Systems Modeling, Simulation and Material Operating Requirements for Chemical Hydride Based Hydrogen Storage

Journal Article · Wed Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 2012 · International Journal of Hydrogen Energy

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijhydene.2011.06.121· OSTI ID:1033448

Devarakonda, Maruthi N; Brooks, Kriston P; Ronnebro, Ewa; Rassat, Scot D

Research on ammonia borane (AB, NH3BH3) has shown it to be a promising material for chemical hydride based hydrogen storage. AB was selected by DOE's Hydrogen Storage Engineering Center of Excellence (HSECoE) as the initial chemical hydride of study because of its high hydrogen storage capacity (up to 19.6% by weight for the release of {approx}2.5 molar equivalents of hydrogen gas) and its stability under typical ambient conditions. A new systems concept based on augers, ballast tank, hydrogen heat exchanger and H2 burner was designed and implemented in simulation. In this design, the chemical hydride material was assumed to produce H2 on the augers itself, thus minimizing the size of ballast tank and reactor. One dimensional models based on conservation of mass, species and energy were used to predict important state variables such as reactant and product concentrations, temperatures of various components, flow rates, along with pressure, in various components of the storage system. Various subsystem components in the models were coded as C language S-functions and implemented in Matlab/Simulink environment. The control variable AB (or alane) flow rate was determined through a simple expression based on the ballast tank pressure, H2 demand from the fuel cell and hydrogen production from AB (or alane) in the reactor. System simulation results for solid AB, liquid AB and alane for both steady state and transient drive cycle cases indicate the usefulness of the model for further analysis and prototype development.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (US)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 1033448
• Report Number(s): PNNL-SA-76656; HT0202000
• Journal Information: International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, Journal Name: International Journal of Hydrogen Energy Journal Issue: 3 Vol. 37; ISSN 0360-3199; ISSN IJHEDX
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

08 HYDROGEN
30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION
AMMONIA
BORANES
BURNERS
CAPACITY
DESIGN
FLOW RATE
FUEL CELLS
HEAT EXCHANGERS
HYDRIDES
HYDROGEN
HYDROGEN PRODUCTION
HYDROGEN STORAGE
Hydrogen storage
Chemical hydride
Ammonia Borane
Kinetic modeling
Material operating requirements
Systems simulation.
SIMULATION
STABILITY
STORAGE
TANKS
TRANSIENTS