Numerical simulation of the parametric influence on the wall strain distribution of vertically placed metal hydride based hydrogen storage container

•Wall strain distribution of vertical metal hydride device is studied numerically.•Parametric influence on wall strains examined.•Particle densification at the bottom leads to reversal of longitudinal strains.•High supply pressures and low coolant temperatures lead to high strain rates.

Metal hydride hydrogen storage alloys show significant thermal variations and dimensional non-homogeneity during their charge–discharge cycles. Pulverization, settling and agglomeration of these alloys and the consequent densification influence the rate of hydrogenation and wall strains on storage containers. In this study, numerical simulation of the wall strain distribution of a vertically placed hydrogen storage device is conducted with LaNi5 as the hydrogen storage alloy. The influence of salient parameters such as bed thickness, hydrogen supply pressure and coolant temperature on wall strains is studied with its already known effect on sorption performance. Effect of the densification of hydride particles during hydriding is also studied.