Metal hydride-based hydrogen storage for fuel cell hybrid electric vehicles: numerical evaluation under real-world operating conditions

The work investigates the integration of metal hydride (MH) hydrogen storage systems in a fuel cell plug-in hybrid electric microcar, with emphasis on how thermal management and system operation affect vehicle-level performance. A comprehensive numerical framework is developed by embedding a one-dimensional MH model into a hybrid powertrain simulation environment. The effectiveness of natural convection, forced convection using fuel cell waste heat, and passive thermal buffering through phase change materials (PCMs) is assessed. Results indicate that natural convection cannot sustain hydrogen desorption, whereas forced convection enables a 40% increase in driving range relative to a battery-electric vehicle (BEV). The inclusion of PCMs allows hydrogen utilization up to 99% in dual-tank layouts. These improvements translate into a driving range of around 180 km —three times the baseline BEV—and a fuel cell energy contribution approaching 50%. Simulations under realistic urban driving cycles confirm the suitability of MH-based storage for micromobility applications. • System-level modeling of a metal hydride storage in a fuel cell hybrid microcar. • Coupled analysis of metal hydride storage and PCM-based thermal management. • PCM integration enables >90% hydrogen utilization and stable fuel cell operation. • Thermal management and tank layout dominate vehicle performance. • Realistic urban driving analysis confirms feasibility for hydrogen micromobility.