Beyond Air and Gravity

What do you see as the major milestones or key moments in the more than 20 year history of Infinity Fuel Cell and Hydrogen?

Securing the first funding is always a significant milestone. Initially, the company was entirely self-funded, followed by modest support from the state of Connecticut. A notable step forward occurred when we received substantial backing from the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund. We collaborated with the University of Connecticut and oil exploration firm Schlumberger to develop regenerative fuel cell energy storage systems. Schlumberger aimed to use these systems for exploration purposes, requiring long-duration, quiet power solutions that allowed sensitive instruments to take precise measurements underground. This partnership, supported by the Connecticut Clean Energy Fund, marked a key milestone. Another major turning point was securing a NASA contract, which grew remarkably from a modest $70,000 Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract to over $8 million in Phase III contracts. Between 2006 and 2008, the administration prioritized returning to the moon, significantly increasing funding for technologies that would enable sustained lunar exploration.

Have there been strategic pivots or shifts that significantly influenced Infinity's current direction, whether in technology, market strategy, or opportunities?

A major strategic shift for us has been expanding into commercial space and underwater marine sectors, moving beyond our earlier focus solely on NASA and the U.S. Department of Defense. Since 2022, we've significantly grown our presence in these new sectors, which now dominate our business activities. We have recent and ongoing contracts with four different commercial space companies. These projects span fuel cells that generate power from hydrogen and oxygen, electrolyzers to produce hydrogen and oxygen, and Sabatier reactors that synthesize methane from hydrogen and carbon dioxide for orbit boosting purposes. All of these initiatives have been funded through partnerships with commercial space entities and other customers.

Regarding the unmanned underwater domain, you've received U.S. Navy funding and are now expanding into commercial sectors. What advantages does your technology offer for these applications?

Our technology is naturally suited for environments lacking air, such as outer space and underwater applications. In space, there is no air or gravity, and similarly, underwater scenarios require self-contained oxygen solutions. This characteristic makes our systems ideal as air-independent power generators. The increased demand for underwater drone capabilities is driven by the Navy's need to leverage large submarine assets as platforms to deliver resources closer to shore without risking these valuable assets in shallow waters. Fuel cell technology offers a significant advantage over batteries by enabling extended underwater missions. The Office of Naval Research (ONR) has set a target of 70 continuous days submerged, without surfacing or resupply of fuel. We've collaborated with ONR, General Atomics, and other organizations on various programs aimed at developing and testing technologies to achieve this objective. Deployment of these advanced systems is anticipated soon.

Are there commercial applications for your underwater drone technology?

Yes, commercial applications are also highly significant. Underwater drones have diverse missions, including inspecting pipelines and cables, conducting scientific research, managing, inspecting, and mapping sites for offshore wind power, among other activities. Using batteries for underwater vehicles presents limitations—typically, battery-powered drones have brief underwater durations and require an accompanying chase boat, which can cost up to $100,000 per day. In contrast, hydrogen fuel cell-powered underwater vehicles can be launched from a dock, operate autonomously without a chase vehicle, and complete the same missions. This capability can save hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of dollars per mission, highlighting a substantial market opportunity for commercial applications.

What are some of the challenges encountered in adapting your unique technologies for more traditional terrestrial applications?

Infinity's core technology is based on proton exchange membrane (PEM) systems. Can you provide a simplified overview of how a PEM fuel cell operates and explain why this technology is critical to product reliability and performance?

Imagine the typical lead-acid battery in your car. Our technology essentially utilizes a similar capability but embeds it within a plastic membrane instead of using traditional battery acid. This polymer membrane functions like battery acid but is completely safe and clean to handle. It's produced in wafer-like layers, enabling safe, efficient reactions within this polymer material. The operation is straightforward: hydrogen and oxygen gases are introduced to opposite sides of the membrane. The hydrogen molecules ionize into protons and electrons. These protons pass through the membrane and combine with oxygen on the opposite side, forming water. Meanwhile, the electrons, which are freed during this process, generate electrical power as they move through an external circuit. Thus, hydrogen and oxygen electrochemically combine within the fuel cell, producing electricity, pure water suitable for drinking, and a small amount of waste heat.

Your patented advanced passive water removal system has been tested aboard a Blue Origin suborbital flight. Can you explain the technological challenge this system addresses and how your solution could significantly impact the field?

As mentioned, the core reaction involves combining hydrogen and oxygen to produce electricity and water. This generated water must be promptly removed, or it will hinder the reaction. Typically, terrestrial systems manage this by blowing air through to remove water, but this approach isn't viable in space due to the absence of air. Another common solution involves adding a blower to circulate air or oxygen through the fuel cell stack. However, this approach requires additional equipment, consumes extra power, and adds reliability concerns. Furthermore, separating oxygen or air from water becomes challenging in microgravity environments, as conventional gravity-dependent methods don't apply. 

