{"682699":{"#nid":"682699","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Army Awards Tech-Led Project $20M to Develop Aluminum Manufacturing for Hydrogen Energy Production","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EAluminum scrap is one of the most common materials found on military bases and aircraft carriers worldwide. Now, the U.S. Army has tapped Georgia Tech to help turn that waste into power that can be generated off the grid and on demand.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe Army Research Office awarded Georgia Tech and its partners $20 million to develop scalable, efficient methods for transforming aluminum into hydrogen energy. The project could lead to a new, low-cost, clean, and efficient energy source powered by discarded materials.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/faculty\/stebner\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EAaron Stebner\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, professor and Eugene C. Gwaltney Jr. Chair in Manufacturing in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.me.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorge W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E and professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESchool of Materials Science and Engineering\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, will oversee the multi-year effort at Georgia Tech together with \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/people\/scott-mcwhorter\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EScott McWhorter\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E, lead for Federal Initiatives at the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/energy\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EStrategic Energy Institute\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIn addition to several team members from Georgia Tech and the Georgia Tech Research Institute, the project includes researchers from Fort Valley State University, the 21st Century Partnership, MatSys, and Drexel University.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cAluminum already reacts with water \u2014 even wastewater and floodwater \u2014 to create hydrogen gas, power, and thermal energy,\u201d McWhorter said. \u201cIf aluminum can be efficiently upcycled into stored energy, it could be a game-changer.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EThe team\u2019s goal is to experiment with aluminum\u2019s material properties so it can be inexpensively manufactured to create a highly effective reaction that produces low-cost, clean hydrogen.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cHaving this ability would allow military bases to be less dependent on the use of a foreign country\u2019s electrical grids,\u201d said Stebner, who is also co-director of \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/georgiaaim.org\/\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Artificial Intelligence in Manufacturing\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E and faculty at the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/research.gatech.edu\/manufacturing\u0022\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EGeorgia Tech Manufacturing Institute\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/a\u003E.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EManufacturing Aluminum\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ESeveral years ago, the Army Research Lab discovered and patented the basic technology for recycling aluminum to produce hydrogen gas. However, current manufacturing methods require too much energy for the amount of hydrogen energy produced. \u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ETo make the technology viable and effective, Stebner and his colleagues will research alternate manufacturing processes and then develop automated methods for safely producing and storing stable aluminum. They also plan to optimize these processes using digital twin technologies.\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003ECurrently, manufacturers use large machines to grind up and tumble the aluminum in very controlled environments, because stray aluminum powder can be explosive. These methods are very costly.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStebner and the team are looking into small, modular technologies that could allow for convenient, onsite energy generation. According to Stebner, they are interested in determining how these smaller machines could be so efficient that they could be powered using solar panels.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EStebner envisions that a field of solar panels could power the aluminum-processing modules \u2014 the aluminum recycling could be done while the sun shines and produce power 24\/7.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ESustainable Impact\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EOnce they have developed the manufacturing techniques and processes, the team plans to test their efficacy by generating power for rural Georgia communities. Success here would prove the technology could be viable for military deployments and other off-grid scenarios.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cThe Deep South \u2014 especially middle and southern Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana \u2014 often has enormous energy disruptions during hurricanes or power outages due to flooding and severe rains,\u201d Stebner said. \u201cManufacturers can be hesitant to build big plants there, because the grids aren\u2019t as stable. This same technology that the Army plans to use for remote military bases could be a game-changer in rural Georgia.\u201d\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003EIf power is unexpectedly cut in those areas, floodwater could then be used to make hydrogen gas. While hydrogen has not yet had its day in the sun, it has great potential as an alternative to fossil fuels, Stebner says.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u201cFrom a sustainability perspective, any time you can take something that\u2019s already waste \u2014 like scrap aluminum and wastewater \u2014 and turn it into a high-value product that can be used to power communities, that is a huge win.\u201d\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EFunding\u003C\/strong\u003E: Army Research Office\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":"","format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":"","field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EThe Army Research Office awarded Georgia Tech and its partners $20 million to develop scalable, efficient methods for transforming aluminum into hydrogen energy. The project could lead to a new, low-cost, clean, and efficient energy source powered by discarded materials.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"The multi-year research project could make scalable off-grid power sources a reality for rural communities and the military."}],"uid":"36123","created_gmt":"2025-06-05 16:10:27","changed_gmt":"2025-12-31 17:42:15","author":"Catherine Barzler","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","location":"Atlanta, GA","dateline":{"date":"2025-06-05T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2025-06-05T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"677196":{"id":"677196","type":"image","title":"aluminum powder.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EScientists at the Army Research Laboratory found that an aluminum-based powder prompts hydrogen to split from water. Now, a Georgia Tech-led partnership will carry that research forward. Credit: US Army\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1749139837","gmt_created":"2025-06-05 16:10:37","changed":"1749139837","gmt_changed":"2025-06-05 16:10:37","alt":"a small vial of white powder","file":{"fid":"261070","name":"1-armyplanstol--1-.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/06\/05\/1-armyplanstol--1-.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/06\/05\/1-armyplanstol--1-.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":608105,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/06\/05\/1-armyplanstol--1-.jpg?itok=nhqnY83a"}},"677194":{"id":"677194","type":"image","title":"Aaron Stebner.jpeg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EAaron Stebner\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1749139837","gmt_created":"2025-06-05 16:10:37","changed":"1749139837","gmt_changed":"2025-06-05 16:10:37","alt":"A man with glasses and a beard in a dark vest and dress shirt","file":{"fid":"261068","name":"Media-e1740408363490.jpeg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/06\/05\/Media-e1740408363490.jpeg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/06\/05\/Media-e1740408363490.jpeg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":169800,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/06\/05\/Media-e1740408363490.jpeg?itok=UOfQe7cb"}},"677195":{"id":"677195","type":"image","title":"Photo-McWhorter-Christopher.jpg","body":"\u003Cp\u003EScott McWhorter\u003C\/p\u003E","created":"1749139837","gmt_created":"2025-06-05 16:10:37","changed":"1749139837","gmt_changed":"2025-06-05 16:10:37","alt":"A headshot of a man in a blue shirt and dark blazer","file":{"fid":"261069","name":"Photo-McWhorter-Christopher.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/06\/05\/Photo-McWhorter-Christopher.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/2025\/06\/05\/Photo-McWhorter-Christopher.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":40865,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/2025\/06\/05\/Photo-McWhorter-Christopher.jpg?itok=RTFiwlqs"}}},"media_ids":["677196","677194","677195"],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"367481","name":"SEI Energy"},{"id":"1280","name":"Strategic Energy Institute"}],"categories":[{"id":"144","name":"Energy"}],"keywords":[{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"},{"id":"186857","name":"go-gtmi"},{"id":"186858","name":"go-sei"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39531","name":"Energy and Sustainable Infrastructure"},{"id":"39461","name":"Manufacturing, Trade, and Logistics"},{"id":"193652","name":"Matter and Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[{"id":"71881","name":"Science and Technology"}],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003ECatherine Barzler, Senior Research Writer\/Editor\u003C\/p\u003E\u003Cp\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:catherine.barzler@gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ecatherine.barzler@gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["catherine.barzler@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}