Modern technology has been embraced by the Department of Defense (DoD) as a resource to enhance the offensive and defensive capabilities of the military services. Fuel cells are expected to be deployed for some military power needs by 2006. Advanced batteries and generators for mobile electric power will continue to have a role. These electrochemical devices have the potential to offer agility, stability, and efficient power to replace traditional hydrocarbon combustion-driven platforms and battery-powered systems. The market for military fuel cells is poised to take off in 5 to 10 years, but the opportunities are balanced by a number of barriers that must be overcome before military fuel cells can sustain the anticipated multi-billion dollar markets anticipated by mid-21st century forces. 

According to a recently published report from Business Communications Company, Inc. (www.bccresearch.com)   RGB-296 Evolution of Fuel Cells and Batteries for the Military: Trends and Markets, total U.S. market for fuel cells and advanced batteries in the military is expected to drop at an average annual growth rate (AAGR) of 7.7% from a wartime-enhanced $313.4 million in 2003 to $210 million in 2008. 

Advanced battery values in the military were $44 million in 2000 and escalated to $291.4 million during the wartime of 2003. The lithium-manganese dioxide battery has made huge gains in replacing the lithium sulfur dioxide chemistry, but the latter still represents about 61% of advanced military battery purchases in 2003. Batteries, like the internal combustion engine, will be with us for many years. Fuel cell introduction into the military structure will be slow, incremental, and take place initially on installations and in benign and stable environments rather than on the battlefield. 

One premise floated by fuel cell advocates is that fuel cells can totally replace batteries, generators, or grid power in supplying electricity to a number of different types of military devices, systems, or locations. In reality, sometimes there will be replacement and sometimes there will not be replacement of batteries or generators or grid power. Sometimes hybrid systems will emerge. Advantages of fuel cells include their compact size, mobility, modularity, efficiency, and quiet operation. 

To a degree, fuel cells have been over-hyped and remain too far from commercialization for widespread military use. Yet there are successes in niche markets that are encouraging for fuel cell technology. The monies will not dry up for a long time into the future. The largest amounts of money continue to be spent on the proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell and its important subtype, the direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC). The versatility of the PEM fuel cell is a driver for its continued R&D. What remains to be seen is if other systems can make the actual application "in-use" inroads that the zinc-air cell has made. Zinc-air cells are now a commercial technology that the military is pleased with and is continuing to invest in. Common terminology may refer to zinc-air technology as a "battery" because the cell can be used like a primary battery or even a secondary battery. Technically a zinc-air cell does not store electrochemical energy, but generates electricity from a supplied fuel that is a special micro-structured zinc. Apparently referring to this power source as a battery enhances the comfort level of using a new technology. Zinc-air cells for military applications are projected to increase to $11 million in value within the next 5 years. This represents the largest single growth rate of any fuel cell technology. Values cited in this report are for the fuel cell itself, not for the entire system, the engineering, or management of a Department of Defense (DoD) sponsored program. 

The present technical market report analyzes the fuel cell's role as a power supply for the military in the areas of stationary power supply, transportation, mobile electric power (MEP), portable power, and a number of one-of-a-kind application initiatives and updates the role of advanced batteries for the military. 

Advanced Power Sources for Military Applications by Type, through 2008
($ Millions) 

 

Type of Advanced Power  1980 1998 1999 2000 2003 2008 AAGR% 2003-2008 Zn-air FC 0 0 0.0 1 4.1 11 21.8 Other FC and hybrids 0 3 11.0 23 17.9 23 5.1 Advanced batteries 76 50 47.4 44 291.4 176 -9.6 Total 76 53 58.4 68 313.4 210 -7.7

Source: BCC, Inc.

Advanced Power Sources for Military Applications by Type, 1980, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2003 and 2008
($ Millions) 

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