Infinity has developed regenerative fuel cell energy systems for both space and terrestrial applications. Could you explain what these systems are and detail your work in this area?

Our initial regenerative fuel cell system was developed in partnership with Schlumberger to provide remote, long-duration power solutions. The system combined PEM fuel cells with electrolyzers, powered by photovoltaic electricity. Electrolyzers split water into hydrogen and oxygen, storing these reactants for later recombination in fuel cells to generate electricity, effectively creating a reusable "water battery."

This cycle allows efficient, cost-effective, and lightweight storage of large amounts of energy, suitable for applications requiring extended-duration energy storage. Recently, NASA has identified significant advantages of regenerative fuel cell systems for lunar missions due to the Moon’s two-week-long, extremely cold lunar nights. NASA studies suggest potential savings of up to $700 million per mission using regenerative fuel cell systems over traditional battery storage, as batteries become bulky, heavy, and expensive for launch into space. Moreover, batteries degrade in extreme cold and require additional insulation and energy to maintain operational temperatures. Regenerative fuel cells excel when large amounts of energy storage are needed due to their lower weight and cost compared to batteries. However, for short-term storage or lower energy requirements, batteries may still be preferable. Many of our terrestrial regenerative systems therefore use a hybrid approach, incorporating small batteries alongside hydrogen and oxygen components to optimize performance and flexibility.

As the aviation and marine sectors increasingly prioritize decarbonization, what does your technology offer to these challenging-to-decarbonize markets?

Infinity’s primary advantage in these sectors lies in our extensive background developing systems for aerospace and defense. Our expertise enables us to determine whether our core fuel cell technology or another electrochemical option might be most suitable for a particular application. Crucially, we have the integration capability and the stringent quality assurance processes required for aerospace applications, exemplified by our AS9100 certification, a standard essential for aerospace suppliers.

In specific scenarios, such as high-altitude aviation missions at around 65,000 feet, the air pressure and oxygen partial pressure significantly decrease. Our hydrogen-oxygen fuel cell technology offers notable benefits in such environments, providing reliable operation where conventional systems may struggle. For marine applications, our fuel cells are advantageous both undersea and on the water's surface. Underwater systems benefit from our air-independent capabilities, while surface vessels can utilize hydrogen-air or hydrogen-oxygen fuel cells for efficient cycling operations, providing clean power without pollution or carbon dioxide emissions both at sea and in port.

Does Infinity’s technology support grid stability and energy security, especially in regions or industries with unreliable infrastructure?

Here, we focus on microgrids—both mobile and fixed—rather than utility-scale deployments. Our regenerative systems, combining fuel cells and electrolyzers, enable cost-effective storage of large energy quantities compared to batteries. Initially, we developed storage systems in the tens to hundreds of kilowatt hours for the U.S. Navy, designed for rapid field deployment. These microgrids can be operational in under 30 minutes, delivering AC power either stand-alone or tied into an existing grid, significantly reducing fuel logistics for Marine expeditionary forces. Architecturally, this microgrid design scales to larger capacities, offering the same resilience benefits. While batteries like Tesla’s Powerwall provide short-term backup, regenerative fuel cells can store and discharge enough energy to offset renewable intermittency, delivering sustained power and stabilizing the grid over extended periods. This makes them ideal for regions and industries where reliable infrastructure is a challenge.

Where do you see Infinity making the biggest impact in the next five years?

I believe our biggest impact will be in the underwater sector. We’re collaborating closely with partners to bring our systems to market, leading to production ramps for a growing set of commercial maritime applications. In the longer term, we’re also forging partnerships to deploy PEM electrolysis technology in hard-to-decarbonize industrial markets like green hydrogen production, ammonia synthesis for fertilizers, and hydrogen-based processes in steel and concrete manufacturing.

These industries currently rely on hydrogen produced from natural gas, generating significant CO₂. By producing renewable energy hydrogen via sunlight-driven water electrolysis, we can supply the same high-quality chemicals—food-grade ammonia, construction-grade steel and concrete—without upstream emissions, enabling deep decarbonization without altering end-user products.

You enlisted William Shatner to help amplify your message. What was the reasoning behind this choice, and why him specifically?

Engaging a well-known figure like William Shatner might seem unexpected, but it’s crucial to raise awareness of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies, which remain unfamiliar to most people despite hydrogen’s ubiquity in water. As a company, we need a compelling voice to break through the noise in and beyond our industry. William Shatner was a natural fit—he flew aboard Blue Origin’s New Shepard in an early mission, and our test equipment flew on New Shepard twice soon after. He’s also passionate about improving the world in his later years. Mentioning his name and spaceflight instantly captures attention, shining a spotlight on our work and the broader industry. With countless voices competing for attention, having someone of his stature helps us stand out. Visitors to our website notice Shatner prominently advocating for our technologies, which helps spread the word effectively.