Protonex Technology Corp. (Southborough, MA), a developer of fuel cell power solutions for portable and remote applications, and Millennium Cell Inc. (Eatontown, NJ), a technology development company that has created a proprietary process to safely store, generate and deliver pure hydrogen, announced that they have delivered the industry's first fully integrated, 30 W portable fuel cell power system fueled by chemical hydride cartridges to the US Air Force (USAF).
The portable power system, (referred to as P1), is the first deliverable under a previously announced US Air Force Research Laboratory, Dual Use Science and Technology contract awarded to Protonex. The system integrates Millennium Cell's hydrogen energy system into Protonex's PEM fuel cell platform to provide a fuel cell power source for soldiers on extended field missions.
The P1 unit represents a substantial improvement in energy density and cost over the batteries currently used by the US military. To fulfill the requirement for 30 W of continuous power for a 72-hour mission, soldiers carry 13 primary batteries weighing over 29 lbs. The P1 system is capable of meeting these power requirements at less than 50% of the weight, including fuel cell platform and snap-in fuel cartridges.
