METAL HYDRIDE HEAT CONVERSION ON THE BASIS OF SUPERADIABATIC COMBUSTION WAVES IN POROUS-MEDIA

A unified concept of hydride heat conversion and low-concentration gas eous waste combustion is suggested and investigated by a numerical sim ulation method. In accordance with the concept, both the processes are carried out using heat recirculation in a porous medium under the con ditions close to thermodynamically perfect ones. A superadiabatic comb ustion wave serves as a high-temperature source for heat conversion wh ich recovers the equilibrium thermal potential of a hydride pair by he al recirculation from the converter elements, leaving a certain hear c onversion stage to the elements entering into the same stage. The conc ept is discussed using as an example, a system of two porous channels. The problem of increasing the heat effectiveness is solved by reducin g irreversible heat losses associated with cyclic temperature alternat ion of the working medium, a heat converter and its ballast elements. It is shown that the limiting thermal abilities of hydride heat conver sion in the refrigeration cycle can be realized almost completely. (C) 1997 International Association for Hydrogen Energy.