Multiple Mode-of-Use Fuel Cartridges For Portable Power Employing Chemical Hydrides

This program addresses "advanced techniques for energy storage" in the Topic AF05-192 titled "Aeropropulsion and Power Technology". The objective of this proposed program is to develop a sodium borohydride based fuel cartridge concept that has the flexibility to operate with either ready-to-use, premixed aqueous solutions of sodium borohydride, or alternatively, with quantized solid sodium borohydride fuel formulation packets that a soldier can combine with available field water or bodily fluids. Primary Phase I goals include (a) conducting research to outline the impurities present in environmentally available water sources and potential effects on the hydrogen generation system, and (b) developing an engineering design concept that enhances the current state-of-the-art hydrogen generation technology with the added flexibility of multiple-mode-of-use cartridges. We will perform a structured analysis of multiple system design concepts from which we will select a final multiple-mode-of-use cartridge design concept that would be fabricated and tested in a Phase II program. This fuel cartridge would ultimately be integrated with a PEM-based portable power solution currently under development in a related effort.