Progress in the Production of JP-8 Based Hydrogen and Advanced Tactical Fuels for Military Applications

Today's Army is heavily dependent on oil and its byproducts as the primary fuel for the force. Current predictions indicate that the decline of oil reserves will coincide with the timeline for implementing Army After Next (AAN) technologies, which are planned to make fossil fuel powered vehicles up to 75 percent more efficient. This work was undertaken to help achieve that objective by: (1) developing and optimizing the high-pressure water reforming (HPWR) concept for on-demand production of high-pressure Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cell-quality hydrogen from JP-8 and other feedstocks; (2) developing advanced tactical fuels with JP-8 drop-in compatibility and superior hydrogen-reforming properties from domestic fossil or renewable feedstocks, and (3) advancing the development of fuel cell electric hybrid (FCEH) vehicles, and demonstrating those vehicles and hydrogen dispensing and refueling systems at military installations. This report provides the research analyses, findings, and results, and describes technology demonstrations. The original document contains color images.