Abstract
Metal hydride hydrogen compressors have been explored as an alternative to mechanical hydrogen compressors since the first patents were filed in the 1970s. As heat engines, their productivity notably depends on the achievable heat transfer rate, which is limited by the pressure-bearing walls separating the heat transfer fluid from the reactive metal hydride beds and their effective thermal conductivity. Here we present and analyze an alternative metal hydride compressor system that uses hydrogen as a heat transfer fluid in direct convective contact with the metal hydride material. Following this principle, we demonstrate how an integrated compressor can be designed and how it behaves at both system and metal hydride bed levels. Simulations of a system operating at 10 – 90 °C indicate that specific productivities of 300 Ln h⁻¹ kg⁻¹ can be achieved at low electrical energy demand, with isothermal efficiencies surpassing the ~75 % typically attained by mechanical piston compressors.
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Data availability
All data generated in the scope of this work are included in the article and its Supplementary Information. Additional data are available on request from the corresponding author. Source data underlying the figures in this article are provided at https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18261689.
Code availability
The code generated for the simulations in Aspen Custom Modeler® and Comsol Multiphysics® is available on request from the corresponding author.
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Acknowledgements
This research work is in the frame of the project Digi-HyPro, funded by dtec.bw—Digitalization and Technology Research Center of the Bundeswehr, which the authors gratefully acknowledge. dtec.bw is funded by the European Union—NextGenerationEU.
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Conceptualization: L.F.; Methodology: L.F., J.P.; Analysis: L.F., J.P., M.P.; Writing—original draft: L.F.; Writing—review and editing: L.F., J.P., M.P., J.J.; Supervision: J.P., J.J., T.K.; Funding Acquisition: J.P., T.K., J.J.
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Communications Engineering thanks Patrick Preuster and the other, anonymous, reviewer(s) for their contribution to the peer review of this work. Primary Handling Editors: [Sunghoon Hur] and [Rosamund Daw]. [A peer review file is available.]
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Fleming, L., Passing, M., Puszkiel, J. et al. A Metal Hydride Compressor Concept using Hydrogen as a Heat Transfer Fluid. Commun Eng (2026). https://doi.org/10.1038/s44172-026-00615-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s44172-026-00615-6
