Hydrogen Absorption and Desorption Behaviors of the Metal Hydride Fuel Tank for Hydrogen Vehicle

수소저장합금을 이용한 수소자동차 연료저장탱크의 수소흡수-방출거동에 관한 연구

The hydrogen fuel tanks having hydrogen storing capacity of about 300g and 1200g are manufactured using $MmNi_{4.7}Al_{0.25}V_{0.05}Fe_{0.001}$ alloy. They are composed of several unit reactor made of Cu-tube(outer diameter = 50.1mm, thickness = 2mm). In order to increase the heat and mass transfer property of the hydride bed, Al-plates are inserted perpendicular to axial direction at intervals of 5mm and three arteries of diameter 8mm are installed symmetrically in each unit reactor. Hydrogen absorption is proceeded about 80% within 30 minute and is completed within 60 minute at the conditions of charging hydrogen pressure of 25atm and temperature of $22^{\circ}C$. On desorbing hydrogen at a constant rate of 30 slm at $20^{\circ}C$, discharging hydrogen pressure is sustained at 3~5atm for 120 minutes. The discharging pressure is increased upto 5~8atm as the increase of the reactor temperature to $30^{\circ}C$. From the experimental results and the brief discussions about the hydrogen absorption and disorption behaviors of the hydrogen storage tank, it is suggested that the behaviors of hydrogen charging and discharging could be controlled by adjusting the operating parameters and the reactor design parameters.