Volume 62

Thermal Performance of Type III and IV Hydrogen Tanks Under Passive and Active Cooling Antar M. M. Abdala, Andrea Luigi Facci, Marco Maggini, Misbah Aslam, Stefano Ubertini

Abstract

This study investigates the feasibility of cooling on-board hydrogen storage tanks using passive (fins) and active (forced water convection) methods. Two tank types (III and IV), two target pressures (35 and 70 MPa), and two chilled temperatures (-40⁰C and -20⁰C) are analyzed. Results show that Type IV tanks, especially under 70 MPa and 35 MPa , benefit most from cooling. Forced water convection significantly reduces hydrogen gas, liner, and shell temperatures, as well as heat transfer rates, compared to free convection.
Validation against previous studies confirms good agreement, and findings indicate that cooling (particularly forced convection) effectively limits peak temperatures and enhances refueling performance.
Under 70 MPa, -40⁰C, and Type IV tank conditions, forced convection at a water flow rate of 1 kg/s reduces the maximum temperatures of hydrogen, the liner, and the shell by 1.6 °C, 6 °C, and 13 °C, respectively, compared to free convection. In contrast, under 70 MPa, -20⁰C, and Type IV conditions, the corresponding reductions in maximum temperatures are 16 °C for hydrogen, 23 °C for the liner, and 32 °C for the shell walls.

Keywords green hydrogen, hydrogen station, on-board hydrogen tank, cooling techniques