HPI Develops Inexpensive Portable Launching System for Weather Balloons
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SEATTLE, Dec. 6 / -- Hydrogen Power, Inc. ("HPI", "the company") (BULLETIN BOARD: HYDP) , an engineering development stage hydrogen generation company, today announced its product engineers have developed and demonstrated a portable launching unit for weather and other special purpose balloons using its unique AlumiFuel(TM) cartridge-based system to provide the lift gas.
The global market for lift gas is approximately $30 million and growing, with over 1,000,000 weather balloons and special purpose balloons for telecom relay, cloud height measurement and national security applications launched annually. Traditionally, helium has been used as the primary lift gas. But with the increasing scarcity and cost of helium, users are rapidly moving to hydrogen as the principal lift gas.
The portable launching unit uses HPI's proprietary Hydrogen Now(TM) technology to produce hydrogen through the powerful chemical reaction of powdered aluminum and water. The device requires only a simple water hand pump and an AlumiFuel(TM) cartridge to propagate the reaction and generate the lift gas. Virtually any water, including sea, fresh, tap, or brackish, can be used for this non-toxic, pH neutral reaction. This HPI innovation, which enables on-site generation of hydrogen without any external energy, is easier to use and is cheaper than current hydrogen lift gas solutions. The large K-cylinders are awkward to handle and have a costly distribution logistics chain; other on-site hydrogen lift gas generation systems use expensive electrolysis processes which consume considerable electricity and require specialty water.
"The HPI Lift Gas Generation System will reduce logistic burdens for delivering hydrogen to remote locations and provide a 100% reliable source of primary or back-up hydrogen for weather stations around the world" said Daniel Greenberg, HPI's Director of Engineering & Product Development. "A 5kg AlumiFuel(TM) cartridge provides hydrogen equivalent to a single 55kg K-cylinder without the requirement of transporting a compressed gas. This dramatically reduces the transportation weight burden by a factor of 10 and removes the safety issues associated with compressed gas transportation."
HPI (http://www.hydrogenpowerinc.com/) is an alternative energy company with patented hydrogen generation technology based on a proprietary aluminum-water chemical reaction, and demonstrator prototypes using unique AlumiFuel(TM) drop-in recyclable cartridges. The company's addressable markets include portable and stationary power applications for National Security, Homeland Security and commercial customers demanding safe, pure, cost-effective hydrogen on-site and on demand, with no external power required and no toxic chemicals or by-products.
FCMN Contact: ubell@hydrogenpowerinc.com
Source: Hydrogen Power, Inc.
CONTACT:
Ursula Bell
Corporate Administrator of Hydrogen Power, Inc.
+1-206-223-0506
info@hydrogenpowerinc.com
Web site: http://www.hydrogenpowerinc.com/
