Numerical Study of Metal Hydride Beds with LaNi4.88Al0.12 Alloy for Hydrogen Compression

The adsorption of hydrogen energy as a renewable energy carrier is particularly attractive because of the enormous demand for energy and the accelerated depletion of fossil fuel resources, so the development of an efficient technique for its storage is essentially essential. In the future, hydrogen energy appears to be an attractive substitute for fossil fuels like coal and oil. Because of its energy value, hydrogen energy is advantageous because it is renewable and its use would reduce the emission of pollutants into the environment. However, the problem of storing and transporting hydrogen efficiently and safely prevents its wide use and commercialization.  The LaNi4.88Al0.12 data show that heat transfer to and from the hydride bed significantly affects the hydrogen reaction duration in metal-hydride reactors (MHRs). In this work, the operational parameters of the heat exchanger were evaluated numerically to ascertain their impact on the MHR charging process's performance. The reactor's charge time is greatly shortened when the effects of various parameters (cooling fluid (TF) temperature, applied hydrogen (PH2) pressure in absorption and desorption cases) are examined and the results indicate that careful selection of these parameters is critical.