H2 Storage Thesis Opportunity
H2Storage is established in The Hague, Zuid-Holland (www.h2storage.nl/home/).
Their aim is to design and develop type 4 high pressure composite tanks with a nominal working pressure of 700 bar for hydrogen storage. These tanks consist of an inner liner with an overwrap of carbon fibers. These tanks will be integrated modularly in standard 40ft containers and used in the transport sector, local storage and within the urban environment. Currently, they are at the detail design engineering phase and expect to have our first prototypes end of March 2021. Ready for testing and experimenting.
Problem: The filling and emptying of these so called type 4 high pressure composite hydrogen tanks have to fulfill strict temperature requirements set by the European Union. The hydrogen gas in the tank is not allowed to reach temperatures higher than 85 0C. This requirement strongly influences the maximum filling speed, resulting in the fact that hydrogen fueled trucks are not competitive with the traditional diesel trucks (about 10-15 minutes for filling). Furthermore, the fast emptying of these tanks negatively affects the material specifications and can result in buckling of the liner.
Current research: Up till now several research can be found that have studied the temperature development of a gas within a tank. Yet, these are all researches focused on 1) CNG and not on hydrogen gas, 2) small tanks up to a volume of 50 liter and 3) mainly on old-fashioned steel tanks and tanks that a re a combination of a steel inner liner and an overwrap of carbon fibers. The tanks of H2Storage are designed to be used for bulk transport of hydrogen gas. They are made of only plastic and carbon fibers. The tanks have a volume of roughly 350 liter. This kind of tanks are still not on the market and hence no research can be found regarding the temperature development and also no simulation models have been build to examine the temperature phenomena in the tank. Furthermore, there is a shortage of research regarding the behavior of a plastic inner liner and the carbon overwrap in relation to the temperature development of the gas in the tank while fast filling and fast emptying.
Global thesis assignment:
Step 1: A literature study regarding the thermodynamics and heat balances that are necessary to understand the temperature development of the gas in a type 4 composite tank while fast filling and fast emptying. Also, a literature study understanding material behavior while fast filling and fast emptying.
Step 2: Using the thermodynamical models and equations used for small tanks to build simulation models and study the made assumptions.
Step 3: Using the thermodynamical models to implement in a simulation software like Matlab/Python. Develop simulation models for the H2Storage tank dimensions. Accompanying the simulation models with real life data that will be gathered via experiments.
Step 4: A study regarding various optimization strategies and algorithms that can be found in literature.
Step 5: Applying the chosen optimization algorithm to fin dan optimal strategy to fast fill 1 tank, an array of 6 tanks, an array of 20 tanks etc while still fulfilling the requirement of not exceeding the maximum gas temperature of 85 0C. Study and optimize several cases such as a 40ft container with 100 tanks that are used as local storage at a solar field or in an urban environment. All require another optimization strategy to for fast filling and fast emptying while fulfilling the temperature requirement and material behavior.
Step 6: Analyze found results and come up with required strategies to be implemented in real life.
Step 7: Optional: perform an economical feasibility study regarding the suggest optimization strategies and cases.
Contact michel.tamarzians@h2storage.nl if this seems like something you may be interested in.