PROPOSAL NUMBER 99-1 06.01-0017 (Chron: 991354 )
PROJECT TITLE
A Unitized Regenerative PEM Fuel Cell Energy Storage System
TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (LIMIT 200 WORDS)
Unmanned High Altitude Long Endurance (HALE-UAV) aircraft, offer a unique combination of
capabilities for use as observation platforms and relay links. Staying aloft indefinitely requires that the aircraft be energetically self-sufficient, and the most promising way of achieving this is the use of solar electric power. Keeping a solar powered aircraft aloft through the night, requires storing surplus electric power during the day for use at
night. A lightweight proton exchange membrane (PEM) high pressure unitized regenerative fuel cell (URFC) operating as an electrolyzer during the day to convert hydrogen into electricity and as a fuel cell to generate electricity at night offers the means for achieving this. Current configurations for URFCs are either complex or inadequate to achieve the desired energy density. The URFC proposed here uses a unique oxygen electrode design. This electrode
uses a mixed (Pt and IrO2-RuO2) electrocatalyst with components optimized for both oxygen evolution and oxygen reduction reactions. These electrodes are used in conjunction with a novel gas diffusion structure based on a conductive oxide matrix with both hydrophilic and hydrophobic regions arranged to optimize both gas and water transport in both electrolyzer and fuel cell modes to produce superior performance.
POTENTIAL COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS
The initial and direct application of the novel URFC design proposed here is for energy storage in HALE-UAVs for use as communication relay systems. This same technology can also be applied to produce high energy storage density uninterruptible power supplies and back-up power systems.
NAME AND ADDRESS OF PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR (Name, Organization Name, Mail Address,
City/State/Zip)
Alan Cisar
Lynntech, Inc.
7610 Eastmark Drive, Suite 202
College Station , TX 77840 - 4024
NAME AND ADDRESS OF OFFEROR (Firm Name, Mail Address, City/State/Zip)
Lynntech, Inc.
7610 Eastmark Drive, Suite 202
College Station , TX 77840 - 4024