BOSTON, May 5 (UPI) -- Protonex Technology has delivered to the U.S. Air Force prototypes of its P2 power cell, which is used to run portable electronic equipment in the field.
The P2 Soldier Power-Cell system produces up to 50 watts of continuous power and has a rugged design that Protonex said in a news release makes it ideal for the "aggressive requirements of demanding military applications."
Electricity in the field has become increasingly important to U.S. forces that have an increasing array of communications, computing and imagery gear at their disposal. Fuel cell technology that is lightweight and can generate modest amounts of power is seen by the military as an attractive advance from traditional batteries that rely solely on stored power and become literally dead weight after running down.
The Massachusetts company's P2 also features enhancements such as ability to operate in a wide range of temperatures and low heat and noise signatures that make it tougher for enemy forces to detect them with electronic surveillance equipment.
The actual chemical fuel-cell subsystem comes from Millenium Cell Inc.
The delivery announced this week was part of a two-year Dual Use Science and Technology (DUST) program contract awarded to Protonex in 2003. The Air Force plans to assess the P2 prototypes for reliability and durability.
