High-pressure Hydrogen Storage Research Articles

Construction of Highly Porous and Robust Hydrogen-Bonded Organic Framework for High-Capacity Clean Energy Gas Storage.

Development of highly porous and robust hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks (HOFs) for high-pressure methane and hydrogen storage remains a grand challenge due to the fragile nature of hydrogen bonds. Herein, we report a strategy of constructing the double-walled framework to target highly porous and robust HOF (ZJU-HOF-5a) for extraordinary CH4 and H2 storage. ZJU-HOF-5a features a minimized twofold interpenetration with double-walled structure, in which multiple supramolecular interactions are existed between the interpenetrated walls. This structural configuration can notably enhance the framework robustness while maintaining its high porosity, affording one of the highest gravimetric and volumetric surface areas of 3102 m2 g-1 and 1976 m2 cm-3 among the reported HOFs so far. ZJU-HOF-5a thus exhibits an extremely high volumetric H2 uptake of 43.6 g L-1 at 77 K/100 bar and working capacity of 41.3 g L-1 under combined swing conditions (77 K/100 bar→160 K/5 bar), and also impressive methane storage performance with a 5-100 bar working capacity of 187 (or 159) cm3 (STP) cm-3 at 270 K (or 296 K), outperforming most of the reported porous organic materials. Single-crystal X-ray diffraction studies on CH4-loaded ZJU-HOF-5a reveal that abundant supramolecular binding sites combined with ultrahigh porosities account for its high CH4 storage capacities. Combined with high stability, super-hydrophobicity, and easy recovery, ZJU-HOF-5a is placed among the most promising materials for H2 and CH4 storage applications.

Deep learning-driven predictive tools for damage prediction and optimization in composite hydrogen storage tanks

This research presents a comprehensive framework for predicting the damage in lightweight composite high-pressure hydrogen storage tanks and optimizes their design to prevent failure. By integrating advanced analytical methods, numerical analysis, and deep learning techniques, we introduced a novel approach to enhance design optimization and damage prediction. The framework employs the 3D elasticity anisotropy theory to predict mechanical performance, incorporating failure criteria for accurate damage analysis. A parametric study was conducted to examine the effects of thickness, pressure, and diameter on the behavior of the tank. The analytical results were compared against finite element analysis using the WoundSim software, underscoring the significance of the modeling assumptions. Furthermore, we developed a new framework that combines deep neural networks with differential evolution optimization (DNN-DEO) to predict stress and damage in composite pressure vessels while identifying the optimal design parameters (pressure, radius, and thickness) to minimize failure risks and maintain high performance. A graphical user interface (GUI) was also designed to automate calculations and predictions, providing an intuitive tool for users. This integrated approach offers a powerful solution for optimizing the design and operation of lightweight composite hydrogen storage tanks, ensuring the reliability and efficiency of hydrogen storage systems.

Hydrogen storage and refueling options: A performance evaluation

This study focuses on the comparative modeling and refueling simulations of hydrogen refueling stations for hydrogen-powered vehicles and high-pressure hydrogen storage options in tanks. The study further aims to simulate these under actual conditions in Ontario, Canada for better assessment which can be treated as a case study as well. The specific tests explore the modeling of hydrogen flow between the recharging station to the car's tank, as well as the optimization of transient variations in temperature, pressure and mass flow rate of hydrogen throughout the process of refueling a fuel cell electric vehicle. The H2FILLS program is utilized to assist for the simulation studies. The primary objective is to replicate various practical weather conditions, tank pressures, flow rates, and refueling periods for different categories of high-pressure hydrogen storage tanks and analyze their storage efficiency. The three different commercially available high-pressure type-IV hydrogen storage tanks were considered in the study as tank-I, tank-II and tank-III with working pressures of 500 bar, 700 bar, 700 bar, and hydrogen storage capacity of 9.5 kg, 4.6 kg, and 5 kg, respectively. Seven different ambient temperatures were selected to mimic seasonal effects. When the power output is constant, with temperature increases, flow rate decreases, and therefore time required to refuel also increases. There is a linear relationship between the final mass flow rate and the ambient temperature, where the mass flow rate drops by approximately 1.8 kg/h for every 10 °C rise in temperature. The variation in ultimate mass flow rate between the highest and lowest ambient temperatures is roughly 5.4 kg/h. Based on the refueling time and docking, undocking, downtime it’s been found that approximately five minutes is wasted between each vehicle. This can help reduce average of 230.02 kt, 231.70 kt, and 235.06 kt CO2 emission per year for vehicle-III, vehicle-II, and vehicle-I, respectively. Lastly, yearly CO2 reduction forecast shows that it may reach 0.9 Mt, 1.6 Mt, 2.7Mt, 3.76 Mt, and 4.73 Mt in the year 2030, 2035, 2040, 2045, and 2050, respectively corresponding to the Global Net-Zero scenario.

