Discharge dynamics of coupled fuel cell and metal hydride hydrogen storage bed for small wind hybrid systems

In small hybrid wind systems, excess wind energy is stored for later use during the deficit power generation. Excess wind energy can be stored as hydrogen in a metal hydride storage bed and reused later to generate power using a fuel cell. This paper deals with the discharge dynamics of the coupled fuel cell and metal hydride storage bed during the power extraction. Thermal coupling of the fuel cell and metal hydride bed is also discussed. The waste heat generated in the fuel cell is removed using a water coolant. The exit fuel cell coolant stream is passed through the metal hydride storage bed to supply the necessary heat required for desorption of hydrogen from the bed. This will also lead to a reduction in the load on the radiator. The discharge dynamics and the thermal management of the coupled system are demonstrated through a system simulation model developed in Matlab/Simulink platform.