FuelCell Energy Wins US Navy UUV Contract

FuelCell Energy Inc. awarded US$3.8-million contract by U.S. Navy to develop power system for unmanned underwater vehicle (UUV).

FuelCell Energy, Inc., a leading manufacturer of fuel cell power plants, announce a US$3.8-million contract award from the U.S. Navy to develop and test a Hybrid Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC)-Battery power system for large displacement undersea vehicle propulsion.

The objective of the project is to develop a refuelable power system, with high energy density, that is suitable for undertaking long duration underwater missions of unmanned submersibles. 

The Hybrid SOFC-Battery system will be capable of generating 1,800 kilowatt hours of electricity during a 70 day mission with no exhaust discharged outside of the vehicle at any time. It will use liquid fuel and be self-contained with no reliance on external air.

The FuelCell Energy Hybrid SOFC-Battery power system is attractive for underwater vehicle applications as its high efficiency minimizes usage of both stored fuel and oxygen in the confined spaces available onboard the vehicle. 

The system achieves air independence by utilizing a unique oxygen storage technology, maintains neutral buoyancy with no discharge of system products and is capable of responding to the peak power demands for a typical Large Displacement Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (LDUUV) as defined by the U.S. Navy.

A consortium will work with the FuelCell Energy team to fulfill the program requirements. The SOFC fuel cell stack is based on the technology developed by Versa Power Systems, an SOFC developer that is partially owned by FuelCell Energy. 

Other team partners include the Energy Systems Division of NASA's Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center, Yardney Technical Products, Inc., Naval Underwater Warfare Center (NUWC), and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL).  

This diverse team has the expertise required to meet the state-of-the-art system design, safety, and reliability of U.S. Navy specifications.  NASA will develop the oxygen storage required by the power system, Yardney will supply the battery technology, and PNNL will provide compact fuel processing design knowledge.  NUWC will complement the team on a range of topics including the logistics of systemization, integration, and tie-ins with the balance of LDUUV systems.