Molecular investigation on physical and tensile properties of polyethylene (PE) under high-pressure hydrogen environments

Polymer liners are key components of high-pressure hydrogen storage tanks, and understanding their behaviour under such environments is crucial for safety. This study employs molecular dynamics (MD) simulation to investigate the physical and tensile properties of amorphous polyethylene (PE) under the effects of hydrogen content, pressure, temperature. It is found that hydrogen molecules decrease glass transition temperature by approximately 3%, while pressure have no noticeable impact. Meanwhile, hydrogen molecules enhance diffusivity, while pressure suppresses diffusivity and exhibits a more pronounced impact, resulting in an overall decrease of 44% in diffusivity under high-pressure hydrogen. Tensile stress also increases the diffusivity by 17%. Hydrogen molecules weaken the non-bonded molecular interactions of PE, which reduces the percentage of trans conformation and orientation parameters. Meanwhile, hydrogen also suppresses the internal energy change of PE induced by tensile deformation. Therefore, hydrogen molecules lead to a decrease in tensile properties. Comparatively, pressure causes PE to produce more trans conformations under tension, which improves orientation, entanglement parameters, and the internal energy change of PE, and finally enhances the tensile properties of PE. The effect of pressure surpasses that of hydrogen, which results in an approximately 40% increase in tensile properties under high-pressure hydrogen. This study provides molecular-level insights into the individual and coupled effects of hydrogen and pressure, forming a foundation for predicting polymer behaviour under high-pressure hydrogen conditions.

Is it stable for the asymmetric pressure operation of PEM water Electrolyzer?

Benefiting from the high selectivity of solid polymer membrane in transporting protons, proton exchange membrane water electrolyzer (PEMWE) have the unique capability of safely operating under asymmetric pressure between the cathode and anode (typically with the cathode under elevated pressure and the anode at ambient pressure). This capability is crucial for high-pressure hydrogen storage and transportation, as well as for rapid response to fluctuating renewable electricity. Although increased cathode pressure significantly simplifies system integration and reduce capital cost, the stability under asymmetric pressure operation has not been well studied and reported. In this work, durability tests under different pressure differences were carried out, and it was found that when the pressure difference between cathode and anode increases from zero to 3.0 MPa, the voltage decay rate increased over 15 times. The underlying reason is that the asymmetric pressure imposes additional mechanical stress on the anode catalyst layer from cathodic side, leading to increase of mass transfer resistance and irreversible structural damage, resulting in performance degradation. In view of this fact, the internal structure of the electrolyzer cell was optimized, and the uneven stress distribution and stress concentration was greatly reduced, thus mitigating performance degradation. This indicates that the stability of PEMWE is significantly affected by asymmetric pressure, additional measures need to be taken to address potential issues of catalyst layer structural damage arising from stress.

