Metal hydrides based high energy density thermal battery

•The principle of the thermal battery using advanced metal hydrides was demonstrated.•The thermal battery used MgH2 and TiMnV as a working pair.•High energy density can be achieved by the use of MgH2 to store thermal energy.

A concept of thermal battery based on advanced metal hydrides was studied for heating and cooling of cabins in electric vehicles. The system utilized a pair of thermodynamically matched metal hydrides as energy storage media. The pair of hydrides that was identified and developed was: (1) catalyzed MgH2 as the high temperature hydride material, due to its high energy density and enhanced kinetics; and (2) TiV0.62Mn1.5 alloy as the matching low temperature hydride. Further, a proof-of-concept prototype was built and tested, demonstrating the potential of the system as HVAC for transportation vehicles.