Advanced Materials and Manufacturing, ASA(ALT), Direct to Phase II
Affordable Alane Fuel
Objective
- Dismounted Soldiers on extended missions lack the capability to recharge batteries “on-the-move.” Dismounted squads and platoons need to either carry additional batteries or rely on battery resupply to meet their power and energy demands.
- The topic aims to fulfill the need for “Affordable Alane Fuel” for Alane based PEM Fuel Cell systems for a variety of DoD and Commercial Applications.
- Power Generation Systems based on Alane have demonstrated the lowest weight and size metrics among all the fuels evaluated by the Army.
- The U.S. Army is currently developing a 50W Soldier Power Generator (SPG) under a DP2 SBIR effort that uses Alane as its fuel.
- The Alane SPG is expected to have superior Size, Weight, and Power (SWAP), reliability and safety metrics when compared to SPGs that use other fuels like methanol, or gaseous hydrogen as fuel.
- The project goal is to establish domestic manufacture of Affordable Alane to meet the needs for DoD and commercial applications.
Description
This topic accepts Direct to Phase II proposals submissions for a cost up to $2,000,000 for a 24-month period of performance.
- The project will demonstrate the domestic production of Affordable Alane (AlH3) using cheap and readily available raw materials.
- Production of Alane will be progressively scaled up to larger batch sizes at the Lab-Scale leading to transition to Pilot Scale production in a subsequent sequential effort.
- Alane production will demonstrate progressive improvements in yields, product quality, repeatability, and lowering of cost achieved through better process control, reduction of labor, and energy costs during production.
- The project will additionally examine the feasibility of making affordable Alane with Green Hydrogen generated from renewable sources to meet the Army Climate strategy.
- This project will enable a U.S.-based supply chain for Power Generation systems and Alane Fuel.
- Availability of Affordable Alane that this effort will demonstrate will pave the way for the advancement of 50 W Wearable Fuel Cell Power Generation System for dismounted Soldier use.
Phase I
Proposers interested in submitting a DP2 proposal must provide documentation to substantiate that the scientific and technical merit and feasibility equivalent to a Phase I project has been met. Documentation can include data, reports, specific measurements, success criteria of a prototype, etc.
Phase II
Increase the lab scale production of Alane to modular production at capacities ranging from 10-15 kg/month up to 2-5 MT/year of >95% alpha-Alane.
- Develop and implement process automation and control to enable repeatability and minimize labor.
- Demonstrate high yield of alpha-Alane in repeatable batches and high efficiency solvent recovery.
- Collect data on raw material, labor, energy, and capital costs trends based on production scales.
- Deliver ~ 40 kg of Alane.
- Two companies, SBIR FY25 – $2,000,000 per award.
- Period of performance: 1 October 2024 – 31 March 2026.
Phase III
Perform Limited User Evaluation (LUE) of Alane systems in Q1 FY 27
- Establish large scale manufacturing plant.
- One company, PEO Soldier FY27-30 non-SBIR funding Period of performance: Q2 FY 27 –Q4 FY 29.
- Academic research has proven the efficacy of Alane fuel, particularly as a portable energy source, however, there is a lack of corporate R&D nor adoptions.
- Aluminum’s addition to hydrogen creates Alane, however, researchers are skeptical of its ability to work in any transportation use case.
- Top companies, like Ardica Technologies, rely heavily on government investment, which signals a current lack of private interest and that investors are dubious about Alane’s ability to scale effectively and efficiently.
- Potential dual use cases include:
- Battery packs and low SWaP use cases, for example, transportable EV charging packs
- Small UAVs, like quadcopters and unmanned underwater vehicles
Submission Information
For more information, and to submit your full proposal package, visit the DSIP Portal.
SBIR|STTR Help Desk: usarmy.sbirsttr@army.mil
References:
- 1.“Aluminum hydride: A reversible material for hydrogen storage”, R. Zidan, B. Garcia-Diaz, et al. A. Harter. Published in Chemical Communications 17 June 2009
- 2.“2-Handbook of hydrogen storage – New materials for future energy storage”, M. Hirscher, K. Hirose; Aluminum Hydride Chapter 9 by Ragaiy Zidan; Materials Science, Engineering 2010
- “Novel methods for synthesizing halide-free alane without the formation of adducts”, Dinh, Long V., Knight, Douglas A., Paskevicius, Mark., Buckley, Craig E,. and Zidan, Ragaiy. 2012. Applied Physics A. 107 (1): pp. 173-181.
- 4.Graetz, J., J.J. Reilly, V.A. Yartys, and others, 2011. “Aluminum Hydride as a Hydrogen and Energy Storage Material: Past, Present and Future,” Jour. Alloys Compounds 509(Supplement 2): S 517–528.2.
- 5.Graetz, J., S. Chaudhuri, J. Wegrzyn, and others, 2007. “Direct and Reversible Synthesis of AlH3-Triethylenediamine from Al and H2,” Jour. Phys. Chem. C 111(51): 19148–19152.
- 6.Y Liu, H Pan, “Chapter 13 – Hydrogen Storage Materials”, Editor(s): Steven L. Suib, New and Future Developments in Catalysis, Elsevier,2013, Pages 377-405,ISBN 9780444538802
- KEYWORDS: Soldier Power Generator; Dismounted Soldiers; Alane; Fuel; AlH3
Objective
- Dismounted Soldiers on extended missions lack the capability to recharge batteries “on-the-move.” Dismounted squads and platoons need to either carry additional batteries or rely on battery resupply to meet their power and energy demands.
