Metal hydride storage system

One of the principal advantages of hydrides for hydrogen storage is safety (25). As part of a study to determine the safety of the iron—titanium—manganese metal hydride storage system, tests were conducted in conjunction with the U.S. Army (26). These tests simulated the worst possible conditions resulting from a serious coUision and demonstrated that the metal hydride vessels do not explode. 

Waste heat from the fuel cell is used to reverse the reaction and release the fuel. In 2005 GM and Sandia National Laboratories launched a 10-million program to develop metal hydride storage systems based on sodium aluminum hydride. 

Cross-cutting R D efforts in the area of metal hydride storage systems. 

The hydrogen produced by the electrolyser is initially stored in an intermediate buffer of 1 m3 water volume, from which it can be transferred to one of the two storage systems metal hydride storage or pressurised gas (at 200 bar). The metal hydride storage system manufactured by GfE mbH consists of an intermediate buffer, a hydrogen purification unit, a metal hydride container and a cooling water supply system. 

Design and fabricate a metal hydride storage system (MHSS) for on-board hydrogen storage. 

Design improved metal hydride storage system and integrate into the exhaust system of the hydrogen-ICE (H-ICE) scooter. 

Install and operate an electrolyzer to deliver hydrogen as one means to charge the metal hydride storage system on-board the scooter. 

Designed, fabricated, and integrated an air-cooled metal hydride storage system into the H-ICE scooter. 

In addition to vehicle optimization, we will use higher capacity metal hydride alloys developed at ECD, coupled with improved heat exchangers. This improved metal hydride storage system will be integrated into the vehicle for optimum utilization of waste heat. Detailed performance characteristics under different sets of driving conditions will determine areas of further improvement if necessary. 

Figure 2. BCD s Proprietary Metal Hydride Storage System On-Board, Under the Seat...

Association MHSS Metal Hydride Storage System... 

Fig. 4.40 Metal hydride storage system at Daimler-Benz [39]...

For both, complex and chemical hydrides, the current status is a similar dis-illusionment as for metal hydride. So far, no substance from one of the three classes is known, which meets the requirements for an application in a vehicle at least approximately. Nonetheless, numerous especially academic research groups still work intensively on the exploration of hydrides. A justification for applications in vehicles could be a combination of a small metal hydride storage system and a compressed gas storage system. The thermodynamics of the hydride could for example support the fuel cell during freeze start. For further details reference to the comprehensive literature is made [41]. 

Fuel cells are heavy. A metal hydride storage system that can hold 5 kg of hydrogen, including the alloy, container, and heat exchangers, would weigh approximately 300 kg, which would lower the vehicle s fuel efficiency. 

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