Abstract: A metal hydride heat pump comprising a first and a second heat medium receptacle having heat media flowing therein and a plurality of closed vessels each containing a hydrogen gas atmosphere and divided into a first chamber having a first metal hydride filled therein and a second chamber having a second metal hydride filled therein, said first and second chambers of each closed vessel being made to communicate with each other so that hydrogen gas passes from one chamber to the other but the metal hydrides do not, and a group of the first chambers of the closed vessels being located within the first heat medium receptacle and a group of the second chambers of the closed vessels being located within the second heat medium receptacle, whereby heat exchange is carried out between the heat media in the first and second heat medium receptacles and the first and second metal hydrides through the external walls of the closed vessels.

Abstract: A heat pump device comprising a closed receptacle divided into a first chamber and a second chamber, means forming a hydrogen flow passage extending through the two chambers, said hydrogen flow passage permitting the flow of hydrogen but rejecting the flow of metal hydrides between the two chambers and being made at least partly of a porous material permeable to hydrogen and elastically deformable in response to an applied pressure, a first metal hydride filled in the first chamber and a second metal hydride filled in the second chamber.