CFD simulation of adsorbed hydrogen storage tank

Abstract

This thesis presents a computational fluid dynamic (CFD) model and simulation of an adsorbed hydrogen storage tank to predict the adsorption behavior of hydrogen gas in a packed bed of sorbent. The results can be used to design and optimize adsorbed hydrogen and adsorbed natural gas storage tanks for a variety of applications. The CFD model is based on mass, continuity, and energy conservation equations. It is implemented using Ansys Fluent to obtain the change of temperature and pressure throughout the domain. The adsorption model is based on Dubinin-Astakov adsorption isotherm. User defined functions (UDFs) are used to modify boundary conditions and mass flux equations. The geometry used is an axisymmetric geometry model, activated carbon beds are used to simulate the adsorption process of Hydrogen. The results are compared to experimental results where mass balance, temperature and pressure are validated. Additionally, pressure without porous media was determined through CFD simulation. Subsequently, FEA simulations were conducted on the tank to analyze its behavior both in the presence and absence of porous media.