Study on low cycle fatigue properties of Cr-Mo steel in 50 MPa gaseous hydrogen

At present, a lack of fatigue design curves for Cr-Mo steel in high-pressure gaseous hydrogen worldwide impedes the use of the design fatigue curve (S-N curve) evaluation for vessel fatigue design, necessitating reliance on fracture mechanics methods related to the initial crack size. In this study, strain-controlled fatigue tests with a strain ratio of −1 were carried out in 50 MPa gaseous hydrogen to study the low cycle fatigue properties of Cr-Mo steel. Results indicate that hydrogen reduces the fatigue life of 4130X under high strain amplitudes. Under 0.5 % strain amplitude, different from characteristics of ductile fracture in air, the fracture in 50 MPa gaseous hydrogen showed quasi-cleavage and intergranular fracture characteristics. Based on the test results, the S-N curve in 50 MPa gaseous hydrogen was obtained with fatigue life safety factor 20 and stress amplitude safety factor 2. The S-N curve in 50 MPa gaseous hydrogen is under the curve in KD-320.2 M of the 2023 ASME Boiler & Pressure Vessel Code VIII-3, which does not consider the effect of hydrogen, when the number of cycles to failure is less than 1×106. This indicates that the fatigue life calculated by the S-N curve in KD-320.2 M cannot ensure that 50 MPa high-pressure hydrogen storage vessels avoid fatigue failure under high stress amplitudes.

Boosting m-aramids performance with p-oriented aromatic amide side chains

This study aimed to enhance the mechanical properties of m-aramids by incorporating varying percentages of p-aramid side chains through copolymerization while ensuring solubility for practical applications. The mechanical performance of the resulting copolymers was compared with the commercial m-aramid, MPIA (poly(m-phenylene terephthalamide)). Notably, even with a 20% incorporation of p-aramid side chains, there was a substantial increase of 48% in Young’s modulus and 7% in tensile strength compared to MPIA. Additionally, the nitro group capping the p-aramid side chains demonstrated significant efficacy in enhancing the mechanical performance of the materials upon exposure to hydrogen. Specifically, there was an increase of more than 11% in Young’s modulus upon initial contact with hydrogen. This finding suggests potential applications in protective coatings for stainless steel used in high-pressure hydrogen storage environments. In such applications, exposure to hydrogen can accelerate embrittlement and limit operational lifespan, and coating with these materials can mitigate embrittlement and improve operational lifespan.

Effects of hydrogen cycling on the performance of 70 MPa high-pressure hydrogen storage tank liners formed by different processes

Current research on the compatibility between plastic liners utilized in Type IV high-pressure hydrogen storage containers and hydrogen remains insufficiently comprehensive. Therefore, further exploration into how the high-pressure hydrogen storage process influences the crystalline phase transition of polymers is essential to improve the applicability and safety of plastic lining materials. This study primarily investigated the preparation of polyamide 1012 (PA1012) and polyamide 11 (PA11) through rotational molding and injection molding, denoted as Roto-PA1012/Roto-PA11 and In-PA1012/In-PA11, respectively. Considering the operational parameters of the 70 MPa Type IV hydrogen storage tank, we conducted hydrogen cycling experiment using the long carbon chain polyamide (LCPA) liner materials and comprehensively analyzed the morphology, crystal structure, grain size, mechanical properties and hydrogen barrier properties of polyamide materials before and after hydrogen cycling. The results showed that after hydrogen cycling, no significant changes were observed in Roto-PA1012/Roto-PA11, while In-PA1012/In-PA11 demonstrated severe foaming. Rotational molding of LCPA maintained stable mechanical and hydrogen barrier properties throughout the hydrogen cycle, which can be attributed to the favorable thermodynamic stability of the α' form achieved during rotational molding, leading to uniform and stable crystal sizes. In conclusion, this study provides a theoretical foundation for future investigations into the molding process and material selection of high-barrier polymer liners, as well as the actual production and utilization of Type IV hydrogen storage tanks.

Numerical simulation of high-pressure jet fire in on-board hydrogen storage cylinders under fire conditions

Hydrogen fuel cell vehicles (HFCVs) may cause fires in the event of an accident. When the high-pressure hydrogen storage cylinders are exposed to fire for a long time, there will be a risk of catastrophic consequences such as leakage, jet fire and explosion. Fire test is the main method to study the safety performance of hydrogen storage cylinders. During the firing process, the wall and internal temperature of the hydrogen storage cylinder rise gradually, and the thermally activated pressure relief device (TPRD) of the cylinder reaches a certain temperature and then releases high-pressure hydrogen to prevent the cylinder from bursting. As the hydrogen storage cylinder is in the fire environment, the release of high-pressure hydrogen will be ignited to form a jet fire and cause damage to personnel and equipment. In this paper, CFD software Fluent was used to numerically simulate the local fire test of the hydrogen storage cylinder with high-temperature air as the fire source. The variation law of cylinder wall temperature, gas temperature and pressure inside the cylinder, and the activation of TPRD were analyzed. At the same time, on the basis of the fire test simulation, a high-pressure hydrogen jet fire simulation numerical model caused by the TPRD action was established. The velocity field, temperature field and hydrogen concentration distribution of the jet fire were obtained, and the overpressure generated by the jet fire and the flame length size were analyzed. The results show that the high-pressure hydrogen released by TPRD was ignited under the fire condition to produce a jet flame and generated an overpressure in the jet direction, and the influence range of the overpressure was smaller than the influence range of the jet flame.

