SOUTHBOROUGH, Mass., 10 Sept. 2008.Protonex Technology Corp., a provider of advanced fuel cell power systems for portable, remote, and mobile applications, won a $400,000 contract award from the U.S. Army Research Office (ARO) to further develop its solid-oxide fuel cell (SOFC) power systems.
This program will focus on advancing SOFC power systems on high-performance liquid fuels, including certain conventional and alternative/renewable military formulations, says a representative,
Under the terms of this 12-month contract, Protonex will adapt its existing propane-fueled SOFC systems to operate on liquid fuels, such as butanol, gasoline, kerosene, and desulfurized JP-8.
Development work will be done at the full system level as well as at the component and sub-assembly levels to enable liquid fuel operation and demonstration. At the end of the program, hardware and test results will be delivered to the ARO.
Protonex SOFC fuel cell systems, which operate on a variety of fuel types, provide value for military, industrial, and consumer users in a wide range of portable power applications.
In addition to being quieter than combustion-engine generators and lighter than batteries, these fuel cell systems can process high-performance liquid fuels to maximize the energy of the complete power system, including fuel.
