TACTICAL ENERGY INDEPENDENCE: Providing Alternative Power and Energy
DARPA is focusing on power sources that reduce both military's reliance on petroleum and soldiers' logistics burden.
Energy availability is often the limiting factor in military operations. And today’s emerging network-centric operations require ever more power for warfighters in the field. DARPA’s efforts in sustainability and a reduced logistics footprint will help to “minimize the tail while maximizing the teeth.”
DARPA’s Fuel Cells: Portable Power for Electronics in the Field
Portable fuel cells developed and demonstrated by DARPA’s Robust Portable Power Sources program successfully completed a major field exercise during Cobra Gold, a multinational military training exercise held this past February in Thailand. These fuel cell power systems,which offer significant increases in mission duration over standard military batteries, powered radio and computer equipment during the exercises.
Hybrid fuel cell / battery systems also allow a reduction in weight on missions when endurance is a priority. Unmanned aerial systems and unmanned ground systems are good examples of systems that will rely upon fuel cells instead of batteries to increase operational capability. Fuel cells will also be important to recharging batteries on short missions when batteries are still the optimum choice.
MISER helps future land warriors be self-sustaining by harnessing the energy of packaging waste generated during military field operations and converting it to electricity, all with a minimal logistics tail. EXPLORE MORE MISER
The VHESC program will provide soldiers with portable power for electronic devices, reducing the logistics associated with battery delivery to troops in the field, improving mission endurance and individual solider agility. In addition, VHESC will provide an off-and on-grid renewable energy source. EXPLORE MORE VHESC
The BioFuels program is developing an affordable military aviation fuel (JP-8), that, while made from renewable feedstocks, will be technically and chemically indistinguishable from petroleum-based aviation fuel. EXPLORE MORE BioFuels, BioFuels-Alternative Feedstocks
High efficiency distributed lighting optically transports centrally generated light to the point of use from a concentrated and protected system, allowing for lower maintenance costs and increased efficiency. EXPLORE MORE HEDLight
Sharon Beermann-Curtin, Program Manager, Defense Sciences Office, discusses power, alternative energy, and her experiences at DARPA.