Proton Energy Systems Inc. (Wallingford, CT), a hydrogen generator and regenerative fuel cell company, announced that it has received authorization to begin Phase II of its contract with the Naval Research Laboratory for advanced fuel cell technology development. The award is based on Proton's progress against key milestones in Phase I and the promise of Proton's regenerative fuel cell technology for critical defense and aerospace applications.
Initial contract funding for Phase II of the cost-plus, fixed-fee contract is $385,000 with the total potential contract value worth up to $4.5 million. The goal of Phase II is the achievement of key milestones that build toward the demonstration of a 1kW scale prototype system. Design goals of this high-pressure hydrogen/oxygen regenerative fuel cell are reversibility, space operation, lightweight packaging and fewer system components over state-of-the-art fuel cell designs.
The effort is part of a Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency "Water Rocket" program that applies Proton's technology to advanced space propulsion and energy systems. The program supports a broader "Orbital Express" initiative aimed at developing next-generation serviceable satellites planned to provide significant improvements in US military space operations capability.
