Army exploring uses for fuel cell technology beyond vehicles
By Ashley Tressel, Inside Defense, February 2, 2018
A program using hydrogen fuel cells to reduce a vehicle's detectability has revealed other potential uses for the technology, which the service is exploring. Powering an assault vehicle or a command post are among the possibilities, the project lead with the Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center told Inside the Army.
A demonstration last month in Hawaii proved the system's stealth in a simulated reconnaissance mission pitting the 2nd Squadron, 14th Cavalry Regiment, 25th Infantry Division, in humvees against the "enemy" in the General Motors ZH2, a modified Chevrolet Colorado fitted with a fuel cell and electric drive. Lying in wait in the ZH2 was project lead Brian Butrico, who was surprised at how close the cavalry came before they noticed his vehicle hiding in the jungle.
"They had no idea until they literally drove right past us," Butrico said of one drill. "Had we been a real enemy opposition force and had a weapons system, we would have been able to destroy the entire column of humvees very easily before they even saw us."
The ZH2 does not produce any smoke, noise, odor or thermal signature, allowing its occupants to mask their presence in the field.
"Instead of [the enemy] being able to hear us from a kilometer away, they can now only hear us from 50 or 100 meters away, so that allows us a lot of flexibility in where we set up command posts, or also freedom of movement, and allows us greater mobility and areas of approach -- more areas we can operate in without being detected," he said.
Butrico said the Army is "just scratching the surface" of possibilities with this technology and officials are excited by future applications. Kari Drotleff, who is replacing Butrico as project lead, said the service aims to determine the best possible use of the technology.
"We can put this into anything, but is it the right application?" she said.
The 25th ID used the fuel cell to quietly power its tactical operation center, eliminating noisy generators. An extensive modeling simulation by the Army will see how this could work in a larger theater, said Butrico. The service is also toying with the idea of using the technology as an auxiliary power unit on a major combat platform or even equipping soldiers with it as a wearable system to lighten their load.
The Army has already begun work to determine how to produce, store and distribute hydrogen in the field.
