Metal hydride reactor

A heat pump comprising two metal hydride reactors, each reactor including:

• a tubular pressure receptacle having an opening at one end thereof and containing a metal hydride therein, at least a part of the outer wall surface of said tubular pressure receptacle forming a heat-exchanging surface;
• means, including at least one heat-conducting fin formed of a heat-conducting material within said receptacle, for transmitting heat from the metal hydride in said receptacle through said at least one fin to said heat-exchanging surface, and for limiting the location of the metal hydride in said pressure receptacle;
• and
• at least one axially elongated elastically deformable, plastic porous member extending axially of said receptacle so as to form within said receptacle a hydrogen gas flow passage leading to said opening of said receptacle, said porous member being permeable to hydrogen gas and impermeable to the metal hydride;
• the hydride in said two reactors having different equilibrium dissociation pressure characteristics, and two reactors being connected through openings in the pressure receptacles of each such that hydrogen gas is exchangable between said two reactors.