An improved mathematical model and finite-element study of dynamically coupled metal-hydride reactors – Part 2: Model application
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Gray, EMA
Muthukumar, P
Dalal, A
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This second part of a two-part study presents results obtained from the mathematical model of two coupled metal-hydride (MH) tanks exchanging hydrogen from the desorbing to the absorbing tank. Implemented using COMSOL Multiphysics, the model simulates horizontal annular reactors equipped with finned coaxial heat exchangers and containing distinct AB5 alloys. The development and validation of the model, including detailed discussions of tank geometry and assumptions, were covered in Part 1. Part 2 focuses on the temperature, concentration and pressure variations in space and time during hydrogen transfer between the coupled MH beds. Important differences in thermal performance between single- and coupled-reactor operation were revealed, where hydrogen transfer in the latter mode, driven by pressure differentials, was around half as fast as in single-reactor operation. This significant variation underscores the utility of the developed mathematical model for accurately analysing coupled MH reactor assemblies. The role of fin design (length, thickness, spacing) was examined and it was found that increased fin thickness and decreased fin spacing were effective in overcoming the slower transfer dynamics caused by coupled operation. For the particular tank design studied, a 7-mm fin thickness was found necessary in coupled-reactor operation to match the transfer rate of a single reactor with 3-mm fins.
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International Journal of Hydrogen Energy
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167
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© 2025 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of Hydrogen Energy Publications LLC. This is an open access article under the CC BY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
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Chemical sciences
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Parida, A; Gray, EMA; Muthukumar, P; Dalal, A, An improved mathematical model and finite-element study of dynamically coupled metal-hydride reactors – Part 2: Model application, International Journal of Hydrogen Energy, 2025, 167, pp. 150693