. Earth Science News .
Portable Fuel Cell-Based Power Pack For The Battlefield

P2 30W Soldier Power System.

Apopka FL (SPX) Jan 06, 2006
The team of Northrop Grumman and Protonex Technology has been selected by the U.S. Air Force to design and develop a new energy-efficient, lightweight fuel-cell system to power various targeting, communications and other sensor equipment used by airmen on the battlefield.

Under the one-year contract with the Air Force Research Laboratory at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Ohio, Northrop Grumman and Protonex Technology will develop and test a fuel cell-based system featuring advanced battery technology and an intelligent power manager.

The system will be based on Protonex's P2 fuel-cell product, which combines a 30-watt fuel-cell power system with chemical hydride fueling technology to provide continuous, long-duration power.

For its part, Northrop Grumman's laser systems business unit in Apopka will provide overall program management of the effort, and will ensure the fuel cell-based power pack is designed and tested to meet the stringent standards required by the warfighter on the modern battlefield and is interoperable with all applicable military equipment.

Fuel cells combine stored hydrogen with oxygen from the air to create electric power. Fuel cells can provide much higher energy density than the batteries they will replace while weighing up to one third less.

The power supply is a key element for airmen on the ground. Ultimately, thousands of these kits could be retrofitted with the new fuel-cell technology. It is anticipated that following this development effort, a second year of funding will enable the hardening of the system to make it battlefield ready with follow-on production of several hundred units. Ultimately, as the system matures, sales to all military branches could reach 15,000 units.

"Our team's primary objective is to provide airmen on the ground with increased combat capability, while reducing the weight of their equipment," said Bill Walters, Northrop Grumman program manager. "This technology will allow battlefield airmen to carry more ammo and water, instead of heavy conventional batteries to power their equipment."

"Protonex's contributions to this joint development program will leverage our extensive systems integration experience, along with our patented fuel-cell technology," stated Greg Cipriano, vice president of marketing and military development for Protonex. "We have already developed a prototype fuel-cell system that is achieving metrics in line with the military specifications, and look forward to advancing this technology."

Protonex Technology develops and manufactures the smallest, lightest and highest performing fuel-cell systems for portable power applications in the 10 to 500 watt range. The company is meeting the needs of customers for off-grid applications underserved by existing technologies by providing customizable, stand-alone portable power solutions and systems that that may be hybridized with existing power technologies. Protonex is based in Southborough, Mass., and has established partnerships with Northrop Grumman, Parker Hannifin Corporation and Millennium Cell to jointly develop advanced power solutions.

---------
Photovoltaic News

Related Links
Protonex Technology
Northrop Grumman
SpaceDaily
Search SpaceDaily
Subscribe To SpaceDaily Express

US Renewable Energy Firms Cash In
Washington (UPI) Jan 05, 2006
With European nations struggling to keep their promised targets under the Kyoto Protocol for greenhouse gas emissions, U.S. firms are set to cash in on the increased attention on renewable energies.







  • Mardi Gras Season Kicks Off In New Orleans
  • Caribbean States To Meet On Tsunami Warning System
  • Relief Flights Resume In Wintry Pakistan Quake Zone
  • Killer Tsunami Showcases India Disaster Skills, Global Ambitions

  • Hottest Australian Year Boosts Global Warming Worries
  • Past Year Set To Be One Of Warmest Years On Record Says WMO
  • Kyoto Protocol Confirmed As The Only Game In Town
  • Fine-Tuning The Steps In The Intricate Climate Change Dance

  • The Topex/Poseidon Oceanography Mission Ends
  • NG Ships First Advanced Tech Microwave Sounder Flight Instrument To NASA
  • Radar Sat Service Checks Stability Of Africa's Largest Artificial Hole
  • Intersat Introduces Virtual Reality Flight Simulator

  • Portable Fuel Cell-Based Power Pack For The Battlefield
  • US Renewable Energy Firms Cash In
  • Strong Magnetism Creates 2D Superconductivity
  • China Begins Building First Hydropower Plant On Jinsha River

  • Avian-Flu Battle Is Being Lost Says UN Agency
  • Potential Bird Flu Treatment Among LIAI Findings
  • China Reports Sixth Human Bird Flu Case And Fresh Outbreak
  • New Flu Fears In Three Countries

  • An Elephant Tail
  • Scientists Sequence DNA Of Woolly Mammoth
  • Why The Amazon Rainforest Is So Rich In Species
  • WWF Peeks Into Mysterious Life Of Borneo Pygmy Elephants

  • French Asbestos Warship Heads To India For Demolition
  • China Waterworks Resumes Supplies After Spill
  • Toxic Levels Low In Russian River
  • Toxic Slick Hits Major Russian River

  • New Technique Puts Brain-Imaging Research On Its Head
  • New Maps Reveal True Extent Of Human Footprint On Earth
  • Distinct Brain Regions Specialized For Faces And Bodies
  • NSF Funds Probe Of The Quintessence Of Surprise

  • The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2006 - SpaceDaily.AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA PortalReports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additionalcopyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement