Examination of Polymeric Foam as an On-board Vehicular Hpr Hydrogen Storage Media

BANYAY, GREGORY ALLEN, M.S., June 2006, Mechanical Engineering EXAMINATION OF POLYMERIC FOAM AS AN ON-BOARD VEHICULAR HPR HYDROGEN STORAGE MEDIA (113 pp.) Director of Thesis: Bhavin V. Mehta One of the major hurdles to be traversed before a Hydrogen Economy becomes practical, and therefore abundant, is the problem of its storage. An ideal HPR pressure vessel exhibits uniformly sized, spherical cells arranged in a homogeneous fashion. An ideal HPR pressure vessel is probably a feasible option for the automotive industry. Although the ideal microstructure may be sound, the structural integrity of the actual microstructure of polymeric foams was examined. Various polymeric foam samples were obtained and examined via the use of Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) imaging and X-ray computed Micro-Tomography (micro-CT). The mechanical behavior of such foams under internal pressure was simulated and analyzed using Finite Element Analysis (FEA). While neither the H130 nor the DF-630A foam structures proved adequate to compete with other current hydrogen storage methods, this work has developed an effective methodology for the examination of polymeric foam for HPR application. Approved:_______________________________________________________________ Bhavin V. Mehta Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering This thesis is dedicated to my wife, Jennifer.