http://www.tacom.army.mil/acqcen/baa/dust.htm

U.S. Military Looking for SOFCs

OBJECTIVE: Army policy now dictates JP-8 as the single fuel on the battlefield. This policy simplifies fuel logistics, and permits refueling helicopters in the forward battle area. Diesel (compression ignition, or CI) and gas turbine engines that are normally fueled with commercial diesel fuels can generally burn JP-8. JP-8 also provides fire resistance comparable to diesel fuel. Diesel engine fuel economy, and the safety of diesel fuel over gasoline, are the factors that originally led the Army to adopt a diesel-powered ground vehicle fleet.

Through the year 2020, the Army will continue to need a CI ground vehicle fuel with high stored energy density, and a DOT rating equal or better than diesel fuel. The capability to refuel helicopters and other aircraft in the battle area will be required.

The future Army must reduce its diesel engine emissions of NOx and particulates during peacetime. The Army owns a large number of vehicles equipped with non-emission controlled diesel engines, and will still own a significant number of these engines in 2020. An inexpensive, practical way to partly reduce emissions is to use a cleaner-burning replacement for current CI fuels.

By 2010, fuel cell engines may begin to replace diesel engines in commercial use. Fuel cells fundamentally use hydrogen for fuel. Hydrogen is not a practical battlefield fuel because its stored energy density is too low. Methanol and gasoline are possible commercial liquid fuels for fuel cells, because they can be reformed into hydrogen, but low energy density and flammability respectively make them unusable for the battlefield. Diesel fuel is not currently a favored fuel for fuel cells, because sulfur impurities and heavy molecules make it difficult to reform.

Therefore, the preferred future Army fuel will:

Have a DOT rating equal to or better than current diesel fuel.

Be compatible with anticipated diesel engine after treatment systems for controlling NOx and particulates.

Be compatible with fuel tanks, fuel pumps, injection systems and seals on current deployable military ground vehicles.

Reduce NOx and particulate emissions in existing, unmodified Army-owned diesel engines, relative to emissions with current commercial diesel fuels.

Have physical and storage properties that make it suitable for handling by the Army’s current and planned fuel logistics systems.

Be a safe substitute for JP-8 in operating aircraft.

Be producible from U.S. domestic feedstocks.

Be easily reformable for use in fuel cell engines.

DESCRIPTION:

Proposals are sought for projects that will develop and demonstrate alternative military fuels to meet the objectives described above. Proposals are also sought that will bring Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) designs to practical commercial use as quickly as possible. The applications need not be vehicle propulsion, but may be stationary or auxiliary power, and may be small units. Preferred proposals will involve SOFCs that have good prospects for scaling up to power heavy vehicles.

ESTIMATED MAXIMUM FEDERAL FUNDING CONTRIBUTION: $3.5M