Techniques for metal hydride thermal energy conversion and their optimization

Abstract

To achieve the most natural features of metal hydride thermal energy conversion systems, both physical analysis of system components and optimization of the operation process are required, which can be solved by numerical simulation without arduous works of trial and error. The conventional and new cycling performance of a system can be predicted also by numerical simulation and easily proved by bench-scale techniques constructed with simulation results. In order to realize this procedure for the system development, it is necessary to set a computer simulation program which is based on detailed information about equilibrium properties of metal hydride and operating conditions. In the series of numerical runs of the simulation program, it was shown how metal hydride thermal energy conversion techniques could be optimized through the choice of a proper hydride pair from Zr-based alloys and several operation parameters. Especially, it was found that the heat transfer problem played a decisive roll in cooling power of the system. Finally, the unlimited capability of numerical simulation was proved by a good correspondence of simulation data with real experimental data. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.