The testing facility is owned and operated under a teaming agreement between Quantum and Thiokol and will be accessible to manufacturers of compressed gas storage tanks for applications in the automotive, industrial, aerospace and defense industries.

Hydrogen cycling testing through repeated fast-fills will be performed on compressed gas storage tanks and subsystems. The fully instrumented fast- filling tests will determine temperature rise and confirm the gas thermodynamics experienced during filling.

These critical data are required for the design, manufacture, testing and validation of compressed hydrogen storage tanks. While the initial focus of the testing will be on hydrogen storage and handling for vehicle applications, the facility's testing capabilities directly apply to storage systems for hydrogen refueling stations.

The need for this facility was spurred, in large part, by requests received by Quantum from the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) for hydrogen fuel storage and subsystem testing.

The Department of Energy has contracted with Quantum for over $5 million of research and development of ultra-lightweight, high capacity fuel storage technology designed to extend the range of the vehicle between refueling intervals.

Quantum's polymer lined hydrogen storage tanks will be tested along with hydrogen subsystems inclusive of valves, injectors, in-tank regulators, pressure and temperature transducers and flow controls -- initially at 5000-psig and then expanded to 10,000-psig. Thiokol, assuring compliance with NASA safety verification standards, will monitor the tests.

Dr. Neel Sirosh, Quantum's Director of Advanced Fuel Storage Technology, and Scott Voldness, Program Manager for Alternative Fuels Technology Programs at Thiokol Propulsion, jointly spearheaded the design and development of the only hydrogen storage and subsystem testing operation of its kind.

"We are excited about this facility," said Dr. Sirosh. "This allows us to do advanced research and development in pressurized storage of hydrogen as well as new absorbent and chemical storage technologies."

Mr. Voldness said, "We are equally enthused about this state-of-the art hydrogen testing facility. With Quantum, we are ensuring that fuel storage and subsystems are the safest manufactured today. This world class facility provides for rigorous testing that assures the durability of Quantum's hydrogen storage and subsystem technologies."

The Quantum strategic alliance with NASA Space Shuttle rocket booster manufacturer, Thiokol Propulsion, was formed in June 1999.

The alliance provides Quantum access to Thiokol scientists, engineers and support personnel experienced in the handling and management of hydrogen fuel, and authorizes Quantum to advance the commercialization of Thiokol's unique composite conformable hydrogen fuel storage tank technology for the emerging automotive fuel cell markets.

Quantum Technologies Inc. is a wholly owned subsidiary of IMPCO Technologies Inc. Quantum is focused on the development of enabling fuel storage technologies for manufacturers of alternative propulsion and energy for emerging global markets.

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