AFRL lends expertise to warfighter power pack competition

  • Published
  • By Pete Meltzer, Jr.
  • Air Force Research Laboratory
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE, Ohio --  The Air Force Research Laboratory's Materials and Manufacturing Directorate (AFRL/RX) assisted the Laboratory's Propulsion Directorate (AFRL/RZ) in a concerted effort to identify a lightweight, portable power pack to support warfighters in the field.

The AFRL/RX support effort involved two researchers from the RX's Nonmetallic Materials Division: Capt. Joseph E. McDermott, Ph.D, and Steven C. Szymanski. The two researchers were part of the contingent responsible for final testing of wearable power systems constructed by individual inventors, small businesses, and large defense contractors in response to a Department of Defense technology development competition initiated in July 2007.

According to Capt. McDermott, the purpose of the competition was to identify lightweight, wearable power systems that meet the technical criteria for enabling reliable communications and other vital capabilities required in today's high-tech environment. The competition succeeded in narrowing the field and in identifying the systems that best meet the performance criteria, he said.

"The competition included entries from 169 teams across the United States and from 15 foreign countries," Capt. McDermott explained.

"Following a series of qualifying rounds, 30 teams participated in the final event at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms, Calif. The competition included a 92 hour continuous bench test, in which varying power loads up to 200 watts were placed on the systems, with an average draw of 20 watts. Entries had to weigh less than 4 kilograms (8.8 pounds) and be attachable to a standard military vest," he continued.

"The competition was conducted over a two-week period ending October 4, 2008. Only six teams successfully completed the bench test. A four-hour field test rounded out the final event, in which the remaining wearable power systems were tasked to provide power to actual items used by warfighters such as notebook computers, heating vests, and advanced equipment for improving communications, situational awareness and ultimately the ability to fight and survive," Captain McDermott said.

DoD determined in advance that the winner of the competition would be the system that weighed the least and successfully completed the bench and field tests. DuPont Fuel Cells (Wilmington, Del.) and German partner Smart Fuel Cell (SFC) AG (Brunnthal, Germany) finished in first place for their advanced prototype of SFC's direct-methanol fuel cell (DMFC), called the M-25 Land Warrior Soldier Power Generator.

Second place went to Adaptive Materials, Inc. (Ann Arbor, Mich.) for a vest-mounted version of its Amie25, a solid-oxide fuel cell. Third place went to Capitol Connections LLC (Middleburg, Va.) for its DMFC based on SFC's commercial Jenny Portable Power System. All three used a hybrid approach whereby the fuel cell was used to charge batteries, which in turn provided electrical power to devices.

Deputy Undersecretary of Defense for Laboratories and Basic Sciences, Dr. William Rees, Jr., later stated: "The winners, and really all the teams that competed, have moved wearable power technology forward. But the real winners from this competition are our ground warfighters, as these systems show great promise to reduce the weight of batteries they have to carry while performing their critical missions.

"The rules we developed for this Department of Defense competition attracted small businesses, individual inventors, and large companies alike," Dr. Rees said. "Our nation has tremendous capacity for innovation, so we hope that this and future competitions also motivate the scientific community to continue important advancements in technology," he added.