Optimizing Material Selection for Hydrogen Storage Tanks Using Finite Element Analysis for Sustainable Energy Applications

Abstract

This study deals with optimizing material selection for hydrogen storage tanks using Finite Element Analysis (FEA) for sustainable energy applications. A cylindrical tank with hemispherical ends was modelled in Fusion 360 and evaluated in ANSYS 2024 R1 under a uniform internal pressure of 70 MPa. Four candidate materials (carbon fibre, titanium alloy, stainless steel, and aluminum alloy) were comparatively assessed through structural, thermal, and modal analyses. Results show that carbon fibre exhibited the lowest von Mises stress of 85 MPa with moderate deformation of 1.2 mm, indicating high stress efficiency but limited stiffness. Titanium alloy demonstrated a balanced response of 201 MPa stress and 1.8 mm deformation, while stainless steel recorded the highest stress of 320 MPa with controlled deformation of 2.1 mm. Aluminum alloy showed the largest deformation of 2.8 mm, reducing its suitability for standalone high-pressure use. Thermal analysis confirmed carbon fibre’s superior insulation performance, whereas metallic materials exhibited higher heat flux. Overall, titanium alloy emerged as the most structurally reliable material, while carbon fibre is better suited for insulation or hybrid reinforcement. The findings provide a comparative design framework for safe and sustainable hydrogen storage applications.

Keywords

Finite element analysis (FEA) / Material simulation / Renewable energy / Green hydrogen / Sustainability

Statement of the Use of Generative AI and AI-Assisted Technologies in the Writing Process

Large Language Model (ChatGPT, OpenAI) was used solely for language editing, grammar improvement, and clarity enhancement. All scientific content, analysis, results, and conclusions were developed and verified by the authors.

Author Contributions

This work was carried out in collaboration between all authors. Author C.S.I., O.C.N. and D.A.E. arranged the conceptualization, methodology, project administration, and the writing, original draft. D.A.E., O.R.P.-O. and U.V.O. worked on the software, structural analysis, thermal analysis, visualization, writing, review & editing. O.C.N., O.O.O. and N.I.E. did the data curation and simulation setup. M.A., D.A.E. and O.R.P.-O. worked on the literature review, results interpretation, & editing.

Ethics Statement

Not applicable.

Informed Consent Statement

Not applicable.

Data Availability Statement

Data will be made available upon request on [e-mail] (Corresponding Author’s ‘Daniel Arinze Ekpechi’ Email).

Funding

This research received no external funding.

Declaration of Competing Interest

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

References

[1] Lucić R, Raposo M, Chervinska A, Domingos T, Teixeira RFM. Global greenhouse gas emissions and land use impacts of soybean production: Systematic review and analysis. Sustainability 2025, 17, 3396. DOI: 10.3390/su17083396

[2] Dol SS, Amin AHM, Hamdan H. Advances in renewable energy research and applications. Energies 2024, 17, 6198. DOI: 10.3390/en17236198

[3] Rahman A, Farrok O, Haque MM. Environmental impact of renewable energy source-based electrical power plants: Solar, wind, hydroelectric, biomass, geothermal, tidal, ocean, and osmotic. Renew. Sustain. Energy Rev. 2022, 161, 112279. DOI: 10.1016/j.rser.2022.112279

[4] Mdallal AM, Yasin A, Mahmoud M, Abdelkareem MA, Alami AH, Olabi AG. A comprehensive review on solar photovoltaics: Navigating generational shifts, innovations, and sustainability. Sustain. Horiz. 2025, 13, 100137. DOI: 10.1016/j.horiz.2025.100137

[5] Silinto BF, van der Laag Yamu C, Zuidema C, Faaij APC. Hybrid renewable energy systems for rural electrification in developing countries: A review on energy system models and spatial explicit modelling tools. Renew. Sustain. Energy Rev. 2025, 207, 114916. DOI: 10.1016/j.rser.2024.114916

[6] Chybowski L. Advances in fuel energy. Energies 2026, 19, 328. DOI: 10.3390/en19020328

[7] Taušová M, Mykhei M, Čulkova K, Tauš P, Petráš D, Kaňuch P. Development of the implementation of renewable sources in EU countries in heating and cooling, transport, and electricity. Sustainability 2025, 17, 766. DOI: 10.3390/su17020766

