PERFORMANCE OF HIGH-POWER METAL HYDRIDE REACTORS

Metal hydride reactors were built with porous powder metal hydride (PM H) compacts. An improved reactor built with copper coated PMH compacts of LaNi5 with a 1.27 cm diameter produced a nominal specific cooling power of 1.5 kW/kg hydride. A similar reactor, built with copper coate d PMH compacts of Ca(0.4)Mm(0.6)Ni(5), showed 2.2 kW/kg hydride. Resul ts with copper coated PMH compacts showed improved thermal conductivit y. The compacts are structurally strong and prevent migration of fine metal hydride particles. Life-cycle tests were performed on the reacto r with LaNi, for over 3000 cycles and the cooling power of the reactor gradually decreased by approximately 55%. (C) 1998 International Asso ciation for Hydrogen Energy.