In its May 10 issue, National Defense magazine reported that “U.S. Soldiers Need Better Equipment, Study Concludes”.  The article highlights a study conducted by the National Research Council that concludes that military technology and equipment aren’t keeping pace with battlefield realities.

Specific to battlefield power, the article says:

Massive loads of batteries that soldiers need to power their devices contribute to the problem. “There is no doctrinal philosophy for the small unit to recharge the battery; there is no organizational equipment to support recharging; there is no hint of the training required; there is no parallel materiel development of a recharger or fuel reformer to exploit new rechargeable battery or fuel-cell technologies,” the study says. “Advances in portable power will contribute to the decisiveness of small units by giving future soldiers high confidence that their equipment ensemble will have sufficient energy to carry out the mission. Achieving this goal will help to reduce fatigue, eliminate the anxiety associated with resupply.”

The Ultra AMI Defender fuel cell is designed to meet the needs of soldiers in the field.  We are proud to work with DARPA and the military to make the Defender more widely used on the battlefield.

In an article titled “Longer-Lasting Drones Powered by Fuel Cells”, Popular Mechanics magazine talks about the military’s use of AMI’s fuel cells to power UAVs.  The article says that thanks to the fuel cell, the Lockheed-Martin Stalker XE 240 “stays aloft for 8 hours at a stretch… a major improvement that could pave the way for longer-lasting drones providing continual surveillance.”

Read the full article on the Popular Mechanics website.

Fuel cell powered Stalker XE, image courtesy of Popular Mechanics

Soldier power, when they need it and where they need it most.

Powering unmanned systems, providing portable power to soldiers, creating a new reality in how soldiers power mission-critical systems.

Our ROAMIO D245XR and ROAMIO D300 are fueled by globally available propane. They deliver lightweight, portable power in the most austere, remote and dangerous locations. Longer flight times. Longer missions. Reduced weight burden. Better results.

Ultra Electronics, AMI’s Defender series: Keeping soldiers out of harm’s way.

Product Literature:

• RoAMIo Defender D245XR
• RoAMIo Defender D300

Extended, maintenance free, worry free power: Ultra Electronics, AMI’s Performer fuel cells for remote industrial use.

Ultra Electronics, AMI’s Performer series extends the functionality and reliability of remote applications. Cameras, sensors and surveillance equipment perform reliably, for longer periods of time. Communications systems remain up and running, even when the grid goes down. Battery tending keeps traffic systems – from signs to cameras to lights – working 24-7, rain or shine.

Ultra Electronics, AMI’s Performer Series: The ultimate, reliable power source for remote applications.

Product Literature:

• RoAMIo Performer P250
• RoAMIo Performer P250i
• RoAMIo Performer Enclosure Catalog

Reporting from the recent 6th Annual Soldier and Marine Modernization Meeting in Arlington, Va, National Defense magazine highlighted the real potential for fuel cells on the battlefield.  The article, available on the publication’s website, says, “More efficient portable power sources are needed to help lighten the load of soldiers and Marines.”

AMI’s Defender fuel cell has been used in several military tests and has proven effective in battlefield settings.  The RoAMIo Defender is lightweight, portable and powered by globally available propane.

In the article, Patrick McGrath, a science and engineering technical advisor at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), offers that the military is looking at options to get fuel cells in the hands of soldiers.

“We are looking not just at the promise of fuel cells that people have been talking about for decades, but getting fuel cells into real missions and accomplishing things in the field,” said McGrath.

One of our fuel cells was recently loaned to a small business conducting testing of a mountain top sensor system.  The fuel cell, powered by the propane that’s also pictured, performed flawlessly at 6500 ft.  What a beautiful view… and amazing innovation!

RoAMI D300

The D300 delivers lightweight, portable power in the most austere, remote and dangerous locations. Weighing just 10 kilograms, it’s the perfect “go anywhere” power source — that can now be shipped anywhere!

Rice presented on the advantages of incorporating fuel cells into hybrid systems.  He presented a vision of solar, wind, fuel cell, and generators all working together to provide efficient power.

“Solar and wind are great, but dependent on conditions that are out of our control,” Rice said. “Fuel cells ensure that you have 100 percent reliable power when mother nature disagrees.”

BACKGROUND

When the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) decided to step up its efforts to proactively identify rockslide hot spots, it turned to its partners at Silent Security Solutions and Olson Engineering for assistance.  Combined, these partners were able to offer CDOT the monitoring technology to improve rockslide detection, however, the implementation of this technology faced a huge hurdle: How do you reliably and cost-effectively provide power to equipment on the side of a mountain?

CHALLENGE

Identifying rockslide hot spots lets CDOT proactively tackle a real problem.  Not only do rockslides present a real danger to drivers, damage caused by falling rocks is costly.  In 2010, a rock fell on I-70, a major highway through Colorado, and caused enough damage to close the road for four months, creating an expensive, logistical nightmare for commerce and traffic.

The technology to monitor for rockslide potential exists, but powering that technology is a challenge; monitoring equipment is located on the side of a mountain, in an area only accessible by helicopter.  Each helicopter trip to change the equipment’s batteries costs $1500, making the regular use of the equipment cost-prohibitive.

Solar power, a typical choice for remote applications, isn’t an option: The amount of power required for the equipment exceeds what can be routinely produced through solar power.  Generators provide more power than the equipment needs, pose environmental risks, require maintenance, and produce unwanted odors and noise.

SOLUTION

Ultra Electronics, AMI (AMI) provided Olson Engineering with the perfect power solution: A 250-watt fuel cell system that can tend the batteries required to run the monitoring equipment. Field-tested by the military in the most austere locations in the world, AMI fuel cells can easily tolerate the mountain’s harsh conditions.

Compared to a generator, AMI’s fuel cell is a green option: It creates no noise pollution and doesn’t present a risk for spilled fuel.  AMI’s fuel cell is more reliable than solar and is ideal for applications that require consistent power.

The AMI fuel cell system is powered by inexpensive and energy dense propane.  On a small tank of propane, it can operate in battery tending mode for months, removing the logistical barriers to providing power to the rockslide equipment.  Propane is available anywhere, is safe and easy to transport, and lightweight.

AMI’s fuel cells, currently in beta testing by CDOT, have reliably, constantly and without refueling powered the rockslide monitoring equipment for months on commercially available canisters of propane.

Our ROAMIO Defender fuel cell was recently exhibited at the Africa Aerospace and Defense show!  It’s exciting to see the growing demand for portable, propane-powered fuel cells as word of our system spreads across the globe.

The ROAMIO was displayed at the AAD show by BSS Holland, a reseller of our fuel cells.

Designed in collaboration with the software experts at SRT Solutions, TaPP requires the least amount of installation by the user, and is highly portable between different platforms. The user interface, developed by Ann Arbor-based The Whole Brain Group, represents an engaging and intuitive workflow process that balances the need for simple data input with valuable recommendations by the software.

“The application framework is what is so important with TaPP.  It incorporates trade-off and decision making within the software while allowing the users to build relevant equipment profiles for the work they do,” said Don Kachman of AMI.

The software and operating manual can obtained by emailing Kachman.  Future blog posts will focus on specific aspects of the software.