Quantum Fuel Systems Technologies Worldwide Inc. (Irvine, CA), a manufacturer of packaged fuel systems for hydrogen fuel cell and alternative fuel applications, announced that it has been awarded a contract by Lockheed-Martin (Bethesda, MD) to develop a hydrogen and oxygen fuel storage module for a regenerative power supply system for space exploration. Quantum will develop a storage module with higher system weight efficiency than it has demonstrated in the past for Lockheed Martin. Additionally, the storage system will be designed to withstand the extreme conditions experienced on lunar surfaces.
"This program will push the boundaries of storage technologies and advance Quantum’s core technology," said Quantum President and CEO Alan Niedzwiecki. "Quantum will develop ultra-lightweight hydrogen and oxygen tanks well suited to meet the extreme temperature and light weight performance requirements of this program. Meeting these extreme requirements also has the potential to advance our current technologies for hydrogen vehicle commercialization, where temperature and weight considerations are also significant."
The first phase of the program is a one-year effort to design the hydrogen and oxygen tanks. Test tanks will be built to validate the design. Additional activities during the first year will be to design the storage module and test subscale tanks for leakage and permeation of the stored commodities. Later phases of the program may be awarded. Activities for these phases would include full validation of the tank design, construction of deliverable tanks, and fabrication of a deliverable storage module, with the final tanks integrated.
