Technical Papers and Presentations

Smart materials, due to their ability to undergo structural and functional changes in response to external stimuli have garnered significant attention in different applications. Among these, metal hydrides have been extensively studied as potential candidates for hydrogen storage. However their practical applicability has been hindered by relatively low gravimetric storage capacity. Despite this limitation, the volumetric deformation exhibited by metal hydrides during hydrogenation can makes them promising candidates for sensors and actuators. This study focuses on exploring the viability of metal hydrides, particularly LaNi5 as thermal actuators where heat transfer plays a critical role in their hydrogenation performance. A numerical investigation was conducted in COMSOL Multiphysics® to assess the performance of actuator elements based on LaNi5 alloy. The findings reveal that metal hydrides hold tremendous potential for application in sensing and actuation devices due to their distinctive characteristics. Keywords: Metal hydride, Actuator, Simulation, LaNi5