- The topic aims to fulfill the need for “Affordable Alane Fuel” for Alane based PEM Fuel Cell systems for a variety of DoD and Commercial Applications.
- Power Generation Systems based on Alane have demonstrated the lowest weight and size metrics among all the fuels evaluated by the Army.
- The U.S. Army is currently developing a 50W Soldier Power Generator (SPG) under a DP2 SBIR effort that uses Alane as its fuel.
- The Alane SPG is expected to have superior Size, Weight, and Power (SWAP), reliability and safety metrics when compared to SPGs that use other fuels like methanol, or gaseous hydrogen as fuel.
- The project goal is to establish domestic manufacture of Affordable Alane to meet the needs for DoD and commercial applications.
Description
This topic accepts Direct to Phase II proposals submissions for a cost up to $2,000,000 for a 24-month period of performance.
- The project will demonstrate the domestic production of Affordable Alane (AlH3) using cheap and readily available raw materials.
- Production of Alane will be progressively scaled up to larger batch sizes at the Lab-Scale leading to transition to Pilot Scale production in a subsequent sequential effort.
- Alane production will demonstrate progressive improvements in yields, product quality, repeatability, and lowering of cost achieved through better process control, reduction of labor, and energy costs during production.
- The project will additionally examine the feasibility of making affordable Alane with Green Hydrogen generated from renewable sources to meet the Army Climate strategy.
- This project will enable a U.S.-based supply chain for Power Generation systems and Alane Fuel.
- Availability of Affordable Alane that this effort will demonstrate will pave the way for the advancement of 50 W Wearable Fuel Cell Power Generation System for dismounted Soldier use.
Phase I
Proposers interested in submitting a DP2 proposal must provide documentation to substantiate that the scientific and technical merit and feasibility equivalent to a Phase I project has been met. Documentation can include data, reports, specific measurements, success criteria of a prototype, etc.
Phase II
Increase the lab scale production of Alane to modular production at capacities ranging from 10-15 kg/month up to 2-5 MT/year of >95% alpha-Alane.
- Develop and implement process automation and control to enable repeatability and minimize labor.
- Demonstrate high yield of alpha-Alane in repeatable batches and high efficiency solvent recovery.
- Collect data on raw material, labor, energy, and capital costs trends based on production scales.
- Deliver ~ 40 kg of Alane.
- Two companies, SBIR FY25 – $2,000,000 per award.
- Period of performance: 1 October 2024 – 31 March 2026.
Phase III
Perform Limited User Evaluation (LUE) of Alane systems in Q1 FY 27
- Establish large scale manufacturing plant.
- One company, PEO Soldier FY27-30 non-SBIR funding Period of performance: Q2 FY 27 –Q4 FY 29.
- Academic research has proven the efficacy of Alane fuel, particularly as a portable energy source, however, there is a lack of corporate R&D nor adoptions.
- Aluminum’s addition to hydrogen creates Alane, however, researchers are skeptical of its ability to work in any transportation use case.
- Top companies, like Ardica Technologies, rely heavily on government investment, which signals a current lack of private interest and that investors are dubious about Alane’s ability to scale effectively and efficiently.
- Potential dual use cases include:
- Battery packs and low SWaP use cases, for example, transportable EV charging packs
- Small UAVs, like quadcopters and unmanned underwater vehicles
Submission Information
For more information, and to submit your full proposal package, visit the DSIP Portal.
SBIR|STTR Help Desk: usarmy.sbirsttr@army.mil
References:
- 1.“Aluminum hydride: A reversible material for hydrogen storage”, R. Zidan, B. Garcia-Diaz, et al. A. Harter. Published in Chemical Communications 17 June 2009
- 2.“2-Handbook of hydrogen storage – New materials for future energy storage”, M. Hirscher, K. Hirose; Aluminum Hydride Chapter 9 by Ragaiy Zidan; Materials Science, Engineering 2010
- “Novel methods for synthesizing halide-free alane without the formation of adducts”, Dinh, Long V., Knight, Douglas A., Paskevicius, Mark., Buckley, Craig E,. and Zidan, Ragaiy. 2012. Applied Physics A. 107 (1): pp. 173-181.
- 4.Graetz, J., J.J. Reilly, V.A. Yartys, and others, 2011. “Aluminum Hydride as a Hydrogen and Energy Storage Material: Past, Present and Future,” Jour. Alloys Compounds 509(Supplement 2): S 517–528.2.
- 5.Graetz, J., S. Chaudhuri, J. Wegrzyn, and others, 2007. “Direct and Reversible Synthesis of AlH3-Triethylenediamine from Al and H2,” Jour. Phys. Chem. C 111(51): 19148–19152.
- 6.Y Liu, H Pan, “Chapter 13 – Hydrogen Storage Materials”, Editor(s): Steven L. Suib, New and Future Developments in Catalysis, Elsevier,2013, Pages 377-405,ISBN 9780444538802
- KEYWORDS: Soldier Power Generator; Dismounted Soldiers; Alane; Fuel; AlH3