Open AccessArticle
Thermodynamic Behavior of Onboard Hydrogen Storage Cylinders Under Real-Gas Conditions Using an Equivalent Thermal Conductivity Method for Multi-Layered Structures
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Heng Xu, Jia-Wen Liu, Xue-Li Li, Jia-Han Guo, Shu-Wei Chen, Yi-Ming Dai, Ji-Chao Li and Ji-Qiang Li
Fire 2026, 9(6), 214; https://doi.org/10.3390/fire9060214 (registering DOI) - 22 May 2026
Abstract
The thermodynamic prediction of the fast refueling process for vehicular hydrogen storage cylinders faces the complex problem of modeling multi-layer composite walls. Drawing on the series thermal resistance principle, this paper introduces an equivalent thermal conductivity approach, simplifying the multi-layer structure into homogeneous
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The thermodynamic prediction of the fast refueling process for vehicular hydrogen storage cylinders faces the complex problem of modeling multi-layer composite walls. Drawing on the series thermal resistance principle, this paper introduces an equivalent thermal conductivity approach, simplifying the multi-layer structure into homogeneous material. Combined with the real-gas-state equation, a coupled thermodynamic framework combining zero-dimensional gas dynamics and one-dimensional cylinder wall heat transfer is developed. The comparison and verification with the 70 MPa fast charging experimental data have demonstrated that the proposed model exhibits sufficient accuracy and robustness for the problem. By comparing the temperature rise changes of different volume type-III gas cylinders, it was found that the surface area-to-volume ratio (A/V) was the primary geometric factor—the key geometric parameter that governs the temperature rise behavior. Larger volume gas cylinders exhibit more significant temperature rise due to their lower heat dissipation efficiency. A further comparison of the thermal response characteristics between Type-III and Type-IV cylinders demonstrates that the equivalent thermal conductivity is the dominant parameter determining the temperature rise behavior: The lower this coefficient, the stronger the limitation on the cylinder’s heat dissipation capacity, and the more pronounced the temperature rise. The proposed method not only ensures accuracy but also reduces the complexity of the modeling process, providing an efficient theoretical tool for optimizing the refueling strategy and conducting thermal safety assessment of vehicular hydrogen storage systems.
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