Portable fuel cell systems are to be developed for use in the army by a leading fuel cell manufacturer.

German company Smart Fuel Cell (SFC) has announced it will be working in cooperation with the German army to develop a next generation portable device using direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC) technology as a power supply for soldiers in the field.

In particular, the project will aim to reduce the weight and size of the fuel cell systems to allow them to be more easily carried than battery-based options.

The fuel cell systems are also expected to offer more electrical energy than a battery-based system.

SFC hopes to reduce the weight of its fuel cells to just 4.9 pounds – equivalent to just a quarter of the weight of conventional batteries.

Lighter equipment will be of especial use in a military context, since soldiers’ equipment is mostly made up of electrical devices.

However a lighter fuel cell system to replace conventional batteries will also have many wider applications. Fuel cells could one day be used to replace batteries in mobile phones and other household electrical devices, as well as being used to power vehicles.

DMFCs typically use platinum as part of the catalytic reaction that produces energy.


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