Mil-Tech

Military Fuel Cell Shipments to Reach 272,000 Units Annually by 2017, According to Pike Research

The U.S. military is the single largest consumer of energy in the world. As such, the volatility of the international oil markets represents a significant strategic risk to the operational capabilities of the U.S. Armed Forces. Realizing the need to mitigate this strategic vulnerability, U.S. military leaders are actively promoting the development of new technologies, including fuel cells. The increased emphasis on energy security and efficiency, particularly under the complex and challenging operational conditions encountered in remote battlefield environments such as Afghanistan, represents a significant opportunity for fuel cell manufacturers and original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). According to a recent report from Pike Research, shipments of fuel cells for military applications will increase to more than 272,000 in 2017, from just over 1,200 in 2011.

That will translate into revenues of $1.2 billion for military fuel cells in 2017, up from only $9 million in 2011, the cleantech market intelligence firm finds.

“Fuel cells will be used in a range of applications by military agencies, including stationary power, mobile electric power, auxiliary power units, unmanned vehicles, and non-tactical vehicles,” says research director Kerry-Ann Adamson. “The largest opportunities for military fuel cells, however, lie in soldier wearable and portable power applications for devices such as radios, ruggedized computers, and night-vision goggles, in which fuel cells are primarily used as a replacement for portable batteries, and in power for unmanned sensors and surveillance systems.”

The strongest drivers for the adoption of fuel cells by the world’s armed forces are performance and energy density, particularly for use by individual troopers. On average, each soldier carries around nine pounds of disposable batteries in their kit, used for powering a range of portable electronics such as imaging and communications equipment. The burden on today’s soldiers to carry more and more high-tech equipment is increasing, and the batteries required to power all this equipment already constitutes an impractical percentage of total weight. Fuel cells, with a far greater energy density than conventional military batteries, represent an excellent means of lightening the load for soldiers and systems in the field.

Nevertheless, fuel cell manufacturers face formidable barriers in their pursuit of the military market. Military users are the world’s most demanding customers for fuel cells and, while they will be less price sensitive than the commercial market in the near term, their performance and production scale requirements may ultimately prove too difficult for some vendors to meet.

Pike Research’s report, “Fuel Cells for Military Applications”, examines the stationary, transport, and portable power applications for fuel cell technologies currently being explored and validated by the U.S. Department of Defense, including a detailed analysis of market drivers as well as potential barriers to adoption. Forecasts through 2017 are also provided for those technologies and applications that are deemed as offering a realistic possibility of being deployed within that timeframe. An Executive Summary of the report is available for free download on the firm’s website.

Pike Research: www.pikeresearch.com

Military tests hybrid bulldozer in hope of saving fuel and lives

Few targets in Afghanistan and Iraq are as inviting to insurgents as fuel convoys.For that reason, military officials hope a new diesel/electric bulldozer tested last week at Naval Base Ventura County, Port Hueneme can save lives and money.The Caterpillar D7E would require fewer fuel convoys than what’s required by the thousands of diesel-powered dozers deployed in war zones by the Army and Navy, which could means less time in risky places for military personnel and contractors, they say.

Read more: www.vcstar.com

ONYX Moves to Cash In on Company’s New Technology Products

While new construction projects are safely on the fast track in Latin America, Onyx Service & Solutions, Inc. (otcqb:ONYX), is using this week to focus on supply agreements and monetizing new technology the company now owns due to its earlier acquisition of Southern Geo Power Corp. One of the new technologies that ONYX gained from the acquisition is named “eTessla” — a wireless power transmission product in development that is designed to eliminate the need for disposable or rechargeable batteries. Since ONYX is already a premier distributor for Hong Kong based Optimum Solar, management has engaged Optimum to finish the prototype designs of eTessla, procure manufacturing agreements in Shenzhen, China and ready the product for retail sales.

“The eTessla name is a combination of Nicola Tesla’s name, who was the original inventor of this technology and the type of SS chip the technology uses”, stated ONYX president Malcolm Burleson. The new ONYX technology can be seen at http://eliminatebatteries.com . “If you’ve seen the charging pads you throw your cell phone on to charge without plugging it in, then you’ve seen this technology in its early infancy, which came out a few years ago. This technology has vastly improved in distance transmitted and power capabilities,” he added.

“We expect the eTessla to be a very lucrative asset of ONYX. When you consider that the typical US soldier deployed on a 72-hour mission in Afghanistan has to carry over 70 individual batteries, you can see the immediate value the eTessla could contribute to the ONYX bottom line. Batteries make up 20 percent of the weight a Soldier carries in theater. An infantry battalion spends more than $150,000 on batteries per year, which is second in cost to munitions — and that is just one of the applications for the military. The eTessla is being designed for applications for commercial, residential and industrial uses as well,” added Burleson. “You can see why the eTessla is anticipated to be a real game changer for ONYX and the world as we now know it.” Details of the military specifications Burleson spoke of can be seen at http://www.OnyxNewsDirect.com

For more information on the ONYX see: www.OnyxService.com