JOINT BASE MCGUIRE-DIX-LAKEHURST, N.J. -- Sustainable energy has been pursued for decades as a way to efficiently create power at little to no cost to the present and future generation with hopes of improving quality of life. For today’s warfighter, sustainable energy provides potential for increased lethality and conservation of manpower.
The Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Acquisition and Sustainment and Defense Department partner Pratt Miller Engineering surveyed the outcomes of developmental technology designed to produce sustainable energy during the Warrior Exercise at Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst, New Jersey.
“We’re demonstrating a high energy logistics platform,” said Chris Archambo, chief engineer of hydrogen technology. “It’s supporting a small ecosystem of small electric robotic vehicles, hydrogen fuel cell manned vehicles, a tactical sanitation system in addition to an air-condition system and cooking equipment.”
Soldiers also tested a Vehicle Integrated Power Kit and a Waste to Energy system. VIPKs can generate electrical power on-board and on the move, increasing the mobility, efficiency and lethality of combat formations and high-power weapons systems while minimizing the need for more generators.
The W2Es are intended to be a highly transportable system that could potentially eliminate the use of burn pits by converting waste into gas then homogenizing the gas through a burn process that converts the cleaned gas into electricity, synthetic fuel or using it to heat water.
“We are trying to innovate today for energy tomorrow,” said Lt. Col. Matthew Dick U.S. Army Reserve OUSD A&D representative. “We’re looking for better ways to provide the warfighter the power that he or she needs to dominate on the battlefield. The importance of finding multiple ways to provide energy is that it gives us some resilience. It’s critical that we have that resilience to ensure that we have that ability to carry out our mission.”
While these platforms are still under development, the OUSD A&D works to pioneer methods of reducing logistical burdens, maximize performance and enhance warfighter capabilities by utilizing modern technology.