Crisis Phenomena in Metal Hydride Hydrogen Storage Facilities

We present the results of experimental studies of heat and mass transfer processes in a metal hydride reactor under absorption and release of pure hydrogen. The hydrogen absorption/release reaction is shown to proceed in three stages: (I) heating/cooling of the absorbing material bed up to the reaction temperature; (II) equilibrium absorption/release; and (III) reaction completion. The transition from the first stage to the second is accompanied by a sharp decrease in the hydrogen flow rate at the reactor input/output. The crisis is caused by the ineffective pick-up/application of hydrogen absorption/release heat from/to the absorbing material bed. The reactor charging/discharging operation modes balanced against heat transfer make it possible to avoid crisis and to proceed under a constant flow rate of hydrogen.