AlumiFuel Power, Inc. Announces Further Unmanned Underwater Vehicle Fuel Technology Advancements.

Early production stage hydrogen generation company AlumiFuel Power, Inc. (“API”), the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-based wholly owned operating subsidiary of AlumiFuel Power Corporation (OTCBB: AFPW). Announced today that it has begun design work on a hydrogen generator to power a fuel cell for Navy Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (UUV) and submersibles applications. This design work is being done in parallel to the prototype superheated steam generator for naval underwater applications which API is already working on in conjunction with selected defense contractors (see API news release of March 2, 2010).
The hydrogen generator is based on the same powerful chemical reaction currently used in the PBIS-1000 hydrogen generator (see API news release of February 9, 2010). In this application, however, the hydrogen is used to power a fuel cell instead of filling a weather balloon. The prototype steam generator will be sized very similar to the superheated steam generator, and will be used to power a 100W fuel cell for several days. It will also demonstrate the start and stop capabilities of the system, similar to the steam generator. The calculated system energy density of a hydrogen powered fuel cell system has the potential to be equivalent to or even greater than that of superheated steam-driven turbines. This improved energy density is a result of much higher efficiency fuel cells, some achieving efficiencies in excess of 50%.

API’s plan is to ultimately integrate these two generators as a hybrid power source on board an underwater platform to further advance AlumiFuel’s already high energy density – five times that of lithium batteries, which equates to significant increases in range and operating time for critical Navy missions. Each type of generator would be activated at different times, depending on the mission requirements and profile.

API’s Director of Engineering, Mr. Sean McIntosh, said, “The development of a hydrogen generator to run a fuel cell for UUV applications fits very nicely with our work on the superheated steam generators for underwater propulsion. In one case the power source comes from superheated steam and generates hydrogen as a byproduct, and in the other case, it is the exact opposite. The outcome is two very similar looking reactors, which actually doubles the return on our engineering development effort. And it should not be forgotten that both the hydrogen and the superheated steam represent a clean, safe fuel source.”