Solid Hydrogen Fuel Cartridges

As technologies emerge that enhance the capabilities of the warfighter and his support elements, the demand for electrical energy grows proportionally. Battery storage capacities, while significant, limit the mission longevity of dismounted soldiers because of the weight in batteries required during deployment. A solution to this problem is the development of a solid hydrogen fuel system that provides clean hydrogen on demand to fuel cell based power systems. By leveraging on-going work, a new system design is proposed for demonstration and optimization. The resulting compact 50W power system will have an improved fuel cell stack design that minimizes system BOP and fuel system specific energies ranging from 630-940W-hr/kg depending on fuel cartridge geometry. Key to the success of this program is the assessment of fuel solutions and identification of candidates possessing the properties which permit minimal packaging in lightweight cartridges. Success of this program will result demonstration of a rugged 50W power system fueled by a solid hydrogen cartridge containing >4wt% packaged hydrogen contained in a BA-5390 footprint. Deployment of these systems will result in dramatic improvements in critical mission weight and runtimes, with better reliability and performance in extreme environments.