Optimization study of helical wind angle and bandwidth for high-pressure hydrogen storage vessels based on surrogate model

Optimization study of helical wind angle and bandwidth for high-pressure hydrogen storage vessels based on surrogate model

Burst pressure performance comparison of type V hydrogen tanks: Evaluating various shapes and materials

Hydrogen, as a clean energy carrier, presents a significant step toward sustainable energy solutions but faces challenges in storage due to its low energy density and high volatility. This study addresses the optimization of Type V hydrogen storage tanks by investigating the burst pressure performance of spherical, cylindrical, and toroidal shapes. Using finite element analysis (FEA) and first-order shear deformation theory, we examined how these geometries impact burst pressure outcomes across a range of composite materials and layup configurations. The materials tested included carbon T700/epoxy, Kevlar/epoxy, E-glass fiber/epoxy, and basalt/epoxy. Results demonstrate that the toroidal shape significantly outperforms spherical and cylindrical designs in stress distribution and burst pressure, with basalt/epoxy composites exhibiting superior burst pressure performance (12.7 MPa) compared to Kevlar/epoxy (10.8 MPa), E-glass fiber/epoxy (11.4 MPa), and carbon T700/epoxy (8.9 MPa). Kevlar/epoxy toroidal tanks outperform other materials in weight performance, having a structural performance index of 0.0305 Mpa.m3/kg and hydrogen density per unit mass of 0.0251 kg H2/kg. The stacking sequence [-45/45]s optimized stress distribution for the toroidal shape across all materials. The findings highlight that toroidal designs offer significant advantages for high-pressure hydrogen storage, providing efficient stress management and improved safety. This paper underlines the potential of toroidal vessels for enhancing hydrogen storage efficiency and emphasizes the importance of material selection and stacking sequences in achieving optimal burst pressure performance for international organization for standardization (ISO) certification.

Consequence analysis of vapour cloud explosion from the release of high-pressure hydrogen storage

Gaseous hydrogen is commonly stored under high pressures due to its low volumetric storage density. The safety concerns about its release and potential accidents, such as vapour cloud explosions, were of the highest importance in industries. This research work established a methodology for consequence analysis of compressed hydrogen releases, considering various stages of event escalation, including high-pressure gas release, gas jet dispersion, and overpressure evaluations. Specifically, compressed hydrogen release was defined as an under-expanded flow, characterised by a transition from sonic to supersonic velocities. The notional nozzle theory was employed to tackle the flow regime transition and provide revised nozzle size and gas velocity as inputs to the CFD model for gas jet dispersion. The model was validated against experimental results, exhibiting a good agreement with a deviation of less than 20%. The flammable gas mass in the cloud was determined using the dispersion model and then used for overpressure predictions. This approach proved to be more realistic than relying solely on the total hydrogen release amount. In a case study, release parameters such as release direction, wind speed and release hole size were investigated. It was observed that a downward release resulted in less gas dissipation, leading to larger overpressures compared to other release directions. Wind speed had a relatively lower impact compared to other parameters. The release hole size had the most significant influence on explosion overpressure, with the case of a larger release size (e.g., 50.8 mm) exhibiting a few hundred times higher of hazardous area compared to a small hole size (e.g., 3 mm).

