Fuel Cells for Arms Control Applications

Future efforts to verify arms control agreements will require new technologies that are self-contained and man-portable. Potable power will, of course, be needed to energize and maintain this equipment in an unattended mode. Fuel cells offer the bestalternative for these power requirements, because of their high energy and power density. Unfortunately, there is no current fuel cell technology that can meet the requirements for unattended arms verification equipment. The proposed Phase I researchseeks to demonstrate the feasibility of a new micro fuel cell architecture that may satisfy the portable power needs described in this topic. The Phase I effort will entail fabrication and evaluation of a prototype micro fuel cell using a new, as yetundeveloped, ultra high surface area electrode catalyst. The performance of the proposed device will form the basis for determining if the system metrics defined in this topic can be achieved in a full scale device in a Phase II follow on effort. A costevaluation of the final power system will also be achieved in the Phase I effort. Miniature and micro fuel cell technology is in its nascent stage. Ever increasing portable power demands in the private sector will spur the development of this newtechnology. Successful development of small energy dense power systems, such the one proposed here, will find an enthusiastic audience throughout the consumer electronics market.