Metal “sponge” for storing natural gas

Natural gas represents a more environmentally friendly and cheaper alternative to gasoline as a fuel for cars, but at the same time it must be stored in heavy metal containers under pressure. This creates certain problems, including negatively affecting the design of the car itself. Engineers at the Swanson Technical School at the University of Pittsburgh offer a solution: they used organometallic structures (MOF) to create a new type of storage system that absorbs natural gas like a sponge. Now they are solving the problem of heat transfer in such a system.

The system is described in the article “Mechanisms of Heat Transfer in Porous Crystals Containing Adsorbed Gases: Applications to Metal-Organic Frameworks”, which was published in the journal last week.Letters Review, the Physical , the authors - Associate Professor of Chemical and Petroleum Engineering Christopher E. Wilmer (Christopher E. Wilmer) and fellow doctoral Hassan Babai (Hasan Babaei).

“One of the main challenges in developing natural gas adsorption (ANG) storage systems is that the adsorption process generates a significant amount of heat, limiting the rate of replenishment of the tank,” says Dr. Wilmer. - Unfortunately, little is known about how to make adsorbents quickly dissipate heat. This study sheds some light on the fundamental mechanisms that take place. ”

Wilmer previously founded startup NuMat Technologiesdeveloping solutions based on organometallic structures for the gas industry.

“With a better understanding of atomic-scale heat transfer mechanisms in porous materials, we can develop a more efficient material that is thermally conductive rather than thermally insulating,” he explains. “In addition to natural gas, these discoveries will help to design the best storage systems for hydrogen as well.” Any industrial process where gas contacts a porous material, where heat transfer plays an important role, could potentially benefit from this study. ”