A numerical method for simulating hydrogen absorption in metal-H₂ reactors for hydrogen storage

Studying hydrogen absorption/ desorption in metal-H₂ reactors is important for the usage and commercialization of hydrogen energy. In this article, we present a numerical method for simulating hydrogen absorption in a cylindrical LaNi₅-H₂ reactor. The method is obtained based on the modified heat and mass transfer model for the absorption of hydrogen, and its finite difference approximation in a staggered mesh. As a result, the numerical scheme is unconditionally stable and the solution is second-order accurate. Numerical results including gas and solid densities, gas velocity, gas and solid temperatures are obtained.