Draft2:Hydrogen Materials Advanced Research Consortium
The Hydrogen Materials Advanced Research Consortium (HyMARC) was formed to address the scientific gaps blocking the advancement of solid-state hydrogen storage materials.
Established as part of the U.S. Department of Energy's Energy Materials Network (EMN), HyMARC provides an enduring national laboratory-based network, enabling industry to utilize the national labs unique capabilities related to solid-state hydrogen storage and carriers.
DOE's role
HyMARC is composed of
- Sandia National Laboratories
- National Renewable Energy Laboratory
- Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
- Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
- Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory
Objectives
This advanced materials research also focuses on development of core characterization capabilities designed to enable the development of novel materials with the potential to store hydrogen at near-ambient temperature, at low-to-moderate pressures, and at energy densities greater than either liquid or compressed hydrogen.
HyMARC is also investigating hydrogen carriers—hydrogen-rich liquid- or solid-phase materials that are stable at ambient conditions but release hydrogen when initiated by a change in pressure or temperature. Hydrogen carriers have the potential to meet the demands of applications beyond on-board vehicular storage, such as backup power and industrial uses.
Capabilities
See Capabilities for more details.
Synthesis
- Porous Carbon Synthesis
- Synthesis of Metal Hydride Composites
- High-Pressure Hydrogen Materials Synthesis and Testing
- Nanostructured Metal Hydrides
Modeling/Simulation
- Techno-Economic Analysis and Reverse Engineering
- Thermodynamic and Kinetic Modeling of Hydrogen Storage Materials Microstructures
- Ab Initio Calculation Capabilities for Hydrogen Storage Materials
- Computational Characterization and Screening of Porous Sorbents
- Molecular Dynamics Model of Hydrogen Diffusion
- Thermodynamics and Phase Diagram Prediction of Hydrides
- Chemistry of Hydrogen Interactions with Materials
- Modeling of Interfaces in Hydrides
- Multiscale Kinetic Modeling of Hydrides
Characterization Tools
- Near Ambient Pressure X-Ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy
- Sum Frequency Generation Vibrational Spectroscopy
- Low-Energy Ion Beam Analysis
- Hydrogen Gas Flow Cell for in situ/Operando X-ray Spectroscopic Studies
- "Clean Transfer Cell" for Air-Free Sample Transfer
- Diffuse Reflectance System Coupled to Cryostat and Gas Adsorption Analyzer
- Thermal Conductivity
- Advanced PCT Measurements with Cryogenic Cooler Capabilities
System modeling
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) develops and maintains systems models for screening the performance of hydrogen storage materials. These models are available for download and use by the broad research community.
Hydrogen Vehicle Simulation Framework
The Hydrogen Vehicle Simulation Framework is a MATLAB/Simulink tool for simulating a light-duty vehicle powered by a PEM fuel cell, which in turn is fueled by a hydrogen storage system. The framework is designed so the performance of different storage systems may be compared on a single vehicle, maintaining the vehicle and fuel cell system assumptions. This model requires MATLAB and Simulink.
Metal Hydride Acceptability Envelope
The Metal Hydride Acceptability Envelope allows the user to evaluate the distance (in rectangular or cylindrical coordinates) between two surfaces or walls inside the bed containing the metal hydride material, needed to attain determined targets with selected material properties. This model requires Microsoft Excel.
Metal Hydride Finite Element Model
The Metal Hydride Finite Element model is a 3D model, developed under COMSOL 4.2a, that allows the user to see the thermochemical behavior of a storage system composed of sodium aluminum hydride material. The storage bed is based on a shell-and-tube, finned heat transfer system, with the structure and geometry of the United Technologies Research Center prototype.
Tankinator: Hydrogen Tank Mass and Cost Estimator
The Hydrogen Tank Mass and Cost Estimator, or "Tankinator", is used to cross-compare various pressure vessel types to estimate gravimetric, volumetric, and cost performance of hypothetical tanks in the conceptual phases of design. The Tankinator tool provides an estimate of basic tank geometry and composition from a limited number of geometric and temperature inputs. This model requires Microsoft Excel.
Stand-Alone System Design Tools
Each stand-alone system design tool is a simple Microsoft Excel-based sizing module that runs as a visual basic macro.
Model contact
Model related feedback and questions should be sent to hsecoe@nrel.gov.
Contact
- Mark Allendorf—Sandia National Laboratories, mdallen@sandia.gov
- Tom Gennett—National Renewable Energy Laboratory, thomas.gennett@nrel.gov
- Hanna Breunig—Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, hannabreunig@lbl.gov
- David Prendergast—Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, dgprendergast@lbl.gov
- Brandon Wood—Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, wood37@llnl.gov
- Tom Autrey—Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, tom.autrey@pnnl.gov