THERMALLY CONDUCTIVE 700 BAR COMPOSITE TANK FOR HYDROGEN STORAGE
- ADA Technologies, Inc.
Fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) powered by hydrogen offer a range of attractive benefits including significantly reduced emissions and reduction of the reliance of the transportation industry on fossil fuels. However, a low-cost network of fueling stations is needed to see hydrogen fuel cell vehicles gain meaningful market share. According to the Department of Energy, the pre-cooling equipment accounts for about 15% of the cost of a fueling station. This cost could theoretically be eliminated if pre-cooling was no longer necessary. Currently, Type 4 composite overwrap pressure vessels are used to store hydrogen on board the vehicle. Pre-cooling is needed to maintain the polymeric liner of these tanks under 85 C as heat generated during the quick fill-up could compromise the structural integrity and impermeability to hydrogen of the liner. As a result, on-board hydrogen tanks of a new type or design are needed to enable the removal of the pre-cooling equipment from fueling stations. In Phase I, ADA Technologies utilized technology from its portfolio of advanced materials to fabricate and test samples of graphene-infused high-density polyethylene (HDPE). Such material would be fit for use in a thermally-conductive liner to be used in smart hydrogen tanks and reduce or eliminate the need for hydrogen pre-cooling. The Phase I activities showed that a 3% by weight loading of graphene nanoparticles in HDPE provides an attractive solution, with a thermal conductivity increased by 7.5X (650%) with no change in hydrogen permeability, tensile strength and thermal stability compared to neat HDPE. ADA has thus demonstrated the technical feasibility of a thermally conductive Type 4 liner for high-pressure hydrogen storage. Next, a thermally-conductive overwrap was also defined theoretically based on ADA’s existing carbon fiber-based products and Steelhead Composites’ (a key partner and manufacturer of composite tanks for the transportation market) know-how, identifying a path forward for prototype production in Phase II. Finally, a modeling effort was undertaken to predict the overall tank thermal performance during a high-pressure refill. Using a fairly simple, adiabatic approach, ADA showed that the thermally conductive tank will be a critical component in allowing low resistance heat transfer from the compressed gas to the ambient environment. However, a system solution (such as fans promoting convective heat transfer) will be required to subsequently remove the heat from the vicinity of the tank and from inside the FCEV.
- Research Organization:
- ADA Technologies, Inc.
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), Sustainable Transportation Office. Hydrogen Fuel Cell Technologies Office
- DOE Contract Number:
- SC0018869
- OSTI ID:
- 1604170
- Type / Phase:
- SBIR (Phase I)
- Report Number(s):
- DOE-ADA-18869-1
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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