[8] Ijaz A, Qureshi S, Zia UUR,Zia S, Malik SAA, Zulfiqar M. Green hydrogen as a decarbonization pathway for steel industry in Pakistan. Eng. Proc. 2025, 111, 39. DOI: 10.3390/engproc2025111039

[9] Reddy VJ, Hariram NP, Maity R, Ghazali MF, Kumarasamy S. Sustainable e-fuels: Green hydrogen, methanol and ammonia for carbon-neutral transportation. World Electr. Veh. J. 2023, 14, 349. DOI: 10.3390/wevj14120349

[10] Adeli K, Nachtane M, Faik A, Saifaoui D, Boulezhar A. How green hydrogen and ammonia are revolutionizing the future of energy production: A comprehensive review of the latest developments and future prospects. Appl. Sci. 2023, 13, 8711. DOI: 10.3390/app13158711

[11] Taneja S, Jain A, Bhadoriya Y. Green hydrogen as a clean energy resource and its applications as an engine fuel. Eng. Proc. 2023, 59, 159. DOI: 10.3390/engproc2023059159

[12] Barbosa LT, Vasconcelos SD, Rosas PAC, Castro JFC, Barbosa DCP. Assessment of green hydrogen as energy supply alternative for isolated power systems and microgrids. Energies 2024, 17, 4774. DOI: 10.3390/en17194774

[13] Marouani I, Guesmi T, Alshammari BM, Alqunun K, Alzamil A, Alturki M, et al. Integration of renewable-energy-based green hydrogen into the energy future. Processes 2023, 11, 2685. DOI: 10.3390/pr11092685

[14] Kostidi E, Kotrikla AM, Maglara A, Lilas T. Sustainable fuel supply for very small island transportation: The potential of hybrid renewable energy and green hydrogen. J. Mar. Sci. Eng. 2025, 13, 579. DOI: 10.3390/jmse13030579

[15] Ameli H, Strbac G, Pudjianto D, Ameli MT. A review of the role of hydrogen in the heat decarbonization of future energy systems: Insights and perspectives. Energies 2024, 17, 1688. DOI: 10.3390/en17071688

[16] Gołdasz A, Sztekler K, Mika Ł. Technical analysis of the possibility of burning hydrogen in furnaces of the metallurgical sector. Energies 2024, 17, 4733. DOI: 10.3390/en17184733

[17] Rego G, Rocha J, Faria JA, Afonso JL, Monteiro V. A review of hydrogen production methods and power electronics converter topologies for green hydrogen applications. Energies 2024, 17, 5579. DOI: 10.3390/en17225579

[18] Hassan A, Abdel-Rahim O, Bajaj M, Zaitsev I. Power electronics for green hydrogen generation with focus on methods, topologies, and comparative analysis. Sci. Rep. 2024, 14, 24767. DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-76191-6

[19] Tuluhong A, Chang Q, Xie L, Xu Z, Song T. Current status of green hydrogen production technology: A review. Sustainability 2024, 16, 9070. DOI: 10.3390/su16209070

[20] Angelico R, Giametta F, Bianchi B, Catalano P. Green hydrogen for energy transition: A critical perspective. Energies 2025, 18, 404. DOI: 10.3390/en18020404

[21] Alavi-Borazjani SA, Adeel S, Chkoniya V. Hydrogen as a sustainable fuel: Transforming maritime logistics. Energies 2025, 18, 1231. DOI: 10.3390/en18051231

[22] Bacquart T, Moore N, Wilmot R, Bartlett S, Morris ASO, Olden J, et al. Hydrogen for maritime application-Quality of hydrogen generated onboard ship by electrolysis of purified seawater. Processes 2021, 9, 1252. DOI: 10.3390/pr9071252

[23] Atilhan S, Park S, El-Halwagi MM, Atilhan M, Moore M, Nielsen RB. Green hydrogen as an alternative fuel for the shipping industry. Curr. Opin. Chem. Eng. 2021, 31, 100668. DOI: 10.1016/j.coche.2020.100668

[24] Motevakel P, Roldán-Blay C, Roldán-Porta C, Escrivá-Escrivá G, Dasí-Crespo D. Strategic resource planning for sustainable biogas integration in hybrid renewable energy systems. Appl. Sci. 2025, 15, 642. DOI: 10.3390/app15020642

