Numerical investigation on the operation and energy demand of a seven-stage metal hydride hydrogen compression system for Hydrogen Refuelling Stations

Abstract In the present work, a numerical analysis on the performance of a seven-stage metal hydride hydrogen compression (MHHC) system is introduced, presented and discussed. The operation efficiency and cost along with the reliability of hydrogen compression is of great importance for the future commercial availability of Hydrogen Refuelling Stations (HRS); thus, significant improvements in hydrogen compression must be achieved and novel methods and approaches are being investigated in that respect. MHHC's offer distinct advantages over conventional mechanical compressors and the present paper aims at contributing to the efficient design and upscaling of such device via advanced numerical simulations of a seven-stage MHHC. The numerical model was supported by and validated with solid experimental data. Furthermore, several different operational temperature ranges for the compressor were examined and the importance of the proper operation conditions is discussed in terms of temperature evolution, pressure profile, cycle duration, compression ratio, thermal energy demand and efficiency.