Effect of liner thermal properties and liner pre-cooling on the thermal management of fast-filling of hydrogen tanks

Abstract

In transportation applications, filling high pressurised hydrogen tanks within a few minutes implies a fast and large temperature increase that can compromise the structural integrity of the storage system and the safety of the process. Common approaches to control this temperature increase mainly involve hydrogen pre-cooling using complex and energy-demanding refrigeration systems. This study proposes and assesses alternative and energy efficient thermal management strategies for fast filling of hydrogen tanks including the modification of the liner's thermal properties and the use of existing on-board refrigeration systems. The analysis is performed by means of a Computational Fluid Dynamics model validated against experimental observations. Results show that proposed solutions provide a robust and efficient alternative to hydrogen pre-cooling, potentially simplifying the hydrogen supply system, reducing its associated energy demand, maintaining the hydrogen temperature below admissible limits and increasing the state of charge of the tank.