Military fuel-cell programs not yet ready for prime time.

• Author: Fein, Geoff S.
• Position: Research and Development

While the commercial industry is taking significant steps forward in the adoption of fuel cell technology, military researchers are taking a wait-and-see approach, expressing concern that fuel cells so far have not proven they can work in combat environments.

Commercial manufacturers, meanwhile, are hoping that breakthroughs in the civilian sector can spur military investments in the technology. "Our biggest issue is getting the military off their dime. There is a lot of inertia to overcome," said Dale Church, chairman of MTI Micro, a fuel cell manufacturer. "We keep telling the military, if it doesn't get onboard [it] will miss the wagon."

Others believe that finding the money to invest in fuel cell research and programs is the biggest obstacle for the military to overcome.

According to Atakan Ozbek, director of research for ABI in Oyster Bay, N.Y., even though the Department of Defense has agencies, such as the Army's Research, Development and Engineering Command and the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, looking into fuel cells, the Pentagon doesn't want to take the lead and bear all the expense of the research and development.

The Defense Department will "wait to see the commercial uses and for prices to drop," said Ozbek. "It will be a slow process." In the long run, the Pentagon views fuel cells as a problem-solving technology that will help troops alleviate the burden of carrying heavy loads of batteries to the front lines.

The challenges facing the commercial market are similar to what the military is trying to solve--whether to use pure hydrogen for fuel or one that must be reformed to remove sulfur; how to dispose of fuel cell cartridges; overcoming the high per kilowatt cost of fuel cells; the ability to miniaturize fuel cells and improving reliability and efficiency.

"If fuel cells are going to replace batteries, you have to overcome all those issues," said Ozbek. "For example, [the ability] to take fuel onto an airplane. The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has to come up with regulations and standards ... they have to look at the packaging. The regulatory scene is a significant issue."

MTI has several fuel cell programs underway including one to replace the BA 5590--the standard military battery--with a fuel cell in Harris' hand-held tactical radios.

Church said production on the system is about a year away. "We are literally working on production units now."

MTI's fuel cell prototype for Harris radios will closely resemble the battery it is to replace, both in shape and weight, said John Cerveny, director of government systems for MTI.

The BA 5590 weighs close to three pounds, and because it is not rechargeable, soldiers have to carry several of them. MTI's fuel cell refill weighs about 1.5 pounds.

"It's a real bargain for guys on a reconnaissance...