Simulation toolchain for the development of metal hydride storage systems

To facilitate the role of hydrogen in the energy transition, efficient hydrogen storage is required. By offering high volumetric storage densities and operation near ambient conditions, hydrogen storage in metal hydrides (MH) is a promising alternative to currently more widely used compressed gaseous and liquid storage. However, to achieve fast filling and extraction times, efficient thermal management is required. This can lead to high design complexity and costs. In this work, zero- (0D) and three-dimensional (3D) computational fluid dynamics (CFD) tank models for hydrogen filling simulations are developed and experimentally validated in order to evaluate and compare different thermal management designs. By utilizing the synergies between the 0D and 3D models, a novel simulation toolchain for designing metal hydride tanks is proposed. The presented methodology is advantageous for rapid early design studies leveraging the 0D model to pre-select tank designs prior to detailed 3D investigations. This aids tank developers to select the most cost-effective design for given application requirements.