Fabrication of vanadium-based alloy for hydrogen storage
R&D Focus Areas:
Hydrides, Advanced manufacturing
Lead Organisation:
RMIT University
Partners:
CSIRO, QinetiQ Australia
Status:
Active
Start date:
October 2020
Completion date:
RMIT is negotiating with the defence funding body to extend the end date of the project to November 2024 (this advice as of July 2024)
Key contacts:
Senior Researcher Daniel Liang: daniel.liang@csiro.au
Funding:
Defence Innovation Hub
Project total cost:
AUD$210,000
Project summary description:
The project is to produce V-Ti-Cr alloy materials at CSIRO as hydrogen storage materials. The materials produced will be used by RMIT for hydrogen storage in developing a hydrogen fuel cell system for Defence.
This project focus is on scale-up of the production of the materials while maintaining required chemistries, microstructures, properties and the particular form specified. This is being done via three controls: solidification, deformation and activation for hydrogen absorption.
- Solidification: A combination of selection of heat-sink containing materials and optimisation of operational parameters such as melting temperature, melt treatment, the duration of solidification ensures the required cooling rate is achieved, which delivers the required microstructures and properties.
- Deformation: A continuous deformation process suitable for volume production is modified to break up the as-solidified materials into particular forms that are adequate for activating the reaction of the materials with hydrogen to form metal hydrides.
- Activation: A thermal management system incorporated the capabilities of heating, cooling and heat dissipation is designed to handle larger volume of the metal hydride materials safely and efficiently.
Related publications and key links:
Tseng Y.S., Retita I., Andrews J., Liang D., Chan S, Tailor-designed vanadium alloys for hydrogen storage in remote area and movable power supply systems, Journal of Energy Storage, 2023, 68, 107659 https://doi.org/10.1016/j.est.2023.107659.
Higher degree studies supported:
Not applicable
Reviewed: July 2024