Advances in Thermal Management for Liquid Hydrogen Storage: The Lunar Perspective
Liquid hydrogen is regarded as a key energy source and propellant for lunar bases due to its high energy density and abundance of polar water ice resources. However, its low boiling point and high latent heat of vaporization pose severe challenges for storage and management under the extreme lunar e...
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| author | Jing Li Fulin Fan Jingkai Xu Heran Li Jian Mei Teng Fei Chuanyu Sun Jinhai Jiang Rui Xue Wenying Yang Kai Song |
| author_facet | Jing Li Fulin Fan Jingkai Xu Heran Li Jian Mei Teng Fei Chuanyu Sun Jinhai Jiang Rui Xue Wenying Yang Kai Song |
| author_sort | Jing Li |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Liquid hydrogen is regarded as a key energy source and propellant for lunar bases due to its high energy density and abundance of polar water ice resources. However, its low boiling point and high latent heat of vaporization pose severe challenges for storage and management under the extreme lunar environment characterized by wide temperature variations, low pressure, and low gravity. This paper reviews the strategies for siting and deployment of liquid hydrogen storage systems on the Moon and the technical challenges posed by the lunar environment, with particular attention for thermal management technologies. Passive technologies include advanced insulation materials, thermal shielding, gas-cooled shielding layers, ortho-para hydrogen conversion, and passive venting, which optimize insulation performance and structural design to effectively reduce evaporation losses and maintain storage stability. Active technologies, such as cryogenic fluid mixing, thermodynamic venting, and refrigeration systems, dynamically regulate heat transfer and pressure variations within storage tanks, further enhancing storage efficiency and system reliability. In addition, this paper explores boil-off hydrogen recovery and reutilization strategies for liquid hydrogen, including hydrogen reliquefaction, mechanical, and non-mechanical compression. By recycling vaporized hydrogen, these strategies reduce resource waste and support the sustainable development of energy systems for lunar bases. In conclusion, this paper systematically evaluates passive and active thermal management technologies as well as vapor recovery strategies along with their technical adaptability, and then proposes feasible storage designs for the lunar environment. These efforts provide critical theoretical foundations and technical references for achieving safe and efficient storage of liquid hydrogen and energy self-sufficiency in lunar bases. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-040a2f453702497eb0cd40744f26bd04 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1996-1073 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-04-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Energies |
| spelling | doaj-art-040a2f453702497eb0cd40744f26bd042025-08-20T01:49:24ZengMDPI AGEnergies1996-10732025-04-01189222010.3390/en18092220Advances in Thermal Management for Liquid Hydrogen Storage: The Lunar PerspectiveJing Li0Fulin Fan1Jingkai Xu2Heran Li3Jian Mei4Teng Fei5Chuanyu Sun6Jinhai Jiang7Rui Xue8Wenying Yang9Kai Song10School of Electrical Engineering and Automation, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, ChinaSchool of Electrical Engineering and Automation, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, ChinaSchool of Electrical Engineering and Automation, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, ChinaSchool of Electrical Engineering and Automation, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, ChinaSchool of Electrical Engineering and Automation, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, ChinaComplex Environment Architecture Research Institute, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, ChinaSchool of Electrical Engineering and Automation, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, ChinaSchool of Electrical Engineering and Automation, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, ChinaSuzhou Research Institute, Harbin Institute of Technology, Suzhou 215104, ChinaSchool of Electrical Engineering and Automation, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, ChinaSchool of Electrical Engineering and Automation, Harbin Institute of Technology, Harbin 150001, ChinaLiquid hydrogen is regarded as a key energy source and propellant for lunar bases due to its high energy density and abundance of polar water ice resources. However, its low boiling point and high latent heat of vaporization pose severe challenges for storage and management under the extreme lunar environment characterized by wide temperature variations, low pressure, and low gravity. This paper reviews the strategies for siting and deployment of liquid hydrogen storage systems on the Moon and the technical challenges posed by the lunar environment, with particular attention for thermal management technologies. Passive technologies include advanced insulation materials, thermal shielding, gas-cooled shielding layers, ortho-para hydrogen conversion, and passive venting, which optimize insulation performance and structural design to effectively reduce evaporation losses and maintain storage stability. Active technologies, such as cryogenic fluid mixing, thermodynamic venting, and refrigeration systems, dynamically regulate heat transfer and pressure variations within storage tanks, further enhancing storage efficiency and system reliability. In addition, this paper explores boil-off hydrogen recovery and reutilization strategies for liquid hydrogen, including hydrogen reliquefaction, mechanical, and non-mechanical compression. By recycling vaporized hydrogen, these strategies reduce resource waste and support the sustainable development of energy systems for lunar bases. In conclusion, this paper systematically evaluates passive and active thermal management technologies as well as vapor recovery strategies along with their technical adaptability, and then proposes feasible storage designs for the lunar environment. These efforts provide critical theoretical foundations and technical references for achieving safe and efficient storage of liquid hydrogen and energy self-sufficiency in lunar bases.https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/9/2220liquid hydrogen storagelunar environmentthermal managementboil-off hydrogen recoveryfeasible storage designs |
| spellingShingle | Jing Li Fulin Fan Jingkai Xu Heran Li Jian Mei Teng Fei Chuanyu Sun Jinhai Jiang Rui Xue Wenying Yang Kai Song Advances in Thermal Management for Liquid Hydrogen Storage: The Lunar Perspective Energies liquid hydrogen storage lunar environment thermal management boil-off hydrogen recovery feasible storage designs |
| title | Advances in Thermal Management for Liquid Hydrogen Storage: The Lunar Perspective |
| title_full | Advances in Thermal Management for Liquid Hydrogen Storage: The Lunar Perspective |
| title_fullStr | Advances in Thermal Management for Liquid Hydrogen Storage: The Lunar Perspective |
| title_full_unstemmed | Advances in Thermal Management for Liquid Hydrogen Storage: The Lunar Perspective |
| title_short | Advances in Thermal Management for Liquid Hydrogen Storage: The Lunar Perspective |
| title_sort | advances in thermal management for liquid hydrogen storage the lunar perspective |
| topic | liquid hydrogen storage lunar environment thermal management boil-off hydrogen recovery feasible storage designs |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1996-1073/18/9/2220 |
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