Hydrogen On-Demand and its Application in Fuel Cells for Extended Missions

This work presents the potential electric energy storage capabilities of fuel cells and hydrogen generated on demand from water and activated aluminum powder. A novel patented method for aluminum activation, developed at the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering at the Technion, makes the aluminum-water reaction a practical and safe source for hydrogen in various applications.

The original thermo-chemical process for aluminum activation involves a small fraction (typically 1-2.5wt%) of lithium-based activator embedded within the aluminum particles and enables spontaneous and sustained reaction, at room temperature, between aluminum powder and any type of water including tap water, sea water, purified water, and waste water. Parametric investigating of the hydrogen produced by the aluminum-water reaction demonstrated high reaction rates (200-600 ml/min/gAl) and high yields (about 90%) at different reaction conditions.

The combination of the aluminum-water reaction and fuel cells stores theoretically about 2200 Wh/kg Al of electric energy. It can be used in a wide variety of applications including automotive, aerospace, and marine. We demonstrated this technology with a model car and boat that have been designed and constructed at our lab. They are propelled by an electric motor with an on-board hydrogen reactor and a fuel cell, Link: http://youtu.be/MJDnBR5X08g.

For defense use, the applications in unmanned aerial and underwater vehicles, as well as energy packs for soldiers have been investigated. A comparison with the existing energy storage solutions reveals that either substantial weight reduction or extended operating time is possible.