Researchers demonstrate alternative fuel cell system Published Dec. 13, 2006 By Mindy Cooper Materials and Manufacturing Directorate TYNDALL AIR FORCE BASE, Fla. -- Researchers at the Air Force Research Laboratory's Materials and Manufacturing Directorate demonstrated a logistics fuel processor that was developed at Tyndall Air Force Base, Fla. The processor would permit the use of a reliable and easily operated fuel cell power system as an alternative to current Mobile Electric Power (MEP) units. Forward operating locations use Mobile Electric Power generators to provide power base-wide. Bases currently use MEP-12 generators, a large 750 kilowatt (kW) generator driven by diesel engines, to provide electrical power. To support a contingent of 1,100 Airmen, four 1,353 cubic foot MEP-12 generators, which individually weigh 25,734 pounds, must be deployed, with a standby unit. This requires four transport aircraft and 4,000 gallons of fuel per day. Researchers from the Air Force Research Laboratory's Airbase Technologies Division began to explore the possibility of using a logistics fuel processor, to convert JP-8/+100 to hydrogen rich gas to fuel a fuel cell power system as an alternative to the MEP-12 generators. A fuel cell is an electrochemical energy conversion device. It converts hydrogen and oxygen into electricity and water. Researchers faced several challenges in developing fuel processor technology. Potential pitfalls of high sulfur and aromatics contents of logistic fuels made it difficult to effectively use battlefield logistic fuels as the primary energy source for fuel cells. Researchers overcame these difficulties and developed a fuel processing technology that completely converts JP-8 jet fuel and diesel fuel to hydrogen rich gas with a conversion efficiency of 81 percent, while removing the sulfur and eliminating the impact of aromatics. This efficient technology was demonstrated to the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, at the Energy Laboratory at Tyndall Air Force Base, in February 2006, using a planar Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) stack. The objective was to demonstrate electric power generation using an SOFC with real world JP-8/+100 fuel. The results showed stable, practical electric power generation using a planar SOFC stack with JP-8/+100 fuel. Specifically, the results from this demonstration showed that the SOFC power output decreased less than 10 percent when the stack was operated on reformed JP-8/+100, compared to operation on pure hydrogen. The net lower heating value of electrical efficiency of the SOFC operating at maximum current density on reformed JP-8/+100 was 67 percent. These results will lead to the use of fuel cells for mobile electric power generation at forward-deployed Basic Expeditionary Airfield Resource (BEAR) bases. JP-8/+100 is expected to be the available fuel at future BEAR bases. Fuel cells operating on JP-8/+100 will provide BEAR base electric power generation with higher efficiency, lower noise and vibration signatures, and lower maintenance requirements than the diesel generators that are currently used. The decreased size and weight of LFP fuel cell systems, compared to diesel generators, will allow for a significant reduction in overall airlift requirements for future BEAR base installations.