Measurement and Analysis of Effective Thermal Conductivity of MmNi4.5Al0.5 Hydride Bed

The effective thermal conductivity (K-e) of a MmNi(4.5)Al(0.5) hydride powder bed was measured using an one-dimensional steady-state axial heat transfer comparative method. The experiments showed that k(e) lies between 0.1 and 1.2 W/m K in the pressure and the temperature ranges of 0-50 bar and 0-100 degrees C, respectively. While hydrogen pressure and concentration showed strong influence on k(e) over the complete range, the temperature effects were minimal. Thermal conductivity of the solid materials, MmNi(4.5)Al(0.5) alloy and its hydrides, was also back calculated from the experimentally measured k(e) values.