I’ve previously talked about AlumiFuel in 2006 and 2007 as an environmentally friendly, on demand method to produce hydrogen. After a couple more years of intense R&D, AlumiFuel is finally starting production on its first commercial hydrogen generator.
The AlumiFuel system uses aluminum, water, and some proprietary chemical catalysts to create hydrogen on-demand and of course, onsite. AlumiFuel Power used to be owned by Hydrogen Power Inc. (HPI) until May 2009.
HPI converted a 2005 Ford Ranger XL to run on their AlumiFuel product and demonstrated the vehicle at the 2007 International Auto Show in Seattle, Washington.
According to their press release, “API’s PBIS-1000 relies on the robust chemical reaction among aluminum, water, and proprietary additives. Operation of the generator is simple: two 32-oz. ‘aluminum can’ cartridges containing aluminum powder and the proprietary additives, are loaded into the reactor vessels. Water from practically any source, including salt or brackish water, is poured into the water tank, and a hand pump is then used to inject water into the cartridges, generating 1,000 liters of hydrogen in 20 minutes.”
The AlumiFuel product is non-toxic and recyclable. It can be disposed of safety in a municipal dump or recharged to be used again and again.
But, what this really means is that this product may be used as a shortcut in building out a hydrogen infrastructure. Compressed hydrogen gas will not have to be piped or hauled by truck, tanker or train as it can be created onsite and on-demand.
This will not only bode well for hydrogen fueling stations, but could also mean home hydrogen fueling stations will be able to use this product as well.
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