REACTIVE ALKALI HYDRIDE FOR HYDROGEN STORAGE

PHYSICAL SCIENCES INC. (PSI) PROPOSES TO DEMONSTRATE THE FEASIBILITY OF USING REACTIVE ALKALI METAL HYDRIDES FOR THE GENERATION OF HYDROGEN FOR FUEL CELLS. THE PROPOSED HYDROGEN STORAGE SYSTEM WILL BE LIGHT AND COMPACT AND USEABLE FOR SINGLE SOLDIER AND OTHER PORTABLE POWER APPLICATIONS. ALKALI HYDRIDES REACT READILY AND RAPIDLY WITH WATER TO GENERATE HYDROGEN AND METAL HYDROXIDES. THIS SYSTEM OFFERS THE POTENTIAL OF LIGHTWEIGHT AND COMPACT HYDROGEN STORAGE. MOREOVER, THE HYDROGEN PRODUCED WILL NOT CONTAIN IMPURITIES THAT CAN POISON FUEL CELLS. A SCREENING TASK WILL DETERMINE THE OPTIMAL HYDRIDE SYSTEM. MIXTURES OF ALKALI HYDRIDES WITH ALUMINUM AND BORON WILL ALSO BE CONSIDERED. THE PHASE I PROGRAM WILL DEMONSTRATE FEASIBILITY BY EXPERIMENTALLY DEMONSTRATING SUSTAINABLE HYDROGEN PRODUCTION AT RATES REQUIRED FOR 100 TO 500W FUEL CELL POWER PLANTS. THE ACQUIRED DATA WILL BE USED TO DESIGN A FULL-SCALE SYSTEM. ANTICIPATED BENEFITS: THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN LIGHTWEIGHT AND COMPACT HYDROGEN SOURCE IS A NECESSARY STEP IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF PORTABLE FUEL CELLS. THE PROPOSED DEVICE WILL BE OF BENEFIT IN ANY APPLICATION REQUIRING PORTABLE ELECTRIC ENERGY SOURCES, BOTH COMMERCIAL AND MILITARY.