Design of a sodium borohydride reactor for on-demand hydrogen generation

Abstract

Hydrogen fuel cells (HFCs) hold significant promise as a versatile power-generation technology applicable across various sectors. This report details the design and experimental validation of a sodium borohydride (NaBH4) reactor for on-demand hydrogen generation in portable fuel cell applications. The study covers the reactor’s feasibility analysis, design process, and a series of prototype tests using a proxy chemical reaction due to material constraints. A notable innovation in this work is the ‘hot-swap’ mechanism, which allows for rapid management of fuel and waste, significantly improving operational efficiency. Testing with citric acid and sodium bicarbonate as substitute reagents provided preliminary insights into the reactor’s functionality, and potential effectiveness in real-world applications.