CFD simulations of the refueling of long horizontal H2 tanks with tilted injector

• Published in: International journal of hydrogen energy Vol. 54; pp. 562 - 573
• Main Authors: Martin, J., Nouvelot, Q., Ren, V., Lodier, G., Vyazmina, E., Ammouri, F., Carrere, P.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 07.02.2024
• Subjects: CFD vs. Experiments; Eddy viscosity; Refueling H2 tanks; SAS and RSM models; Turbulence model validation; SAS and RSM models; Refueling H2 tanks; CFD vs. Experiments; Turbulence model validation; Eddy viscosity
• ISSN: 0360-3199; 1879-3487
• DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2023.06.111

With the recent development of Hydrogen Refueling Stations (HRS), the refueling of hydrogen composite tanks is an important issue for the safe handling of hydrogen. In particular, an appropriate protocol is needed to avoid tank overheating during refueling. To model the temperature distribution everywhere inside the tank during these processes, CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) simulations have been performed under cases where thermal stratification occurs. The performances of several CFD turbulence models are benchmarked through a comparison with experimental data. Two injector configurations are considered in this work: a straight one and another tilted upwards. The U-RANS (Unsteady-Reynolds Averaged Navier-Stokes) - Reynolds Stress Model (RSM) is found to be the most reliable turbulence model for both configurations. •The study focuses on the effect of turbulence model on the accuracy of the CFD simulation of H2 refueling tank.•Eddy viscosity, SAS and RSM turbulence models comparison.•Importance of accurately modeling thermal stratification in hydrogen tank.•Compare an validate the accuracy of CFD simulation with experimental data.•Define a unique methodology for accurately evaluating thermal evolution during H2 refueling tank for all configuration.