Regular Article

Conception and numerical simulation of heat and mass transfer in a solid state hydrogen storage reactor^★

¹ Laboratoire des Sciences de l’Ingénieur pour l’Energie, Ecole Nationale des Sciences Appliquées d’El Jadida, BP 1166, EL Jadida Plateau 24002, Maroc
² Institut Néel, CNRS, Université Grenoble Alpes, BP 166, 38042 Grenoble, France

^* e-mail: alaouibelghiti.a@ucd.ac.ma

Received: 18 March 2019
Received in final form: 23 August 2019
Accepted: 26 August 2019
Published online: 27 September 2019

Abstract

Nowadays energy storage seems to be a vital point in any new energy paradigm. It has become an important and strategic issue, to ensure the energetic sufficiency of humanity. Indeed, hydrogen storage in solids has been proved and revealed as clean and efficient energy storage. Moreover, it can be thought as a seriously considered solution to enable renewable energy to be a part of our quotidian life. To achieve storing hydrogen in solid form, the present study aimed to concepts and simulates a solid-state hydrogen storage reactor (tank). An investigation of the parameters influencing the hydrogen storage performance is carried out. Meanwhile, to understand the physical phenomenon taking place during the storage of hydrogen, a 2D numerical modelling for a metal hydrides-based in hydrogen reactor is presented. A strong coupling between energy balance, kinetic law, as well as a mass momentum balance at sorbent bed temperature under a non-uniform pressure was resolved based on finite element method. The temporal evolutions of pressure, the raising temperature in the bed during the hydriding process as well as the impact of the hydrogen supply pressure within the tank are analysed and validated by comparison with the experimental work in literature, a good agreement is obtained. From an industrial point of view, this study can be used to design and manufacture an optimal solid-state hydrogen storage reactor.