Effect of Real Gas Equations on Calculation Accuracy of Thermodynamic State in Hydrogen Storage Tank

The gas equation of state (EOS) serves as a critical tool for analyzing the thermal effects within the hydrogen storage tank during refueling processes. It quantifies the dynamic relationships among pressure, temperature and volume, playing a vital role in numerical simulations of hydrogen refueling, the development of refueling protocols, and ensuring refueling safety. This study first establishes a lumped-parameter thermodynamic model for the hydrogen refueling process, which combines a zero-dimensional gas model with a one-dimensional tank wall model (0D1D). The model’s accuracy was validated against experimental data and will be used in combination with different EOSs to simulate hydrogen temperature and pressure. Subsequently, parameter values are derived for the van der Waals EOS and its modified forms—Redlich–Kwong, Soave, and Peng–Robinson. The accuracy of the modified forms is evaluated using the Joule–Thomson inversion curve. A polynomial EOS is formulated, and its parameters are numerically determined. Finally, the hydrogen temperatures and pressures calculated using the van der Waals EOS, Redlich–Kwong EOS, polynomial EOS, and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) database are compared. Within the initial and boundary conditions set in this study, the results indicate that among the modified forms for van der Waals EOS, the Redlich–Kwong EOS exhibits higher accuracy than the Soave and Peng–Robinson EOSs. Using the NIST-calculated hydrogen pressure as a benchmark, the relative error is 0.30% for the polynomial EOS, 1.83% for the Redlich–Kwong EOS, and 17.90% for the van der Waals EOS. Thus, the polynomial EOS exhibits higher accuracy, followed by the Redlich–Kwong EOS, while the van der Waals EOS demonstrates lower accuracy. This research provides a theoretical basis for selecting an appropriate EOS in numerical simulations of hydrogen refueling processes.