Investigation on the morphology and temperature distribution of hydrogen jet flames impinging on barrier walls

Hydrogen is often stored and transported in a high-pressure state, posing a risk of jet flames in the event of accidental leakage. Firewalls are commonly installed around high-pressure hydrogen storage and transportation equipment to protect surrounding facilities and personnel from the fire hazards caused by hydrogen leaks. By combining experimental and numerical simulation methods, this study investigated the effects of varying hydrogen release pressure, nozzle shape, nozzle-wall distance, and barrier height on the behavior of high-pressure hydrogen jet flames. A predictive model for the flame extension length after contact with the wall was proposed. The study found that when the wall height is sufficient to cause complete flame deflection, the temperature distribution near the wall exhibits a strong regularity. The temperature of the barrier wall below the nozzle height is higher than that above the nozzle height, indicating that enhanced thermal protection is needed in this region for practical applications.

Release of high-pressure hydrogen from type III tank in a fire scenario: Analysis and prediction of jet flame length and thermal response characteristics

In this paper, the thermal response and jet flame behaviour of a typical type III high-pressure hydrogen storage tank with nominal working pressure (NWP) and volume of 70 MPa and 48 L were analysed at fire scenarios. The tank was discharged at a critical internal pressure 77.4 MPa, which was ca. 110 % of NWP. The pressure drop rates of type III tanks were greater than 1 MPa/s during the initial 15 s after venting. The length and width of jet flame were 4.93 and 1.65 m at the critical moment, which fluctuated downward over time. A thermokinetic model was employed to predict the variation of hydrogen gas state parameters and the maximum length of jet flame. The calculation results indicated that the maximum flame length of hydrogen released from a valve of 2 mm was around 2–6.5 m under a pressure range of 10–80 MPa. The error between the predicted results and the experimental values was less than 5 %. It was found that the flame length was enlarged by an increase of aperture. The length of flame increased by 6 m after the aperture changed from 2 to 5.08 mm at the equivalent pressure.

Research on the flow characteristics and self-ignition mechanism of high-pressure hydrogen jets in bifurcated tubes

This manuscript provides insights into the characteristics of shock wave propagation and flame development mechanisms in bifurcated tubes due to accidental leakage from a high-pressure hydrogen storage unit in the energy and chemical industries. Incorporating the non-stop working process of tube plugging in gas transportation in industrial production, two types of bifurcated tubes with axial and normal blocking are designed. The experimental results indicate that, compared to straight tube, both types of blocking tube structures can effectively reduce shock wave pressure intensity at the nozzle. Under the initial burst pressure of 8 MPa, the lowest shock wave pressure at the nozzle of the axially blocking tube is just 0.47 MPa. However, the peak shock wave pressure inside the blocking tubes is higher, and the ignition critical pressure is lower. Within the axially sealed blocking tube, flame quenching is observed, offering experimental support for mitigating the development of continuous jet fires outside of high-pressure hydrogen tubes.

Development of a regulator for high-pressure hydrogen charging and storage system

Hydrogen emerges as a promising alternative energy source, particularly in fuel cell applications, necessitating efficient and safe charging and storage systems. This paper presents the design and development of a specialized regulator tailored for high-pressure hydrogen environments. Focusing on precision control, the regulator ensures optimal performance and safety during charging and storage phases. In order to improve the unstable response characteristics of the existing commercial hydrogen regulator, which has the same differential pressure generation site and pressure control site, a regulator operating at an ultra-high pressure of 105 MPa was designed by separating the differential pressure site and the control site. And structural safety and performance of the regulator were predicted through structural and flow analysis. The results of structural and flow analysis of a 105 MPa high-pressure regulator that can be used for high-pressure hydrogen charging and storage systems were compared with the experimentally measured values.

Innovative Design of Solid-State Hydrogen Storage and Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell Coupling System with Enhanced Cold Start Control Strategy

This paper presents an innovative thermally coupled system architecture with a parallel coolant-heated metal hydride tank (MHT) designed to satisfy the hydrogen supply requirements of proton exchange membrane fuel cell s(PEMFCs). This design solves a problem by revolutionising the cold start capability of PEMFCs at low temperatures. During the design process, LaNi5 was selected as the hydrogen storage material, with thermodynamic and kinetic properties matching the PEMFC operating conditions. Afterwards, the MHT and thermal management subsystem were customised to integrate with the 70 kW PEMFC system to ensure optimal performance. Given the limitations of conventional high-pressure gaseous hydrogen storage for cold starting, this paper provides insights into the challenges faced by the PEMFC-MH system and proposes an innovative cold start methodology that combines internal self-heating and externally assisted preheating techniques, aiming to optimise cold start time, energy consumption, and hydrogen utilisation. The results show that the PEMFC-MH system utilises the heat generated during hydrogen absorption by the MHT to preheat the PEMFC stack, and the cold start time is only 101 s, which is 59.3% shorter compared to that of the conventional method. Meanwhile, the cold start energy consumption is reduced by 62.4%, achieving a significant improvement in energy efficiency. In conclusion, this paper presents a PEMFC-MH system design that achieves significant progress in terms of time saving, energy consumption, and hydrogen utilisation.

