Aluminum slurry fuels and their methods of use
A stable aluminum slurry fuel and related systems and methods of use are provided herein. Certain embodiments of the disclosure are related to an aluminum slurry fuel comprising a plurality of aluminum particles dispersed in a carrier fluid. In some embodiments, the aluminum particles comprise an activating composition comprising gallium and/or indium. Additionally, methods of making and using the aluminum slurry fuel are presented herein. For instance, the resultant aluminum slurry fuel may react exothermically with water over a wide range of temperatures to produce hydrogen. The resulting slurry fuel may be used as an energy source for various applications and/or for generating hydrogen for other applications.
1. An aluminum slurry fuel, comprising:
a carrier fluid; and
a plurality of activated aluminum particles dispersed in the carrier fluid, wherein the activated aluminum particles comprise aluminum combined with gallium and/or indium, and wherein the activated aluminum particles are substantially inert relative to the carrier fluid.
2. The aluminum slurry fuel of claim 1 , wherein the carrier fluid is an oil.
3. The aluminum slurry fuel of claim 2 , wherein the oil comprises a viscous oil.
4. The aluminum slurry fuel of claim 2 , wherein the oil comprises a silicone oil.
5. The aluminum slurry fuel of claim 2 , wherein the oil comprises mineral oil.
6. The aluminum slurry fuel of claim 2 , further comprising an additive that acts as a thickener of the oil.
7. The aluminum slurry fuel of claim 6 , wherein the aluminum slurry fuel is configured to exhibit shear thinning properties in the presence of the additive.
8. The aluminum slurry fuel of claim 6 , wherein the additive comprises fumed silica.
9. The aluminum slurry fuel of claim 1 , further comprising 1 wt % to 4 wt % of fumed silica based on a total weight of the aluminum slurry fuel.
10. The aluminum slurry fuel of claim 1 , wherein the plurality of activated aluminum particles has an average size between or equal to 100 μm and 500 μm.
11. The aluminum slurry fuel of claim 1 , wherein a weight percentage of the plurality of activated aluminum particles in the aluminum slurry fuel is between or equal to 10 wt % and 90 wt % based on a total weight of the aluminum slurry fuel.
12. The aluminum slurry fuel of claim 11 , wherein the weight percentage of the plurality of activated aluminum particles in the aluminum slurry fuel is between or equal to 10 wt % and 70 wt % based on the total weight of the aluminum slurry fuel.
13. A power system comprising:
a reactor including the aluminum slurry fuel of claim 1 disposed therein.
14. A method of generating power, the method comprising:
mixing the aluminum slurry fuel of claim 1 with water, wherein a reaction of the plurality of activated aluminum particles with the water releases hydrogen; and
using the hydrogen in a power system to generate power.
15. The aluminum slurry fuel of claim 1 , wherein the carrier fluid has a viscosity between or equal to 50 cSt and 10,000 cSt.
16. A method of using an aluminum slurry fuel, comprising:
mixing an aluminum slurry fuel with water, wherein the aluminum slurry fuel comprises a carrier fluid and a plurality of activated aluminum particles dispersed in the carrier fluid, wherein the activated aluminum particles comprise aluminum combined with gallium and/or indium, and wherein the activated aluminum particles are substantially inert relative to the carrier fluid.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the carrier fluid has a viscosity between or equal to 50 cSt and 10,000 cSt.
18. The method of claim 16 , further comprising reacting the plurality of activated aluminum particles with the water to generate hydrogen.
19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the oil comprises a silicone oil and/or a mineral oil.
20. The method of claim 16 , wherein the aluminum slurry fuel further comprises fumed silica.
21. The method of claim 20 , wherein the aluminum slurry fuel comprises 1 wt % to 4 wt % of fumed silica based on a total weight of the aluminum slurry fuel.
22. The method of claim 16 , wherein a weight percentage of the plurality of activated aluminum particles in the aluminum slurry fuel is between or equal to 10 wt % and 90 wt % based on a total weight of the aluminum slurry fuel.
23. The method of claim 22 , wherein the weight percentage of the plurality of activated aluminum particles in the aluminum slurry fuel is between or equal to 10 wt % and 70 wt % based on the total weight of the aluminum slurry fuel.
24. The method of claim 16 , wherein the plurality of activated aluminum particles has an average size between or equal to 100 μm and 500 μm.