results are found to be in good agreement with experimentally measured data, indicating that the model may be applied to multiple system geometries, scales, and alloy compositions.