Hydrogen Fuel Cell for Powering Aviation Support Equipment

It is the purpose of this work to investigate all feasible hydrogen-based fuel cell forms capable of being used in military applications. Current support equipment found on naval and marine ships are being powered by diesel generators or batteries. These power sources are plagued with noise, pollution, refueling and corrosion problems. A fuel cell provides an alternative to these power sources which is capable of reducing or totally eliminating these issues. High efficiency, silent operation and environmentally benign byproducts are some characteristics which have been demonstrated with hydrogen-based fuel cells. Based on the findings of the investigation, preliminary design(s) for power source(s) for use by the US Navy will be developed complete with fuel delivery system. Key issues to be addressed include the power density, size, efficiency, emissions, cost and maintainability of candidate systems. In addition, the Phase I effort will involve the documentation of findings in a comprehensive report which will detail the fuel cell systems under consideration and a comparison to the existing electrical power sources currently in use.