A novel multilayer fin structure for heat transfer enhancement in hydride‐based hydrogen storage reactor

Summary Metal hydrides are promising means for compact hydrogen storage. However, the poor heat transfer in the tank packed with metal hydride powders often hinders the system from charging or discharging hydrogen effectively. In this investigation, a tube‐fin heat exchanger is supposed to be inserted to the tank, and an optimization problem accounting for both heat transfer enhancement and cost is formulated. We solve the problem with approximate analytical methods, and the influences of fin geometry are discussed. The comparison results support using quadratic curve‐shaped fins, whose effectiveness is also proved by the numerical simulation results. Furthermore, a novel multilayer fin structure with varying width is proposed, and the key parameters of it are discussed, including the number and the arrangement of fins. This paper is expected to provide new insights for the heat transfer enhancement design of hydride‐based hydrogen storage system.