Metal Hydride Storage Systems: Approaches to Improve Their Performances

Abstract Metal hydrides provide a safe and efficient way to store hydrogen. However, current metal hydride storage systems, i.e., hydrides incorporated within a storage tank, are far from efficient. Depending on the design, (dis)charging rates may be very long. However, this can be significantly improved by implementing strategies tackling the issue of heat management at the level of: i) the metal hydride bed, and ii) the overall storage system design. This review summarises recent progress in tackling heat management of hydride systems. In this respect, modeling has emerged as a powerful tool. In particular, simulation results show that the compaction of hydride powders with binders and the use of metal foams are both effective in lifting the poor thermal conductivity of hydride beds. For tank designs, cylindrical shapes remain the preferred choice because of the flexibility and ease of supplementing heat management with fins and tubular heat exchangers. The addition of phase change materials to the hydride tank can lead to further heat storage, but any add‐on to simple hydride tanks can only lead to cumbersome systems. It is still a fine art to tune the thermal conductivity of hydride beds while selecting a suitable metal hydride alloy composition.