Numerical investigation of hydrogen absorption in a metal hydride reactor with embedded embossed plate heat exchanger

In this paper, a Metal Hydride (MH) reactor integrated with an Embossed Plate Heat Exchanger (EPHX) was studied for the first time for its hydrogen absorption rate and thermal performance. A detailed numerical analysis of the various flow-field designs in the EPHX such as parallel-type, pin-type, and serpentine types (vertical and horizontal) was performed. The serpentine flow-field EPHX presented better heat transfer and faster hydrogen storage ability. Also, it showed more uniform temperature distribution in the bed compared with parallel and pin-type flow-fields. Next, the vertical-serpentine flow-field EPHX was compared with the most commonly used Helical Coil Heat Exchanger (HCHX) and the outcomes were discussed. Although, EPHX showed slightly lower overall heat removal from the reactor, it presented similar hydrogen absorption rate and remarkable uniformity in temperature distribution in the reactor. (C) 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.