Fuel cells dominate DoD Wearable Power contest

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Fuel cells dominate DoD Wearable Power contest
By William Matthews - Staff writer
Posted : Sunday Nov 2, 2008 9:51:52 EST

They ran for four days, operating in heat, cold and vacuum. They were jostled and bumped and turned on their sides, and in the end, what separated the winning lightweight, wearable power system from the runner-up was 28 grams: one ounce.

A methanol-powered fuel-cell system bested its propane-powered rival because it was lighter by about the weight of half a candy bar.

After four days in the California desert, the Defense Department named three winners Oct. 4 in its Wearable Power contest.

The objective was to produce a small, lightweight system that would clip to a soldier’s load-bearing vest and generate enough electricity to keep his battlefield electronics going for four days.

The power supply could weigh no more than 4 kilograms (8.8 pounds) yet deliver an average of 20 watts and short bursts of up to 200 watts. Compared with the batteries that troops now carry, that’s less than half the weight for the same amount of electricity.


Rest of article at: http://www.armytimes.com/news/2008/11/army_wearablepower_110208w/%2e