Hydrogen storage in carbon nanotubes and their composites
Practical hydrogen storage is critical for a fuel cell electric vehicle (FCEV), which is a key element of the hydrogen economy. Unfortunately, no current technologies in hydrogen storage can satisfy the requirements of a FCEV, e.g., fulfil the DOE (US Department of Energy) targets for hydrogen storage.
An on-board hydrogen storage system is the primary barrier that must be overcome to enable industry commercialisation of the FCEV. It requires a vehicle driving range of greater than 500 km, while meeting vehicle packaging, cost and performance requirements. Thus, new materials and approaches form the basis for research priorities both in Australia and worldwide such as the National Hydrogen Storage Project supported by DOE.
This project is aimed at the rational design and development of novel nanomaterials for on-board practical hydrogen storage in a FCEV. Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) have a unique tubular structure that facilitates hydrogen diffusion and transport. It is expected that CNTs will significantly enhance the hydrogen storage properties in materials that suffer from disadvantages such as high-temperature reactions and slow kinetics, (e.g., the re/dehydrogenation temperature and rate are the major limitations of the application of Mg-based materials for hydrogen storage).
