Fuel Cells in the Military | Green Energy News

April 11, 2004 – Vol.9 No.3

FUEL CELLS IN THE MILITARY.

The military has historically been a good proving ground for cutting edge technologies. Not only does the government (read the taxpayer) pay for research and development of the technology, it also pays for the commercialization of the technologies through the purchase by the military for large orders. Further, the military, especially in combat conditions, becomes a testing organization. If technologies will work in tough, harsh conditions on the battlefield, they’ll likely work in your home.

Fuel cells are no exception and are being tried in a number of military research applications, according to a report Military Fuel Cell Market Explained from on-line publication Fuel Cell Today.

While the report points out that militaries aren’t necessarily interested in the environmentally friendliness of fuel cells, they are interested in the power available from the units needed for a growing number of applications. Low heat signature and low weight are also key assets.

The report looks at a variety of hydrogen and direct methanol fuel cells being employed in a number of military research applications around the world. Those applications range anywhere from power packs carried by foot soldiers to power generation units for submarines.

In another report - Evolution of Fuel Cells and Batteries for the Military:Trends and Markets - offered for sale by Business Communications Co., the market for fuel cells for military use is expected to take off in 5 -10 years but have technological hurdles to overcome first.

The report says that the market for fuel cells AND batteries is actually expected to decline from a wartime-enhanced $314.4 million in 2003 to $210 million in 2008. (The latter figure could change depending on the longevity of U.S. involvement in Iraq.)

BCC, in the report, also says that proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cells as well as direct methanol fuel cells (DMFC) remain the most popular for development. However, the military is pleased with zinc-air fuel cells, that are now a commercial technology, and will continue to invest in them. BCC thinks that the market for zinc-air fuel cells for the military will increase in the the next five years and will have the largest single growth rate of any fuel cell technology.

The BCC report is available for $2950.00. The Fuel Cell Today report is free. Visit BCC at http://www.bccresearch.com/ , Fuel Cell Today at http://www.fuelcelltoday.com/surveys .