The Department of Defense (DOD) Defense Intelligence Unit (DIU) has issued a solicitation to prototype an integrated electrolysis-based H₂ production, storage and distribution system capable of producing and dispensing a minimum of 20kg H₂ in a 24-hour period at an efficiency using 100kW or less power.

The solution should:

• Be entirely contained within a 20-foot container, to include the electrolyzer, one day’s worth of H₂ storage, and any other equipment required for system operation (i.e., cooling capability).

• Be capable of operating on a ship or on shore, assuming sufficient and consistent availability of power. The solution should also assume sufficient access to potable water.

• Have onboard monitoring/control systems to provide instrument status and alarm to end users.

• Have H₂ storage capable of delivery to systems or equipment at 350 bar (threshold) / 700 bar (objective), with an option of low-pressure delivery at 1 bar. The fill rates should be 60kg threshold and 100kg objective.

• Have the ability to produce H₂ at a purity greater than or equal to 99.97%, in compliance with ISO 14687:2019 (H₂ fuel quality – Product specification).

• Have an ISO 15869:2009 compliant carbon-fiber certified (US Department of Transportation) pressure vessel or other certified H₂ storage method shall be used as the H₂ storage component. System should leverage standard and compatible connection interfaces for effective storage and distribution.

This is a prototyping effort utilizing or combining commercially available solutions to create a system for further testing and evaluation of this type of mobile H2 generation technology.

Background. The US Military’s ability to operate effectively in austere environments is directly tied to its logistical capabilities. Several military platforms such as vehicles and unmanned aircraft systems currently rely upon carbon-based fuels, such as JP5, JP8, and diesel, which are sourced far from the point-of-use and contribute to greenhouse gas emissions. While fossil fuels are energy-dense, the Department of Defense’s (DoD) reliance represents a vulnerability, especially for operations in remote or contested environments. The use of hydrogen as an alternate fuel source could partly mitigate these challenges.

H₂ is not a 1:1 replacement for carbon-based fuels; however, it can be generated at the point-of-need with greatly reduced thermal and acoustic signatures. H₂ also has capability advantages over some current full electric power supplies in terms of energy density, duration of discharge, operation in extreme cold, and rapid recharging. Recent advances in H₂ fuel cells and H₂ production have resulted in successful demonstrations of hybrid H₂/electric power packs of unmanned vehicles.