Investigation of compressed hydrogen refueling process of 60 L type IV tank used in fuel cell vehicles

Abstract

Hydrogen fuel cell vehicle provides the significant advantage of high energy conversion efficiency and zero emission. Efficient hydrogen storage methods are vital for successful implementation of the hydrogen‐related technologies. Compressed hydrogen storage has been considered as a promising option in recently commercialized hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. The short filling time and high state of charge of compressed hydrogen storage tank are an essential requirement for fuel cell vehicles. This study presents the detail investigation of refueling compressed storage tank using computational fluid dynamics simulation and heat capacity model. The goal of the simulation is to identify the end temperature and state of charge. Initially, the mathematical model of end temperature and state charge is formulated. Later, the overall heat transfer involved in the refueling process is investigated by heat capacity model based on MC method defined by SAE J2601. The density obtains from the simulation is compared with the National Institute of Standards and Technology database. The SE in simulated results for the state of charge is reduced to <1% after applying the heat capacity method. The results may shade light on better understanding the refueling process of compressed hydrogen storage for fuel cell vehicle.