New Fuel Cell System Reduces Weight for Warfighters

  • Published
  • By Mr. Heyward Burnett, AFRL/RXOB
  • Materials and Manufacturing
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio --  Air Force Research Laboratory engineers are developing a new fuel cell system that will reduce the amount of weight that warfighters must carry in the field.

The new UltraCell XX55 fuel cell system replaces batteries needed for recharging, allowing recharge of batteries for fielded gear via a methanol-fueled system, reducing the weight carried by warfighters for a 72-hour mission by greater than 70 percent.

This system will eliminate the need for warfighters to carry additional batteries for communications equipment, cameras, computers and other gear used in the field. The reduced weight will enhance the ability of deployed personnel to perform their primary duties.

The BB-2590 is the military standard rechargeable Lithium Ion battery. The MBITR is the AN/PRC-148 Multiband Inter/Intra Team Radio, the most widely fielded handheld multiband, tactical software-defined radio, used by the U.S. military and NATO forces around the world.

Currently, soldiers carry many BB-2590s into the field and use them to recharge the battery in the MBITR, along with AA batteries and other batteries used for targeting systems, cameras and computer systems. The new UltraCell XX55 replaces the need for batteries for recharging by providing the next generation of portable power solutions.

The new fuel cell system is being produced using a single optimized manufacturing method and provides a portable power solution for field recharging of BB-2590 and MBITR batteries. Instead of using batteries, the new UltraCell XX55 system uses a methanol-fueled system.

The XX55 fuel cell system uses various fuel cartridges and fuel tanks for application and mission specific power requirements and duration. UltraCell's fuel products range from a small and ultra-portable eight-hour cartridge, to a larger five-gallon fuel tank that can provide almost two weeks of continuous 50W charging capability. The XX55 provides additional capabilities and versatility for the charging and powering of cell phones, laptops and other auxiliary devices.

AFRL engineers worked with UTC (Universal Technologies Corporation), of Dayton, Ohio, and Ultracell Corporation of Livermore, Calif., to successfully address materials and scale-up challenges, to increase throughput and to enable cost-effective manufacturing. Ultracell is producing 50 XX55 fuel cell systems as part of this effort, and the first six of these were delivered to the Army and shipped to Afghanistan in April.