Design of the metal hydride reactors – A review on the key technical issues

The metal hydride reactors are widely used in many industrial applications, for example, hydrogen storage, heat pump, thermal compression, gas separation, etc. The performance of the reactor is greatly affected by its design, which deserves careful study. Given the complicated nature of the hydride formation/decomposition processes, a series of technical issues are involved in the design of metal hydride reactors, such as primary configuration, thermal management, hydrogen transfer and mechanistic strength. These issues should be well addressed to fulfil the requirement of specific application. In this paper, the representative achievements with regards to the design issues so far were reviewed in detail, and some comments were made accordingly. It was concluded that an optimized reactor design comes from integrated considerations of numerous factors, particularly requirements for the applications and characteristics of the metal hydride system. The analytic hierarchy process was recommended for use in the selection of the optimum reactor scheme.

[1]  S. S. Murthy,et al.  Experiments on a metal hydride based hydrogen compressor , 2005 .

[2]  K. Kim,et al.  Metal hydride compacts of improved thermal conductivity , 2001 .

[3]  Michimasa Kishimoto,et al.  An attempt at decision making in tissue engineering: reactor evaluation using the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) , 2004 .

[4]  George M. Lloyd,et al.  Compressor-driven metal-hydride heat pumps , 1997 .

[5]  R. Bowman.  Development of metal hydride beds for sorption cryocoolers in space applications , 2003 .

[6]  Z. Dehouche,et al.  Experimental study on a metal hydride based hydrogen compressor , 2009 .

[7]  Fusheng Yang,et al.  Identifying heat and mass transfer characteristics of metal hydride reactor during adsorption: Improved formulation about parameter analysis , 2009 .

[8]  D. Gruen,et al.  Current status and performance of the argonne Hycsos chemical heat pump system , 1980 .

[9]  F. Block,et al.  Hydrogen purification with metal hydrides in a new kind of reactor , 1987 .

[10]  M. Groll,et al.  Magnesium hydride for thermal energy storage in a small-scale solar-thermal power station , 1991 .

[11]  D. Lewis,et al.  Dynamics of hydride heat pumps , 1984 .

[12]  Manfred Groll,et al.  Development of a two-stage metal hydride system as topping cycle in cascading sorption systems for cold generation , 2002 .

[13]  Jeong-Gun Park,et al.  The operating characteristics of the compressor-driven metal hydride heat pump system , 2001 .

[14]  Jeong-Gun Park,et al.  The development of compressor-driven metal hydride heat pump (CDMHHP) system as an air conditioner , 2002 .

[15]  K. Kim,et al.  Metal Hydride Heat Storage Technology for Directed Energy Weapon Systems , 2007 .

[16]  Man Yeong Ha,et al.  A numerical study of thermo-fluid phenomena in metal hydride beds in the hydriding process , 2004 .

[17]  Yu. I. Shanin,et al.  An installation for water cooling based on a metal hydride heat pump , 2002 .

[18]  M. Ron,et al.  A hydrogen heat pump as a bus air conditioner , 1984 .

[19]  A. Goudy,et al.  The effect of particle size and surface composition on the reaction rates of some hydrogen storage alloys , 1995 .

[20]  M. Monde,et al.  Heat Transfer Enhancement of Metal Hydride Particle Bed for Heat Driven Type Refrigerator by Carbon Fiber , 2008 .

[21]  Dieter M. Gruen,et al.  Preparation and properties of porous metal hydride compacts , 1980 .

[22]  K. Kim,et al.  A hydrogen-compression system using porous metal hydride pellets of LaNi 5 - x Al x , 2008 .

[23]  K. Chou,et al.  A study on the hydriding-dehydriding kinetics of Mg1.9Al0.1Ni , 2004 .

[24]  George M. Lloyd,et al.  Performance of high power metal hydride reactors , 1998 .

[25]  Yasuhiko Ito,et al.  Relaxation of internal stress generated in hydrogen absorbing alloy vessels , 1998 .

