Portable electricity generation devices and associated systems and methods
Abstract: Methods and systems for generating electricity from a fuel are generally described. In some embodiments, a first container is used to house a fluid that is capable of reacting to form a fuel, and a second container is used to house a reactant capable of reacting with the fluid to form the fuel. In some embodiments, valves are used to control the flow of fluid between the first container and the second container. In some embodiments, the valve(s) can be configured such that fluid is only transported between the first container and the second container when the pressure within the second container is below a threshold level.
https://patents.google.com/patent/US20190341637A1
Conceived of for a capstone Mechanical Engineering course at MIT, this device is intended as a possible replacement for the bulky and heavy US Army infantry battery packs. It utilizes the water from a standard canteen to fuel a reaction with specially treated aluminum pellets that produces hydrogen gas, which produces electricity in a miniature fuel cell.
This reaction, with an energy density approximately that of gasoline combustion, would allow for a significant weight reduction of the soldier’s gear.