Green Military? | Green Energy News

January 23, 2005 – Vol.9 No.44

GREEN MILITARY?

Attention green energy companies, researchers and developers: Looking for business? Look no further than the U.S. military establishment.

Yes, war shouldn’t be. Yes, ideally we shouldn’t be in Iraq and the war on terrorism should focus on the root causes while chasing down the bad guys. But, practically speaking, that’s where the U.S. government is spending big bucks right now.

So, if you can figure out a way for your clean technology to benefit the military, go for it. Dollars coming in from Uncle Sam can further your R&D efforts that may turn into products you can sell in peacetime. Those dollars too might keep your business afloat through these troubled and iffy years.

Millennium Cell, that develops hydrogen generation technology utilizing sodium borohydride as a source of hydrogen, has been working with Protonex, a fuel cell developer, to make portable power systems for use in the battlefield.

Millennium and Protonex say a soldier on a 72-hour mission must carry 13 batteries that weigh about 29 pounds. The companies say their combined energy system will weigh less than 15. Soldiers will have to carry 3 - 5 snap-in fuel cartridges to keep the fuel cell running to provide power for communication devices and high-tech weaponry. A next generation device should weigh only 10 pounds, they say.

The devices are being developed for the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory Dual Use Science and Technology (DUST) program. (Dual use must mean be able to be used in other branches of the military since the Air Force doesn’t have foot soldiers)

Visit Millennium Cell at http://www.millenniumcell.com/ , Protonex at http://www.protonex.com/ .

Arotech (once known as Electric Fuel) is keeping its zinc-air fuel cell technology alive by developing zinc-air batteries for small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

Zinc-air batteries, with their long run times and low weight, seem a perfect match for UAVs. These pilotless aircraft spend long hours spying on enemies and in some cases deliver killing devices. Pilots fly them from remote locations.

Arotech doesn’t say which branch of the U.S. government it is developing the batteries for, only to say that it is a major U.S. Agency.

The company has developed similar batteries for the Israeli Defense Agency to be used in Micro Aerial Vehicles (MAVs), toy-like UAV’s

Zinc-air technology can be used in peacetime as for remote or back-up power as well as to power vehicles. UAVs, as well as MAVs, have nonmilitary applications such as in policing or surveillance. Some could hover above a rough street corner or outside your bedroom window.

Visit Arotech at http://www.arotech.com/ .