[25] Muthukumar S, Jassim MAJM, Mathangee PS, Vignesh S. Finite element analysis and thickness optimisation of composite tank for high pressure hydrogen storage. Int. J. Veh. Struct. Syst. 2024, 16, 23. DOI: 10.4273/ijvss.16.1.23

[26] Gómez J, Castro R. Green hydrogen energy systems: A review on their contribution to a renewable energy system. Energies 2024, 17, 3110. DOI: 10.3390/en17133110

[27] Muthukumar P, Singhal A, Bansal GK. Thermal modeling and performance analysis of industrial-scale metal hydride-based hydrogen storage container. Int. J. Hydrogen Energy 2012, 37, 14351-14364. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2012.07.010

[28] Freni A, Cipitì F, Cacciola G. Finite element-based simulation of a metal hydride-based hydrogen storage tank. Int. J. Hydrogen Energy 2009, 34, 8574-8582. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2009.07.118

[29] Kumar N, Aepuru R, Lee SY, Park SJ. Advances in catalysts for hydrogen production: A comprehensive review of materials and mechanisms. Nanomaterials 2025, 15, 256. DOI: 10.3390/nano15040256

[30] Irham A, Roslan MF, Jern KP, Hannan MA, Mahlia TMI. Hydrogen energy storage integrated grid: A bibliometric analysis for sustainable energy production. Int. J. Hydrogen Energy 2024, 63, 1044-1087. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2024.03.235

[31] Califano M, Califano F, Sorrentino M, Rosen MA, Pianese C. Hydrogen-based microgrid: Development of medium level controls in a multilevel algorithm framework. Int. J. Hydrogen Energy 2024, 52, 1173-1189. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijhydene.2023.06.286

[32] Okonicha AC, Okwuanaso CI. A review of green hydrogen production and the obstacles to the hydrogen green economy. Int. J. Sci. Res. Arch. 2024, 12, 1867-1872. DOI: 10.30574/ijsra.2024.12.2.1465

[33] Sharma VK, Monteleone G, Braccio G, Anyanwu CN, Aneke NN. A comprehensive review of green energy technologies: Towards sustainable clean energy transition and global net-zero carbon emissions. Processes 2025, 13, 69. DOI: 10.3390/pr13010069

[34] Senthil SK, Bibin C, Ramachandran M. Design and analysis of hydrogen storage tank with different materials by ANSYS. IOP Conf. Ser. Mater. Sci. Eng. 2020, 810, 012016. DOI: 10.1088/1757-899X/810/1/012016

[35] Magliano A, Perez Carrera C, Pappalardo CM, Guida D, Berardi VP. A comprehensive literature review on hydrogen tanks: Storage, safety, and structural integrity. Appl. Sci. 2024, 14, 9348. DOI: 10.3390/app14209348

[36] William G, Shoukry S, Prucz J, Evans T. Finite element analysis of composite over-wrapped pressure vessels for hydrogen storage. SAE Int. J. Passeng. Cars Mech. Syst. 2013, 6, 1499-1504. DOI: 10.4271/2013-01-2477

[37] Yuan K, Liu Z. A structural mechanics analysis on a Type IV hydrogen storage tank during refueling and discharging. Eng. Fail. Anal. 2024, 165, 108822. Doi: 10.1016/J.Engfailanal.2024.108822

[38] Cui TC, Liu PF, Zheng JY, Gu CH. Finite element analysis of hydrogen transport in steel pressure vessel at room temperature. J. Fail. Anal. Prev. 2016, 16, 449-456. DOI: 10.1007/s11668-016-0105-2

[39] Atstāja D. Renewable energy for sustainable development: Opportunities and current landscape. Energies 2025, 18, 196. DOI: 10.3390/en18010196

[40] Mneimneh F, Ghazzawi H, Hejjeh MA, Manganelli M, Ramakrishna S. Roadmap to achieving sustainable development via green hydrogen. Energies 2023, 16, 1368. DOI: 10.3390/en16031368

[41] Edbais A, Hossain M. Future roadmap for the implementation of Sustainable Development Goals SDG9: Industry, innovation, and infrastructure in Kuwait. Sustainability 2025, 17, 477. DOI: 10.3390/su17020477