[26]  Jamil A. Khan,et al.  Effective heat transfer in a metal-hydride-based hydrogen separation process , 2001 .

[27]  M. Gopal.  Experiments on a metal hydride cooling system working with ZrMnFe/MmNi4.5Al0.5 pairEtude d'un système de refroidissement à hydrure métallique utilisant un couple actif ZrMnFe/MmNi4,5Al0,5 , 1999 .

[28]  Z. Li,et al.  An investigation of the mechanical behaviour of hydrogen storage metal beds on hydriding and dehydriding and several methods of preventing the damage of hydride containers caused by the expansion of hydrogen storage metals , 1987 .

[29]  M. Ram Gopal,et al.  Performance analysis of a compressor driven metal hydride cooling system , 2005 .

[30]  Jiujian Ni,et al.  Experimental research on refrigeration characteristics of a metal hydride heat pump in auto air-conditioning , 2007 .

[31]  Z. Dehouche,et al.  Modelling and simulation of heating/air-conditioning systems using the multi-hydride-thermal-wave concept , 1998 .

[32]  M. Groll,et al.  Heat transfer characteristics of expanded graphite matrices in metal hydride beds , 2004 .

[33]  S. Wakao,et al.  A heat storage reactor for metal hydrides , 1983 .

[34]  María Teresa Lamata,et al.  Selection of a cleaning system for engine maintenance based on the analytic hierarchy process , 2009, Comput. Ind. Eng..

[35]  Robert C. Bowman,et al.  Gas-based hydride applications: recent progress and future needs , 2003 .

[36]  Theodore Motyka,et al.  Hydrogen storage for fuel cell systems with stationary applications— I. Transient measurement technique for packed bed evaluation , 2000 .

[37]  Manfred Groll,et al.  The two-stage metal hydride heat transformer , 1999 .

[38]  B. Singh,et al.  On the structural characteristics and hydrogenation behaviour of TiMn1.5 hydrogen storage material , 2001 .

[39]  S. Suda,et al.  Effective thermal conductivity of a metal hydride bed augmented with a copper wire matrix , 1986 .

[40]  C. Halene,et al.  Properties of metal hydrides for use in industrial applications , 1987 .

[41]  Donald L. Anton,et al.  Hierarchical Methodology for Modeling Hydrogen Storage Systems. Part II: Detailed Models , 2009 .

[42]  S. S. Murthy,et al.  Performance simulation of metal hydride hydrogen storage device with embedded filters and heat exchanger tubes , 2007 .

[43]  S. X. Chen,et al.  A study on wall stresses induced by LaNi5 alloy hydrogen absorption–desorption cycles , 2005 .

[44]  I. Yonezu,et al.  Development of thermal energy storage technology using metal hydrides , 1983 .

[45]  Masato Osumi,et al.  Stress on a reaction vessel by the swelling of a hydrogen absorbing alloy , 1998 .

[46]  Eckart Laurien,et al.  Dynamic model and experimental results of a thermally driven metal hydride cooling system , 2009 .

[47]  T. Kawamura,et al.  Influence of expansion of metal hydride during hydriding–dehydriding cycles , 1997 .

[48]  H. A. Peretti,et al.  Optimized heat transfer fin design for a metal-hydride hydrogen storage container , 2009 .

[49]  S. Suda,et al.  The dynamics of hydrogen transfer in a metal hydride heat pump , 1987 .

[50]  Jinwei Chen,et al.  Pulverization, expansion of La0.6Y0.4Ni4.8Mn0.2 during hydrogen absorption-desorption cycles and their influences in thin-wall reactors , 2008 .

[51]  M. Gopal,et al.  Heat and mass transfer studies on elliptical metal hydride tubes and tube banks , 2009 .

[52]  Jai-Young Lee,et al.  Dynamic reaction characteristics of the tubular hydride bed with large mass , 1996 .

