A REVIEW REGARDING A “MAN-PORTABLE” LIGHTWEIGHT FLEXIBLE FUEL CELL CONCEPT SMALL POWER SUPPLY Print

A REVIEW REGARDING A “MAN-PORTABLE” LIGHTWEIGHT FLEXIBLE FUEL CELL CONCEPT SMALL POWER SUPPLY

 

 

Adriana Marinoiu1*, Elena Carcadea1, Mircea Raceanu1,2, Irina Petreanu,1 Elena Marin1, Constantin Teodorescu3


 

1National Research and Development Institute for Cryogenics and Isotopic Technologies - ICSI Rm. Valcea, Uzinei Street no. 4, P.O. Box Râureni 7,

 

240050, Râmnicu Vâlcea, Romania; 2University Politehnica of Bucharest, 313 Splaiul Independentei, 060042 Bucharest, Romania;

 

 3Research Center OLTCHIM SA, 1 Uzinei St, Rm. Valcea, Romania 

 

 

ABSTRACT

 

Silent operation and minimal volume are inevitably necessary to commercialize a small fuel cell for military applications in tactical field. The overarching objective of this study is based on the understanding fundamental scientific issues regarding the design, performance, robustness and durability of a new fully integrated fuel cell system, which could offers to the army a safe, lightweight personal 25-40W power source for continuous equipment operation by soldiers in the field. A fully integrated portable fuel cell power source contains: fuel processor, fuel cell, and power electronics module. An attractive hydrogen delivery system is sodium borohydride NaBH4 as a stable and inexpensive material, one of the highest hydrogen containing materials, which could provide hydrogen for a required period, at a required rate and at a required quantity, through the hydrolysis reaction, on the low-cost catalyst. The volume of a fuel stack could be reduced by miniaturizing of stack components. A thin flexible printed circuit board can be utilized as a current collector in order to reduce an air-breathing monopolar stack’s volume. 

 

Keywords: portable fuel cell, military generators, stack.


 

 

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*Corresponding author: Adiana Marinoiu, Phone: 0250-732744, Fax: 0250-732746, E-mail:  adriana.marinoiu@icsi.ro