[42] Canaroli L, Baldi N, Del Pero F, La Battaglia V, Arcidiacono G, Citti P. Mechanical characterization of carbon fiber composite materials with different reinforcement and thickness cured in autoclave. Hybrid Adv. 2025, 11, 100550. DOI: 10.1016/j.hybadv.2025.100550

[43] Reda R, Ataya S, Ashraf A. Finite Element Modeling of Different Types of Hydrogen Pressure Vessels Under Extreme Conditions for Space Applications. Processes 2025, 13, 1429. DOI: 10.3390/pr13051429

[44] Cavaliere P, Sadeghi B, Perrone A, Marsano D, Marzanese A. Modelling of hydrogen diffusion leading to embrittlement in austenitic stainless steels. Int. J. Press. Vessel. Pip. 2024, 208, 105120. DOI: 10.1016/j.ijpvp.2023.105120

[45] Feng Q, Li C. Light alloy and its application (2nd edition). Metals 2026, 16, 70. DOI: 10.3390/met16010070

[46] Willis KDD, Pu Y, Luo J, Chu H, Du T, Lambourne JG, et al. Fusion 360 Gallery: A dataset and environment for programmatic CAD reconstruction. ACM Trans. Graph. 2021, 40, 1-24. DOI: 10.1145/3450626.3459818

[47] Ansys Academic Development Team. Materials Selection Challenge Report 2024 (PAPMSCEN24) ; Ansys Inc.: Canonsburg, PA, USA, 2024. Available online: https://www.ansys.com/content/dam/web/academic/education-resources/resources/materials-selection-challenge-reports-2024-papmscen24.pdf

[48] Li W, Wang S, Yang X, Duan H, Wang Y, Yang Z. Research progress on fatigue damage and surface strengthening technology of titanium alloys for aerospace applications. Metals 2025, 15, 192. DOI: 10.3390/met15020192

[49] Reda R, Ashraf A, Magdy I, Ragab M, Eldabaa N, Elmagd MA, et al. An investigation on the potential of utilizing aluminum alloys in the production and storage of hydrogen gas. Materials 2024, 17, 4032. DOI: 10.3390/ma17164032

[50] Takahashi RJ, Assis JMKD, Fazan LH, Rodríguez LAA, Capella AG, Reis DAP. TBC development on Ti-6Al-4V for aerospace application. Coatings 2025, 15, 47. DOI: 10.3390/coatings15010047

[51] Alshihabi M, El Said M, Alshami A, Ali S, Deiab I. Influence of carbon fiber reinforcement on mechanical and thermal behavior of PLA and PAHT in additive manufacturing. Machines 2025, 13, 985. DOI: 10.3390/machines13110985

[52] Callister WD, Jr., Rethwisch DG. Materials Science and Engineering: An Introduction , 10th ed.; Wiley: Hoboken, NJ, USA, 2018.

[53] Zeng F, Yang S, Gao K, Xiao Q. Analysis of the mechanical behavior of a new stainles steel formwork. Buildings 2025, 15, 2394. DOI: 10.3390/buildings15142394

[54] Zhao Q, Sun Q, Xin S, Chen Y, Wu C, Wang H, et al. High-strength titanium alloys for aerospace engineering applications: A review on melting-forging process. Mater. Sci. Eng. A 2022, 845, 143260. DOI: 10.1016/j.msea.2022.143260

[55] Zhao Q, Wang H. Performance Modulation of AB₂-Type Ti-Mn-Based Alloys for Compact Solid-State Hydrogen Storage Tank . Energies 2025, 18, 4980. DOI: 10.3390/en18184980

[56] Chung S, Kim C-J. Evaluation of the modal parameters of a unidirectional carbon-based composite structure using the influential factor of static loading. Materials 2024, 17, 3209. DOI: 10.3390/ma17133209

[57] Lionetto F. Advances in carbon fiber reinforced polymers. Materials 2026, 19, 231. DOI: 10.3390/ma19020231

[58] Yang WB, Zhan L, Liu L, Meng FX, Zhang R, Tuerxun K, et al. The microstructure regulation mechanism and future application of aluminum alloys manipulated by nanocrystalline structures formed by in situ amorphous crystallization. Materials 2025, 18, 4206. DOI: 10.3390/ma18174206