SBIR-STTR Award

As technologies emerge that enhance the capabilities of the warfighter and his support elements, the demand for electrical energy grows proportionally. Battery storage capacities, while significant, limit the mission longevity of dismounted soldiers because of the weight in batteries required during deployment. A solution to this problem is the development of a solid hydrogen fuel system that provides clean hydrogen on demand to fuel cell based power systems. By leveraging on-going work, a new system design is proposed for demonstration and optimization. The resulting compact 50W power system will have an improved fuel cell stack design that minimizes system BOP and fuel system specific energies ranging from 630-940W-hr/kg depending on fuel cartridge geometry. Key to the success of this program is the assessment of fuel solutions and identification of candidates possessing the properties which permit minimal packaging in lightweight cartridges. Success of this program will result demonstration of a rugged 50W power system fueled by a solid hydrogen cartridge containing >4wt% packaged hydrogen contained in a BA-5390 footprint. Deployment of these systems will result in dramatic improvements in critical mission weight and runtimes, with better reliability and performance in extreme environments.

Keywords:
Ammonia Borane, Pem Fuel Cell, Hydrogen, Power, Fuel Cartridge, Chemical Hydride, Fuel System, Solid Hydrogen Storage

Jadoo Power Systems, Inc., (Jadoo) proposes further development of the Solid Hydrogen Fuel Cartridge to meet the needs of both Dismounted Soldier (DS) and Unmanned Ground Sensor (UGS) applications. During the Phase I development, it was determined that Ethylene Diaminoborane (EDAB) solid hydride fuel with an optimized pellet package and canister design has the potential of achieving a 500 W-hr/kg energy density. The main goal of the upcoming development will be validation of the fuel and canister design. The project will focus on the EDAB pellet processing and assembly, overall mechanical design and fabrication, and ultimately product validation to the test plan. The project will also characterize the effect of high temperature storage on the EDAB fuel, and further develop methods that mitigate undesirable contaminants from the evolved hydrogen.

Keywords:
Hydrogen, Fuel Cell, Power System, Ammonia Borane, Ethylene Diaminoborane, Edab, Hydrogen Storage, Energy Storage