LOAD RESPONSIVE HYDROGEN GENERATOR FOR UUV APPLICATION

A PROGRAM FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF A HYDROGEN GENERATOR FOR USE WITH PEM FUEL CELLS IN UUV APPLICATIONS IS PROPOSED. HYDROGEN IS GENERATED BY REACTING ALKALI AND ALKALIEARTH METAL HYDRIDES WITH WATER. PURE HYDROGEN AND ALKALI-ALKALI EARTH METAL OXIDES OR HYDROXIDES ARE FORMED. ENERGY DENSITIES MAY EXCEED 1KWHR/LB OF REACTANTS. GENERATION IS NOT AFFECTED BY VEHICLE POSITION OR MOTION. THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT ADDRESSES: 1. THE PROBLEM OF UNIFORMITY AND COMPLETENESS OF REACTANT UTILIZATION. 2. CONTROL OF HYDROGEN GENERATION RATE (LOAD RESPONSIVE GENERATION). 3. VOLUME EXPANSION OF SOLID REACTANTS. 4. DISSIPATION OF REACTION HEAT. THE SOLID HYDRIDE REACTANT IS DISTRIBUTED FOR THIS PURPOSE IN A CARTRIDGE OF CORRUGATED AND PERFORATED SHEET METAL. STRANDS OF WICKING MATERIAL ARE PLACED IN CONTACT OF THE HYDRIDE AND WICKING PADS PLACED ON EITHER SIDE OF THE ASSEMBLY. THE CARTRIDGE IS PLACED IN A PRESSURE VESSEL. WATER IS METERED TO THE VESSEL AND DISTRIBUTED RAPIDLY BY WICKING THROUGHOUT THE CARTRIDGE GENERATING HYDROGEN AS REQUIRED BY THE LOAD (LOAD RESPONSIVE). IN ADDITION, WATER IS VAPORIZED BY THE HEAT GENERATED IN THE REACTION AND CONDENSED ON THE REACTOR WALLS OR COOLING COILS BEFORE BEING RECYCLED BY WICKING. THE VOLUME EXPANSION TAKING PLACE DURING THE CONVERSION IS TAKEN UP BY THE CORRUGATED SHEET METAL STRUCTURE. THE HYDROGEN GENERATOR TO BE DEVELOPED UNDER THE PROPOSED PROGRAM, IF COMBINED WITH PEM FUEL CELLS FOR POWER GENERATION, OFFERS ENERGY DENSITIES SUBSTANTIALLY SUPERIOR TO BATTERIES IN UUV AND HAND OR MAN PORTABLE APPLICATIONS.