August 3, 2016 – A stationary vessel developed by Oak Ridge National Laboratory researchers Zhili Feng and Yanli Wang could be the key to less expensive hydrogen storage, making it possible for more hydrogen-powered vehicles to hit the road in the near future. Feng and Wang have designed a steel-concrete composite vessel that optimizes cost, scalability, durability and safety, effectively solving the hydrogen embrittlement problem that causes corrosion in conventional stainless steel containers. With Feng’s steel-concrete composite vessel, small vents prevent pressure buildup. “By allowing hydrogen to migrate through the innermost layer of the vessel through ports, the design mitigates hydrogen embrittlement in a layered steel alloy vessel,” Feng said. “This design is safer and more cost-effective, making hydrogen easier to store at the station.”
A 90-kilogram 430-bar prototype of the steel-concrete composite vessel has been manufactured, and is undergoing fatigue testing.
