BEND, Ore., 17 July 2007.CERDEC, the U.S. Army's Communications Electronics Research Development and Engineering Center, has awarded a second contract to IdaTech LLC, a fuel cell solutions developer and manufacturer, to further develop its three-kilowatt tactical fuel-cell generator using jet and diesel fuel. Following the successful first year, this $2.55 million award will focus on system integration, testing, and evaluation.
IdaTech was initially selected for the development project based on the company's fuel reformation and purification expertise. It was subsequently contracted for the second year to support CERDEC's mission to develop and integrate command, control, communications, computers, surveillance, and reconnaissance (C4ISR) technologies for the network soldier.
A multi-kilowatt tactical fuel cell generator could give defense organizations a quiet power generator with an affordable lifecycle cost for training facilities, emergency response centers, and tactical theaters of operations. In addition to military use, this technology has potential important non-military applications in replacement of small diesel generators with quieter, less polluting, and more efficient diesel fueled fuel cell systems.
