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

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

Chima Samuel Ike 1 Daniel Arinze Ekpechi 1,* Oluchi Rosemary Paul-Okore 1 Uchechukwu Victor Opara 1 Olisaemeka Chukwudozie Nwufo 1 Okoro Owara Ota 1 Nkechinyelu Ifeatu Ezeaku 2 Muhammad Ahmad 3

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1
Department of Mechanical Engineering, Federal University of Technology, Owerri 460261, Nigeria
2
Department of Industrial Engineering, Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka 420110, Nigeria
3
Department of Mechatronics Engineering, Bayero University Kano, Kano 700006, Nigeria
*
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Received: 25 April 2026 Revised: 12 May 2026 Accepted: 20 May 2026 Published: 01 June 2026

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© 2026 The authors. This is an open access article under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

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Intell. Sustain. Manuf. 2026, 3(1), 10011; DOI: 10.70322/ism.2026.10011
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

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