Technical evaluation for breakthrough hydrogen storage materials

Today the world faces the problem of dependency on fossil fuels, which are rapidly decreasing. With the steady decline of fossil fuel supply, and the growing demand for energy, there is a great need to pursue alternative fuels for automobiles. Some of the alternative fuels which are being considered include LPG, LNG, bio-diesel, methanol, ethanol and hydrogen. If hydrogen is to be used on a large scale, storage is a key problem. Storage research is primarily focused on compressed gas, cryogenic hydrogen, and metal hydrides, but a growing number of alternative methods including carbon novel materials, chemical hydrides, and glass microspheres are also being tested. Compressed gas is the most mature storage technology, but compression adds inefficiencies to the hydrogen life-cycle and requires stronger, costlier materials for tank construction. Extensive materials research is being conducted to improve compressed gas storage technology; advancements have already been made in carbon-fiber wrapped tanks, which are lighter and safer than traditional steel tanks. Cryogenic hydrogen is denser than compressed gaseous hydrogen, therefore requiring less storage volume. Energy and economic costs associated with cryogenic hydrogen storage are higher than compressed gas storage costs. This paper reviews the different solutions for hydrogen storage and high lighted the promising technology for vehicle use.