Absorption and Desorption of Hydrogen in Metal Hydrides

Hydrogen storage is a significant challenge for the development and viability of hydrogen mobile and stationary applications. Current hydrogen storage approaches involve compressed hydrogen gas tanks, liquid hydrogen tanks, cryogenic compressed hydrogen, metal hydrides, high-surface-area adsorbents, and chemical hydrogen storage materials. Storage as a gas or liquid or storage in metal hydrides or high-surface-area adsorbents constitutes reversible on-board hydrogen storage systems because hydrogen regeneration or refill can take place on-board the vehicle. For chemical hydrogen storage approaches (such as a chemical reaction on-board the vehicle to produce hydrogen), hydrogen regeneration is not possible on-board the vehicle; and thus, these spent materials must be removed from the vehicle and regenerated off-board. Storage of hydrogen in metal hydrides has a drawback of a heavy absorbent material, but the advantage of a smaller pressure and less safety precautions. Thus, the objective of the project is to study the thermodynamics and kinetics of hydrogen storage in metal hydrides with minimum loss of energy and at low cost, for affordability for mobile applications.