• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.24 no.4
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• pp.295-301
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• 2013

Long-term global energy-demand growth is expected to increase driven by strong energy-demand growth from developing countries. Fusion power offers the prospect of an almost inexhaustible source of energy for future generations, even though it also presents so far insurmountable scientific and engineering challenges. One of the challenges is safe handling of hydrogen isotopes. Metal hydrides such as depleted uranium hydride or ZrCo hydride are used as a storage medium for hydrogen isotopes reversibly. The metal hydrides bind with hydrogen very strongly. In this paper, we carried out a modeling and simulation work for absorption/desorption of hydrogen by ZrCo in a horizontal annulus cylinder bed. A comprehensive mathematical description of a metal hydride hydrogen storage vessel was developed. This model was calibrated against experimental data obtained from our experimental system containing ZrCo metal hydride. The model was capable of predicting the performance of the bed for not only both the storage and delivery processes but also heat transfer operations. This model should thus be very useful for the design and development of the next generation of metal hydride hydrogen isotope storage systems.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.448-454
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• 2012

In this paper, a three-dimensional hydrogen absorption model is applied to a thin double-layered annulus ZrCo hydride bed and validated against the temperature evolution data measured by Kang et al. The present model reasonably captures the bed temperature evolution behavior and the 99% hydrogen charging time. The equilibrium pressure expression for hydrogen absorption on ZrCo is derived as a function of temperature and the H/M atomic ratio based on the pressure-composition isotherm data given by Konishi et al. In addition, this present model provides multi-dimensional contours such as temperature and H/M atomic ratio in the thin doublelayered annulus metal hydride region. This numerical study provides fundamental understanding during hydrogen absorption process and indicates that efficient design of the metal hydride bed is critical to achieve rapid hydrogen charging performance. The present three-dimensional hydrogen absorption model is a useful tool for the optimization of bed design and operating conditions.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.36-43
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• 2013

In this paper, a three-dimensional hydrogen desorption model is applied to a thin double-layered annulus ZrCo hydride bed and validated against the temperature evolution data measured by Kang et al. The present model reasonably captures the bed temperature evolution behavior and the 90% hydrogen discharging time. In addition, the performance of thin double-layered annulus bed is evaluated by comparing with a simple cylindrical bed using hydrogen desorption model. This study provides multi-dimensional contours such as temperature and H/M atomic ratio in the metal hydride region. This numerical study provides fundamental understanding during hydrogen desorption process and indicates that efficient design of the metal hydride bed is critical to achieve rapid hydrogen discharging performance. The present three-dimensional hydrogen desorption model is a useful tool for the optimization of bed design and operating conditions.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.128-135
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• 2013

The nuclear fuel cycle plant is composed of various subsystems such as a fuel storage and delivery system (SDS), a tokamak exhaust processing system, a hydrogen isotope separation system, and a tritium plant analytical system. Korea is sharing in the construction of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) fuel cycle plant with the EU, Japan, and the US, and is responsible for the development and supply of the SDS. Hydrogen isotopes are the main fuel for nuclear fusion reactors. Metal hydrides offer a safe and convenient method for hydrogen isotope storage. The storage of hydrogen isotopes is carried out by absorption and desorption in a metal hydride bed. These reactions require heat removal and supply respectively. Accordingly, the rapid storage and delivery of hydrogen isotopes are enabled by a rapid cooling and heating of the metal hydride bed. In this study, we designed and manufactured a vertical-type hydrogen isotope storage bed, which is used to enhance the cooling performance. We present the experimental details of the cooling performances of the bed using various cooling parameters. We also present the modeling results to estimate the heat transport phenomena. We compared the cooling performance of the bed by testing different cooling modes, such as an isolation mode, a natural convection mode, and an outer jacket helium circulation mode. We found that helium circulation mode is the most effective which was confirmed in our model calculations. Thus we can expect a more efficient bed design by employing a forced helium circulation method for new beds.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.1-8
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• 1994

