Protonex Technology Corporation to develop high power fuel cell systems for the US Navy
17th September 2009
Fuel cell systems developers Protonex Technology Corporation has received a $598,813 contract from the US Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) to develop high power fuel cell systems for small unmanned air vehicles.
The company will focus on increasing the power density of their Proton Exchange Membrane UAV fuel cell system for later integration into a small NRL plane. It is anticipated that the hydrogen fuel cell system will provide 1.5kW of power which will help increase power, manoeuvrability and speed.
Paul Osenar, CTO of Protonex, said, ‘We are very fortunate to have the continued support and interest from the NRL and the Office of Naval Research. The team is excited to have this opportunity to continue to optimise our core technology by increasing the net power of our fuel cell system while significantly improving the overall functionality of small UAVs.’
Protonex’ fuel cell power systems provide up to five times the energy density over other advanced batteries, according to the company. These advantages enable a wide range of military applications and provide an opportunity to broaden mission capabilities for small UAVs.
Copyright © 2009 NewNet
