ENGINEERING RESEARCH ON FUEL CELLS FOR ANTARCTIC ENERGY PRODUCTION AND CONSERVATION AS WELL AS POTABLE WATER TREATMENT AND DELIVERY

THE 1988 REPORT OF THE U.S. ANTARCTIC PROGRAM SAFETY REVIEW PANEL MADE RECOMMENDATIONS ON NEEDED IMPROVEMENTS TO ANTARCTIC ENERGY PRODUCTION AND CONSERVATION, INCLUDING INTERACTIONS WITH THE POTABLE WATER TREATMENT AND DELIVERY FUNCTION. THIS INNOVATIVE PROPOSAL RESPONDS TO THE SBIR TOPIC AND TO THESE REPORT RECOMMENDATIONS. WITH THE NSF/DPPLOGISTIC DECISION IN MID 1989 TO CONCENTRATE ON A SINGLE ANTARCTIC LOGISTIC FUEL, JP8, ALL NEW ENERGY AND WATER PRODUCTION PLANTS MUST USE THIS FUEL. THE REMOVAL OF SULFURFROM THIS FUEL, WHICH IS TECHNICALLY STRAIGHTFORWARD, NEEDS TO BE DONE BEFORE THE FUEL IS DELIVERED TO THE ANTARCTIC. SULFUR-FREE JP8 (SFJP8), WILL INCREASE THE LIFE OF THE EXHAUST SYSTEMS OF PRESENT ENGINES BY 30%, SO THIS FUEL IMPROVEMENT IS ITSELF COST EFFECTIVE IN THE NEAR TERM, AND RESPONDS TO THE ABOVE QUOTED REPORT. ONCE SFJP8 IS AVAILABLE IN THE ANTARCTIC, FUEL CELL ENERGY PRODUCTION PLANTS CAN BE CONSIDERED, WITH THEIR MANY ADVANTAGES. 60 TO65% ENERGY CONVERSION EFFICIENT, HIGH TEMPERATURE MOLTEN CARBONATE FUEL CELLS (MCFCS) CAN BE COMPARED TO DIESEL ELECTRIC PLANTS AT 30 TO 35% EFFICIENCY. THE DEMONSTRATION OF THE INTERNAL REFORMATION OF SULFUR-FREE DIESEL FUEL (SFDF), IS EXPECTED TO BE UNDERWAY IN 1990 UNDER A NAVSEA R&D OFFICE (CODE 05R), FUNDED SBIR PHASE II CONTRACT WITH AEL. ELECTROCHEMICAL FUEL CELLS MAKE FRESH WATER AS A PRODUCT. AEL PERFORMED THE NAVSEA 05R SBIR PHASE I ENGINEERING RESEARCH IN 1989 TO EVALUATE ENERGY CONVERTERS FOR UNMANNED UNDERSEA VEHICLE (UUV) APPLICATIONS. AN ANALYTICAL METHODOLOGY WAS DEVELOPED AND USED. A DERIVATIVEOF THIS ENGINEERING RESEARCH APPROACH WILL BE USED IN THE PROPOSED STUDY FOR THE DPP. WE WILL EVALUATE THE FEASIBILITY, COST EFFECTIVENESS, LIFE CYCLE COST, ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT REDUCTION, QUIETING, ONSITE SERVICING REDUCTION, DESIGN, DEVELOPMENT AND TESTING NEEDED TO PROVE MCFCS FOR THE ANTARCTIC APPLICATION. SFJP8 FUELED MCFCS CANUNIQUELY UPGRADE ANTARCTIC ENERGY PRODUCTION AND CONSERVATION, AS WELL AS THE POTABLE WATER TREATMENT AND DELIVERY FUNCTION, TO NEW LEVELS OF RELIABILITY AND SAFETY. PHASE II WILL BUILD APPARATUS AND TEST IT.