Lattice structure, hydrogen absorption characteristics, discharge capacity and cycle life of $V_{22}Ti_{16}Zr_{16}Ni_{39}X_7$(X= Cr, Co, Fe, Mn, Al) alloys were investigated. The matrix phases of these alloys were the C14 Laves phase. Chromium-containing alloy had a vanadium-rich phase in addition to the Laves phase. The chromium, maganese, or aluminum-containing alloys had lower hydrogen equilibrium pressure and larger hydrogen absorption content than the cobalt or iron-containing alloys. The discharge capacities of these alloys were 270~330mAh/g. The discharge capacity according to the alloying element X decreased in the order of Mn>Cr>Co, Al)Fe. The charge/discharge cycle lives of the chromium, cobalt or iron-containing alloys were longer than those of maganese or aluminum-containing alloys due to the lower vanadium dissolution rate.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.181-185
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• 1997

The electrochemical properties of the $AB_2$-type (Zr-Ti-V-Ni-Cr-Co-Mn) metal hydride electrodes prepared by ball milling with $AB_5-type\{(LM)Ni_{3.6}Al_{0.4}Co_{0.7}Mn_{0.3}\}$(LM : Lanthanum-rich mischmetal) alloy powder as a surface activator were investigated. By ball milling with $AB_5$ type alloy powder, the activation of $AB_2$ type metal hydride electrode was accelerated resulting in an increase of discharge capacity from 35% to 85% of the maximum capacity at the first cycle. As the amount of surface activator increased the activation rate increased, whereas the discharge capacity increased with 10wt% and decreased with 20wt% addition of the surface activator. When the amount of the surface activator was kept constant as 10wt%, the discharge capacity and the activation rate increased with ball milling time up to 20 hours. However beyond 20 hours of ball milling time, they decreased drastically due to the nano-crystallization or amorphorzation of the alloy powder.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.26 no.6
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• pp.541-546
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• 2015

Global energy shortage problem is expected to increase driven by strong energy demand growth from developing countries. Nuclear fusion power offers the prospect of an almost infinite source of energy for future generations. Hydrogen isotope storage and delivery system is a important subsystem of a nuclear fusion fuel cycle. Metal hydride is a method of the high-density storage of hydrogen isotope. For the safety storage of hydrogen isotope, depleted uranium (DU) has been widely proposed. But DU needs a safe test because It is a radioactive substance. The authors studied a small-scale DU bed and a medium-scale DU bed for the safety test. And then we made a large-scale DU bed and stored hydrogen isotopes in the bed. Before the hydriding/dehydriding, we tested it's heating and cooling properties and carried out an activation procedure. As a result, Reaction rate of DU-$H_2$ is more rapid than the other metal hydride ZrCo. Through the successful storage result of our large bed, the development possibility of the hydrogen isotope storage technology seems promising.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.17 no.1
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• pp.31-38
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• 2006

There are two types of metal hydride electrodes as a negative electrode in a Ni-MH battery, $AB_2$ Zr-based Laves phases and $AB_5$ LM(La-rich mischmetal)-based alloys. The $AB_5$ alloy electrodes have characteristic properties such as a large discharge capacity per volume, easiness in activation, long cycle life and a low cost of alloy. However they have a relatively small discharge capacity per weight. The $AB_2$alloy electrodes have a much higher discharge capacity per weight than $AB_5$ alloy electrodes, however they have some disadvantages of poor activation behavior and cycle life. Therefore, in order to improve the discharge capacity of the $AB_5$ alloy electrode the Zr, Ti and V which are the alloying elements of the $AB_2$ alloys were added to the $LaNi_{3.6}Ai_{0.4}Co_{0.7}Mn_{0.3}$ alloy which was chosen as a $AB_5$ alloy with a high capacity. The addition of Zr, Ti and V to $LaNi_{3.6}Ai_{0.4}Co_{0.7}Mn_{0.3}$ alloy improved the activation to be completed in two cycles. The discharge capacities of Zr 0.02, Ti 0.02 and V 0.1 alloys in $LaNi_{3.6}Ai_{0.4}Co_{0.7}Mn_{0.3}M_y$ (M = Zr, Ti, V) were respectively 346, 348 and 366 mAh/g alloy. The alloy electrodes, Zr 0.02, Ti 0.05 and V 0.1 in $LaNi_{3.6}Ai_{0.4}Co_{0.7}Mn_{0.3}M_y$ (M = Zr, Ti, V), have shown good cycle property after 200 cycles. The rate capability of the $LaNi_{3.6}Ai_{0.4}Co_{0.7}Mn_{0.3}M_y$ (M = Zr, Ti, V) alloy electrodes were very good until 0.6 C rate and the alloys, Zr 0.02, Ti 0.05 and V 0.1, have shown the best result as 92 % at 2.4 C rate. The charge retention property of the $LaNi_{3.6}Ai_{0.4}Co_{0.7}Mn_{0.3}M_y$ (M = Zr, Ti, V) alloys was not good and the alloys with M content from 0.02 to 0.05 showed better charge retention properties.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.20 no.6
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• pp.505-511
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• 2009

