The US Office of Naval Research recently demonstrated ONR-sponsored technology developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lincoln Laboratory to convert aluminium into hydrogen fuel, which could potentially serve as a portable, readily available power source for the US Marine Corps. An ONR TechSolutions program demonstration showcased a fuel-generation prototype – the hydrogen tactical refueling point, H-TaRP at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. Marines learned how to assemble the H-TaRP, and ONR demonstrated how the H-TaRP equipment works to produce hydrogen.The device called the Hydrogen Tactical Refueling Point comprises of an aluminium dispenser, reactor vessel, water cooling system and a control system manifold to fill a hydrogen tank. It works by exploiting how aluminium reacts with water to generate hydrogen gas. Any form of water works in the chemical reaction: salty ocean water, river water, even urine. Leftover steam from the fuel creation process could be distilled and used as drinking water.H-TaRP’s purpose is to eliminate the need for diesel fuel transport and battery charging by being able to use locally available resources to produce hydrogen fuel for all sorts of vehicles. If proven in further evaluations and broadly adopted, it could result in a ‘portable, readily available power source’ to replace heavy batteries that require recharging from a power source.
The US Office of Naval Research recently demonstrated ONR-sponsored technology developed by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lincoln Laboratory to convert aluminium into hydrogen fuel, which could potentially serve as a portable, readily available power source for the US Marine Corps. An ONR TechSolutions program demonstration showcased a fuel-generation prototype – the hydrogen tactical refueling point, H-TaRP at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. Marines learned how to assemble the H-TaRP, and ONR demonstrated how the H-TaRP equipment works to produce hydrogen.The device called the Hydrogen Tactical Refueling Point comprises of an aluminium dispenser, reactor vessel, water cooling system and a control system manifold to fill a hydrogen tank. It works by exploiting how aluminium reacts with water to generate hydrogen gas. Any form of water works in the chemical reaction: salty ocean water, river water, even urine. Leftover steam from the fuel creation process could be distilled and used as drinking water.H-TaRP’s purpose is to eliminate the need for diesel fuel transport and battery charging by being able to use locally available resources to produce hydrogen fuel for all sorts of vehicles. If proven in further evaluations and broadly adopted, it could result in a ‘portable, readily available power source’ to replace heavy batteries that require recharging from a power source.
