Promoting Effect of Through-Hole Metal Foam on Hydrogen Hydrate Formation

Clathrate hydrate-based hydrogen storage is an emerging technology that allows safe storage and the controllable release of hydrogen, making it a promising approach for secure hydrogen storage. In this study, hydrogen hydrate formation kinetics were first investigated in sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS)/cyclopentane (CP)/H2 systems, using aluminum foam (AF) with pore densities of 20, 90, and 120 pores per inch (PPI). The results indicate that the AF framework provides abundant nucleation sites for hydrate formation, leading to a significant reduction in the induction time to within 20 min. Compared to AF with other pore densities, the 90 PPI AF demonstrates the most pronounced enhancement effect on hydrate formation, achieving a hydrogen gas uptake of up to 24.8 mmol H2/mol H2O at 12 MPa. In addition, a higher filling ratio of AF effectively promotes axial heat transfer during hydrate formation, leading to an increased hydrogen storage capacity. However, for systems with a high AF filling ratio, increasing the pressure shows no significant improvement in gas uptake.