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A robust electrical power-source is being developed based on a high-temperature (T = 140 to 230°C) polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (HT-PEMFC) that is fed air and hydrogen rich fuel from a hydrocarbon reformer. The chemical to electrical conversion efficiency, η, is projected to be 25 to 40% in a system with a relatively high specific power density of about 0.1 kWatt/kilogram and energy density of about 1000 Watt-hour/kilogram. These projections are based on advances in fuel cell and reformer materials as well as results with a 10-Watt breadboard, which had a HT-PEMFC and methanol steam reformer.

The rising cost of fuel prices, in part due to the perception of diminishing supplies of common fuelstocks, as well as worldwide attention to reducing emissions has pushed the need to explore the use of many alternative fuels. The aviation industry has been under recent scrutiny due to its contribution of greenhouse gas emissions (GHG). Current contribution of GHG by airplanes is relatively small, 2% of the total GHG emissions, but world air traffic is anticipated to continue to grow and may have a corresponding increase in emissions. Both commercial and government aviation sectors have efforts to seek ways to lower fuel consumption through efficiency and reduce emissions. Development of a suitable alternative fuel that can be seamlessly used in place of conventional jet fuel is desirable. A strategy to enable this goal is to be fuel flexible; utilizing an array of fuels from bio-diesel to current jet fuel.