Numerical study for improvement of the packed bed of metal hydride particles

摘要

Packed bed reactors of metal hydride particles attract attention for the utilization of hydrogen storage systems, heat pumps, etc. However their low effective thermal conductivities lead to low reaction rates. In this study, a carbon fiber brush is inserted in the reactor to improve the thermal characteristic of the packed bed reactor. In addition, a two-dimensional numerical model describing the heat and mass transfer is developed to predict their thermal performance. The effect of heat transfer enhancement on the thermal performance of the reactor is numerically investigated. Moreover, a diagram for determining the effective thermal conductivity to satisfy the demand for the thermal output is developed using the numerical results.