Effect of layup sequence on cure deformation and accurate prediction of composite pressure vessels

The application of composite winding pressure vessels is becoming more and more widespread, and the magnitude of deformation during curing can have a significant impact on service performance, but there are fewer studies on the accurate prediction of the numerical and experimental validation of the deformation during the curing process of pressure vessels. To accurately predict the effect of different angles of layup on the curing deformation of high-pressure hydrogen storage vessels made of T700S-12 K/4251A4B2 carbon fiber/epoxy composites in cylindrical and dome sections. In this paper, WCM-ABAQUS segmented pressure vessel accurate modeling method is proposed for the first time, using the method of converting the chemical shrinkage coefficient of epoxy resin into thermal expansion coefficient equivalently, the finite element prediction of the deformation of the pressure vessel during the curing process in different layup sequences was carried out, and the deformation values of the pressure vessel in different layup sequences were analyzed comparatively. Finally, the winding curing experiments were carried out on pressure vessels with different layup sequences, and the curing deformation values of the experimental tests on pressure vessels with different layup sequences were compared with the finite element simulation values, respectively, and the minimum error value 13.07%. It provides a reliable basis for accurately predicting the deformation value of the pressure vessel curing process, and also provides a reference for subsequent experiments to reduce the curing deformation value.

Analysis Of the Current Situation and Prospective Study of Hydrogen Preparation and Storage

The research, development, and practical application of renewable energies are becoming a major trend with environmental problems such as increasingly serious global warming and the depletion of oil resources. Hydrogen is an ideal alternative energy source due to its cleanness and high combustion ratio. It is recognized as the most likely replacement for the existing coal and oil systems as the future energy base of the global economy. But as things stand, the hydrogen reserve technology and hydrogen storage technology at the current stage all have certain advantages and disadvantages. Based on this background, the study summarizes the current state of the art of hydrogen energy production technologies such as direct hydrogen production from fossil fuel, hydrogen production from electrolysis of water, hydrogen production from biomass, as well as four types of hydrogen storage methods, namely, high-pressure gaseous hydrogen storage, low-temperature liquid hydrogen storage, solid hydrogen storage, and organic liquid hydrogen storage, and analyzes the advantages and disadvantages of each technology. Among them, hydrogen production from electrolyzed water and bio-hydrogen production are the technologies with higher potential but still need to improve economic competitiveness. The high-pressure gaseous hydrogen storage technology can also be brought to market on a wide scale after cost reduction.

Current Research Status on The Production, Storage, And Application of Hydrogen Energy

With the development of society, the demand for energy has significantly increased, and the hydrogen energy industry is an important engine for optimizing energy structure and promoting the transformation of traditional energy. Hydrogen energy is a clean and renewable energy source with abundant sources. The unit mass of hydrogen contains a large amount of energy and can be applied in a wide range of fields. Therefore, analyzing and comparing the hydrogen energy industry chain will contribute to the healthy development of the hydrogen energy industry. This article first investigates the initial stage of development, current situation, and policies of hydrogen energy in China, Japan, and the United States, in order to gain a deeper understanding of the research status and planning of hydrogen energy in different countries. Secondly, the current mature hydrogen production methods (reforming hydrogen, electrolysis hydrogen) and hydrogen storage methods (high-pressure hydrogen storage, solid-state material hydrogen storage, organic liquid hydrogen storage materials) Hydrogen application are analyzed, and their advantages are proposed. Finally, based on research analysis, the future hydrogen energy market is introduced. This research result also provides certain reference value for enterprises that need to transform and enter the hydrogen energy field.