The invention provides a controlled hypergolic approach to using concentrated
hydrogen peroxide in combination with certain hydrocarbons such as
ethanol,
methanol,
methane as well as more common fuels such as
gasoline, diesel, DME, JP5, JP8 and the like to generate a gas mixture primarily composed of
hydrogen and
carbon dioxide. Because air is not used as the
oxygen source, this novel process does not allow the formation of
nitrous oxide (
NOx) compounds, thereby avoiding the
primary source of
nitrogen contamination as well. The process is executed in a constraining
system on a micro scale such that the resulting
hydrogen supply is self-pressurizing. This enables the incorporation of an “on-demand”
hydrogen fuel source for a variable output fuel
cell power
plant such as those proposed for use in automobiles, marine vessels and stationary power sources. In another embodiment of the present invention
hydrogen peroxide is catalytically, or thermally reacted to provide H2O vapor and O2. When this gaseous
stream is introduced to the
cathode of the fuel
cell, the percent concentration of
oxygen is increased with no corresponding increase in the parasitic
power demand made by an air-moving device. This use of H2O2 as an
oxygen source may be continuous, intermittent or limited to specific instances when
peak power output demands or high transient loads are placed upon the FCPS.