The hydriding and electrochemical characteristics of Zr-based $AB_2$ alloy produced by gas atomization have been extensively examined. For the particle morphology of the as-cast and gas-atomized powders, it can be seen that the mechanically crushed powders are irregular, while the atomized powder particles are spherical. The increase of jet pressure of gas atomization process results in the decrease of hydrogen storage capacity and the slope of plateau pressure significantly increases. TEM and EDS studies showed the increase of jet pressure in the atomization process accelerated the phase separation within grain of the gas-atomized alloy, which brought about a poor hydrogenation property. However, the gas-atomized $AB_2$ alloy powders produced by jet pressure of 50 bar kept up the reversible $H_2$ storage capacity and discharge capacity similar to the mechanically crushed particles. In addition, the electrode of gas-atomized Zr-based $AB_2$ alloy of 50 bar showed improved cyclic stability over that of the cast and crushed particulate, which is attributed to the restriction of crack propagation by grain boundary and dislocation with ch/discharging cycling.

• Transactions of the Korean hydrogen and new energy society
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.181-189
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• 2002

A series of multicomponent $Zr_{0.8}Ti_{0.2}Mn_{0.4}V_{0.6}Ni_{1-x}Fe_{x}$ (x=0.00, 0.08, 0.15, 0.22, and 0.30) alloys are prepared and their oystal structure and P-C-T curves are examined. The electrochemical properties of these allqys such as activation conditions, discharge capacity, cycling performance are also investigated. $Zr_{0.8}Ti_{0.2}Mn_{0.4}V_{0.6}Ni_{1-x}Fe_{x}$ (x=0.00, 0.08, 0.15, 0.22 and 0.30) have the C14 Laves phase hexagonal structure. The electrode was activated by the hot-charging treatment. The best activation conditions were the current density 120 mA/g and the hot-charging time 12h at $80^{\circ}C$ in the case of the alloy with x=0.00. The discharge capacity increased rapidly until the fourth cycle and then decreased. The discharge capacity increased again from the 13th cycle, arriving at 234 mAh/g at the 50th cycle. The discharge capacily just after activation decreases with the increase in the amount of the substituted Fe but the cycling performance is improved. The discharge capacity after activation of the alloy with x=0.00 is 157 mAh/g at the current density 120 mA/g. $Zr_{0.8}Ti_{0.2}Mn_{0.4}V_{0.6}Ni_{0.85}Fe_{0.15}$ is a good composition with a medium quantity of discharge capacities and a good cycling performance. The ICP analysis of the electrolyte for these electrodes after 50 charge-discharge cycles shows that the concentrations of V and Zr are relatively high. Another series of multicomponent $Zr_{0.8}Ti_{0.2}Mn_{0.4}V_{0.6}Ni_{0.85}M_{0.15}$ (M = Fe, Co, Cu, Mo and Al) alloys are prepared. They also have the C14 Laves phase hexagonal structure. The alloys with M = Co and Fe have relatively larger hydrogen storage capacities. The discharge capacities just after activation are relatively large in the case of the alloys with M = Al and Cu. They are 212 and 170 mAh/g, respectivety, at the current density 120mA/g. The $Zr_{0.8}Ti_{0.2}Mn_{0.4}V_{0.6}Ni_{0.85}Co_{0.15}$ alloy is the best one with a relatively large discharge capacity and a good cycling performance.