Hydrogen-Peroxide-Based Fuel Cells for Space Power Systems

Abstract

A fuel cell using nontraditional fuel and oxidizer is investigated in this research. H 2 O 2 is used in this unique fuel cell directly at the cathode. Two types of reactant, namely, a gas-phase hydrogen and an aqueous NaBH 4 solution, were used as fuel at the anode. The direct utilization of H 2 O 2 and NaBH 4 at the electrodes, as seen in experiments, results in >30% higher voltage output compared to the ordinary H 2 /O 2 fuel cell. Further, the unique combination of NaBH 4 and H 2 O 2 , both of which are in an aqueous form, has numerous advantages from an operational point of view. This design is inherently compact compared to other cells that use gas-phase reactants. Consequently, the peroxide-based fuel cell is well suited for space power applications where air is not available and a high-energy density fuel is essential.