PHILADELPHIA, PA, Oct 07, 2011 (MARKETWIRE via COMTEX) –Early production stage hydrogen generation company AlumiFuel Power,Inc. (“API”), the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-based wholly ownedoperating subsidiary of AlumiFuel Power Corporation /quotes/zigman/558920 AFPW +13.85% (the “Company”), revealed today why the PBIS-2000 system can become aglobal standard following the award of the U.S. Air Force SpecialOperations Command (AFSOC) contract announced yesterday. Military andmeteorological users from the US, NATO, and around the world havebeen following API’s Portable Balloon Inflation System productdevelopment with keen interest, and have indicated that thetechnology embedded in the PBIS-2000 could offer a superior solutionto lift gas requirements in remote and inaccessible locations.
the PBIS-2000 expands the capability of API’s current family ofhydrogen generators, which includes the PBIS-1000 (for 100g balloons)and the PBIS-lite (designed for 30g pilot balloons). the PBIS-2000generates sufficient hydrogen to inflate a 200g weather balloonwithin 20 minutes using up to 6 AlumiFuel Cartridges contained in asingle reactor vessel. the system operates at ambient temperature andpressure so that the user never has to deal with a high pressuresystem such as the industry standard K-Cylinder. After purchasing anyunit of the PBIS family, typical customers continue to purchasereplacement cartridges to launch up to 700 balloons per unit eachyear (up to 4,200 cartridges).
the current addressable weather balloon lift gas market is estimatedat $150-$200 million per year, and encompasses military as well ascivil government meteorological users worldwide. Traditionally,helium has been used as the primary lift gas for weather balloons,but with the increasing scarcity and cost of helium, users arerapidly switching to hydrogen and API’s PBIS family is far moremobile, safe, cost effective and cheaper to maintain than otheron-site hydrogen generation systems. the cost, complexity, and safetyof the hydrogen supply chain is greatly improved because no hydrogenis transported or stored. an on-site water source of any quality canbe used to generate the hydrogen in the PBIS system. Certainmeteorological users have indicated that the use of the PBIS andAlumiFuel cartridges for the launching of two weather balloons dailyfrom each of its sites would be only one-third the cost of hydrogenK-Cylinders delivered to various launching sites — an annual savingsof over $120,000 per site, not to mention the avoidance of having todistribute and handle the awkward, heavy, high pressure K-Cylinders.In fact, users are now able to launch weather balloons from sitespreviously not accessible to K-Cylinders.
moreover, the technology and configuration of PBIS systems provide anadditional capability beyond balloon launching. PBIS units in thefield also give users an added benefit by creating a ready-madelogistics supply chain for hydrogen to power fuel cells. the 99.99+%purity of the hydrogen, as verified by an independent research lab,makes it ideally suited for fuel cells serving remote andman-portable power applications. Integrated with a fuel cell, twoAlumiFuel cartridges could provide nearly 600Wh of electricity,resulting in a unique “hydrogen genset.” API and its portable powerpartner, Ingenium Technologies of Rockford, Illinois, are pursuingback-up power market opportunities.
API’s President & CEO, mr. David Cade, said, “The advanced technologyof the PBIS-2000 can be engineered into all of the PBIS familyproducts, providing even more flexibility, user-friendliness, andrapid launching than current hydrogen lift gas systems, as well ascheaper and safer logistics. for these reasons, API believes the PBISfamily can become the field standard and lift gas product of choicefor NATO military users and meteorological customers worldwide.”
About AlumiFuel Power, Inc. API ( www.alumifuelpowerinc.com ), thePhiladelphia, Pennsylvania-based wholly owned operating subsidiary ofAlumiFuel Power Corporation, is an early production stage alternativeenergy company that generates hydrogen gas and steam/heat through thechemical reaction of aluminum, water, and proprietary additives. Thistechnology is ideally suited for multiple applications requiringon-site, on-demand fuel sources, serving National Security andcommercial customers. API’s hydrogen feeds fuel cells for portableand back-up power; fills inflatable devices such as weather balloons;can replace costly, hard-to-handle and high pressure K-Cylinders; andprovides fuel for flameless heater applications. Its hydrogen/heatoutput is also being designed and developed to drive fuel cell-basedand turbine-based undersea propulsion systems and auxiliary powersystems. API has significant differentiators in performance,adaptability, safety and cost-effectiveness in its target marketapplications, with no external power required and no toxic chemicalsor by-products.
About AlumiFuel Power Corporation AlumiFuel Power Corporationoperates through its wholly owned operating subsidiary, AlumiFuelPower, Inc., a Philadelphia-based early production stage alternativeenergy company that generates hydrogen gas and heat for multipleapplications requiring on-site, on-demand fuel sources.
Safe Harbor for Forward-looking Statements
This news release may contain forward-looking statements that aremade pursuant to the “safe harbor” provisions of the PrivateSecurities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. while these statements aremade to convey to the public the company’s progress, businessopportunities and growth prospects, they are based on management’scurrent beliefs and assumptions as to future events. however, sincethe company’s operations and business prospects are always subject torisk and uncertainties, the forward-looking events and circumstancesdiscussed in this news release might not occur, and actual resultscould differ materially from those described, anticipated or implied.for a more complete discussion of such risks and uncertainties,please refer to the company’s filings with the Securities andExchange Commission.
CONTACTS: Investor Relations: AlumiFuel Power, Inc. Thomas B. Olson Corporate Secretary 303-796-8940 Technical Information & Marketing: API Laboratories 3711 Market Street, Suite 950 Philadelphia, PA 19104 215-921-9203 Email Contact
SOURCE: AlumiFuel Power Corporation
http://www2.marketwire.com/mw/emailprcntct?id=C18FD111D9AE8979
Copyright 2011 Marketwire, Inc., all rights reserved.