[53]  M. Groll,et al.  Expanded graphite as heat transfer matrix in metal hydride beds , 2003 .

[54]  Kwang Ho Song,et al.  Development of the integrated methanol fuel processor using micro-channel patterned devices and its performance for steam reforming of methanol , 2007 .

[55]  Z. Dehouche,et al.  Integrated electrolyser—metal hydride compression system , 2006 .

[56]  Hyung Jin Sung,et al.  Technical Note Conjugate heat and mass transfer in metal hydride beds in the hydriding process , 1999 .

[57]  S. S. Murthy,et al.  Parametric studies on a metal hydride based single stage hydrogen compressor , 2002 .

[58]  S. Suda,et al.  The effective thermal conductivity of a metalhydride bed packed in a multiple-waved sheet metal structure , 1991 .

[59]  F. Laurencelle,et al.  Simulation of heat transfer in a metal hydride reactor with aluminium foam , 2007 .

[60]  Fusheng Yang,et al.  Identifying heat and mass transfer characteristics of metal hydride reactor during adsorption—Parameter analysis and numerical study , 2007 .

[61]  A. Freni,et al.  Finite element-based simulation of a metal hydride-based hydrogen storage tank , 2009 .

[62]  Hideyuki Aoki,et al.  Numerical analysis of heat and mass transfer characteristics in the metal hydride bed , 2000 .

[63]  Shinku Lee,et al.  Operating characteristics of metal hydride heat pump using Zr-based Laves phases , 1995 .

[64]  H. Uchida,et al.  Effect of LaNi5H6 hydride particles size on desorption kinetics , 2002 .

[65]  George M. Lloyd,et al.  Development of LaNi5/Cu/Sn metal hydride powder composites , 1998 .

[66]  Mahmut D. Mat,et al.  Investigation of three‐dimensional heat and mass transfer in a metal hydride reactor , 2002 .

[67]  B. Bogdanovic,et al.  High Temperature Metal Hydrides as Heat Storage Materials for Solar and Related Applications , 2009, International journal of molecular sciences.

[68]  P. A. Pilavachi,et al.  Evaluation of hydrogen production methods using the Analytic Hierarchy Process , 2009 .

[69]  M. Ron,et al.  Permeability and thermal conductivity of porous metallic matrix hydride compacts , 1989 .

[70]  M. Groll,et al.  Two-stage metal hydride heat transformer laboratory model , 1995 .

[71]  B. Bogdanovic,et al.  A process steam generator based on the high temperature magnesium hydride/magnesium heat storage system , 1995 .

[72]  F. Agresti,et al.  Scaling up effects of Mg hydride in a temperature and pressure-controlled hydrogen storage device , 2009 .

[73]  A. Rowe,et al.  Impacts of external heat transfer enhancements on metal hydride storage tanks , 2006 .

[74]  A. Jemni,et al.  Experimental and theoretical study of ametal–hydrogen reactor , 1999 .

[75]  K. Oguro,et al.  Lattice expanding behaviour and degradation of LaNi5-based alloys , 1998 .

[76]  K. Kim,et al.  Thermal analysis of the Ca0.4Mm0.6Ni5 metal–hydride reactor , 1998 .

[77]  S. Ben Nasrallah,et al.  Study of two-dimensional heat and mass transfer during desorption in a metal-hydrogen reactor , 1995 .

[78]  S. Ben Nasrallah,et al.  A novel design of a heat exchanger for a metal-hydrogen reactor , 2007 .

[79]  D. Anton,et al.  Design, fabrication and testing of NaAlH4 based hydrogen storage systems , 2007 .

[80]  Ke Yang,et al.  Development of a metal hydride refrigeration system as an exhaust gas-driven automobile air conditioner , 2007 .

[81]  P. Goodell.  Thermal conductivity of hydriding alloy powders and comparisons of reactor systems , 1980 .

[82]  Sung Jin Kim,et al.  Three-dimensional numerical optimization of a manifold microchannel heat sink , 2003 .