PHILADELPHIA, PA — (Marketwire) — 10/07/11 — Early production stage hydrogen generation company AlumiFuel Power, Inc. (“API”), the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-based wholly owned operating subsidiary of AlumiFuel Power Corporation (OTCBB: AFPW) (the “Company”), revealed today why the PBIS-2000 system can become a global standard following the award of the U.S. Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) contract announced yesterday. Military and meteorological users from the US, NATO, and around the world have been following API–s Portable Balloon Inflation System product development with keen interest, and have indicated that the technology embedded in the PBIS-2000 could offer a superior solution to lift gas requirements in remote and inaccessible locations.
The PBIS-2000 expands the capability of API–s current family of hydrogen generators, which includes the PBIS-1000 (for 100g balloons) and the PBIS-lite (designed for 30g pilot balloons). The PBIS-2000 generates sufficient hydrogen to inflate a 200g weather balloon within 20 minutes using up to 6 AlumiFuel Cartridges contained in a single reactor vessel. The system operates at ambient temperature and pressure so that the user never has to deal with a high pressure system such as the industry standard K-Cylinder. After purchasing any unit of the PBIS family, typical customers continue to purchase replacement cartridges to launch up to 700 balloons per unit each year (up to 4,200 cartridges).
The current addressable weather balloon lift gas market is estimated at $150-$200 million per year, and encompasses military as well as civil 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 are rapidly switching to hydrogen and API–s PBIS family is far more mobile, safe, cost effective and cheaper to maintain than other on-site hydrogen generation systems. The cost, complexity, and safety of the hydrogen supply chain is greatly improved because no hydrogen is transported or stored. An on-site water source of any quality can be used to generate the hydrogen in the PBIS system. Certain meteorological users have indicated that the use of the PBIS and AlumiFuel cartridges for the launching of two weather balloons daily from each of its sites would be only one-third the cost of hydrogen K-Cylinders delivered to various launching sites — an annual savings of over $120,000 per site, not to mention the avoidance of having to distribute and handle the awkward, heavy, high pressure K-Cylinders. In fact, users are now able to launch weather balloons from sites previously not accessible to K-Cylinders.
Moreover, the technology and configuration of PBIS systems provide an additional capability beyond balloon launching. PBIS units in the field also give users an added benefit by creating a ready-made logistics 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 and man-portable power applications. Integrated with a fuel cell, two AlumiFuel cartridges could provide nearly 600Wh of electricity, resulting in a unique “hydrogen genset.” API and its portable power partner, Ingenium Technologies of Rockford, Illinois, are pursuing back-up power market opportunities.
API–s President & CEO, Mr. David Cade, said, “The advanced technology of the PBIS-2000 can be engineered into all of the PBIS family products, providing even more flexibility, user-friendliness, and rapid launching than current hydrogen lift gas systems, as well as cheaper and safer logistics. For these reasons, API believes the PBIS family can become the field standard and lift gas product of choice for NATO military users and meteorological customers worldwide.”
About AlumiFuel Power, Inc.
API (), the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania-based wholly owned operating subsidiary of AlumiFuel Power Corporation, is an early production stage alternative energy company that generates hydrogen gas and steam/heat through the chemical reaction of aluminum, water, and proprietary additives. This technology is ideally suited for multiple applications requiring on-site, on-demand fuel sources, serving National Security and commercial customers. API–s hydrogen feeds fuel cells for portable and back-up power; fills inflatable devices such as weather balloons; can replace costly, hard-to-handle and high pressure K-Cylinders; and provides fuel for flameless heater applications. Its hydrogen/heat output is also being designed and developed to drive fuel cell-based and turbine-based undersea propulsion systems and auxiliary power systems. API has significant differentiators in performance, adaptability, safety and cost-effectiveness in its target market applications, with no external power required and no toxic chemicals or by-products.
About AlumiFuel Power Corporation
AlumiFuel Power Corporation operates through its wholly owned operating subsidiary, AlumiFuel Power, Inc., a Philadelphia-based early production stage alternative energy company that generates hydrogen gas and heat for multiple applications requiring on-site, on-demand fuel sources.
This news release may contain forward-looking statements that are made pursuant to the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. While these statements are made to convey to the public the company–s progress, business opportunities and growth prospects, they are based on management–s current beliefs and assumptions as to future events. However, since the company–s operations and business prospects are always subject to risk and uncertainties, the forward-looking events and circumstances discussed in this news release might not occur, and actual results could 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 and Exchange Commission.
AlumiFuel Power, Inc.
Thomas B. Olson
Corporate Secretary
303-796-8940
API Laboratories
3711 Market Street, Suite 950
Philadelphia, PA 19104
215-921-9203