Readme
# AL-H₂O REACTOR
### On-Board Aluminum-Water Hydrogen Generation System
> **Engineering Gap = Product.**
> The chemistry is MIT-published and proven. The gap between lab bench and production vehicle is the entire opportunity.
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## What This Is
A complete engineering reference and interactive visualization suite for an **on-board hydrogen generation system** that uses aluminum pellets + water to produce hydrogen on demand — no compressed tanks, no cryogenics, no fossil fuel supply chain.
Chemistry discovered and published by MIT (2023–2024). This repo is the engineering translation: specifications, blueprints, bill of materials, safety documentation, and interactive 3D visualizations.
**Author:** David Lee Wise (ROOT0) / TriPod LLC
**License:** CC-BY-ND-4.0
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## The Core Reaction
```
2Al + 6H₂O ──[imidazole + GaIn]──▶ 2Al(OH)₃ + 3H₂↑ + heat
```
| Input | Output |
|-------|--------|
| Recycled aluminum pellets (36 kg / 400 km) | Hydrogen gas (96% yield) |
| Seawater / any water (20 L / full cartridge) | Boehmite Al(OH)₃ (sellable byproduct) |
| Imidazole catalyst (trace) | Electricity via PEM fuel cell |
| GaIn alloy (recycled) | Water vapor (only exhaust) |
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## Why This Isn't Just Another Hydrogen Concept
| Conventional Hydrogen Vehicle | AL-H₂O Reactor |
|-------------------------------|-----------------|
| 700-bar compressed H₂ tanks | No pressure vessel — metal pellets at room temp |
| Hydrogen refueling infrastructure (non-existent) | Any water + recycled aluminum = fuel |
| Cryogenic storage or compression energy loss | Exothermic reaction — energy-positive start |
| Single-point supply chain | Distributed production from scrap aluminum |
| Specialized refueling stations | Swap cartridge in 3 minutes, anywhere |
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## Quick Specs
```
Reactor Volume ~12 liters
Aluminum per 400 km 36 kg (recycled)
H₂ Yield 96%
Reaction Time 5 min (imidazole catalyst) vs 2 hr (no catalyst)
Catalyst Boost 24x acceleration
Water Source Seawater, brackish, gray water, any
Fuel Cell Efficiency 60–65% (PEM)
Chain Efficiency ~55–60%
CO₂ per kg H₂ 1.45 kg (recycled Al pathway)
Byproduct Boehmite Al(OH)₃ — commercially valuable
GaIn Alloy Recovery Yes, via salt ion precipitation
Refuel Time ~3 minutes (cartridge swap)
Cost Estimate ~$9/kg H₂ (