New mobile pressure control system for pneumatic actuators, using reversible chemical reactions of water

Recently, the need for mobile gas sources and portable gas controllers that are silent and have high efficiency for pneumatic actuators has become important. Conventional air compressors and their control systems are large, heavy, noisy, and of low efficiency. This paper proposes a new mobile pressure control system using reversible chemical reactions. This device, consisting of a proton-exchange membrane fuel cell and a current controller, can control gas pressures using an electric current. This report shows the basic mechanism and experimental results using the first prototype based on the electrolysis/synthesis of water; this new idea has great potential. The prototype system achieved a pressure of 0.5 MPaG, which can drive most general pneumatic actuators.