Prospective metal hydride hydrogen storage and purification technologies

Abstract

To develop metal hydride reactors for storage and purification hydrogen of various types. Integrate metal hydride hydrogen storage and purification devices with a fuel cell (FC) and an electrolyzer with a solid polymer electrolyte. METHODS. For the melting of samples of intermetallic compounds (IMC), the method of melting in an electric arc furnace with a non-consumable tungsten electrode on a water-cooled copper crystallizer in an argon atmosphere is used. The study of the integral characteristics of metal hydride devices and the study of the processes during the extraction of hydrogen from a mixture of gases is carried out using thermal mass flow meters and a thermoconductometric gas analyzer. RESULTS. The results of the development and creation of metal hydride reactors for the storage and purification of hydrogen of various types are presented. The results of experimental studies of the system integration of metal hydride reactors, fuel cells, and an electrolyzer are presented. CONCLUSION. The accumulation of energy in hydrogen makes it possible to use the lowest possible gas pressure in the reactor, thereby obtaining the maximum safety during operation of the device, as well as avoiding mandatory safety certification and training of personal personnel on working with high-pressure cylinders. The use of the metal hydride method of flow purification shows high rates of hydrogen extraction for subsequent accumulation and use in the fuel cell at high volume hydrogen contents in the mixture (≥10% vol.), while the method of periodic evacuation of accumulated impurities is most effective at low hydrogen contents in the mixture (<10% vol.). Experimental power plants H>2Bio and H2Smart with an electric power of 200 W and 1 kW are developed, the results of the main operating modes of power plants are presented.