NEXTECH MATERIALS, LTD. — Department of Defense SBIR Phase II: A19-136

Description

In this project, Nexceris will advance its design of its lightweight solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) power system for military applications. This power system leverages a high power density SOFC stack and state-of-the-art fuel reforming technology with battery hybridization to meet the demanding needs of Army man-portable power applications. The system was designed for a five-hour mission with power spikes of up to 13 kW. Phase I of the project involved the design of the propane fueled hybridized SOFC power system to meet the requirements  while achieving high efficiency and high gravimetric energy density (greater than 300 Whr/kg).  In this Phase II project, Nexceris will procure the core components for the system (reformer, batteries and battery management system), integrate these components, and demonstrate the ability to meet key performance attributes via integrated system testing.  Successful execution of this project will result in a substantial advancement in the performance and capability of soldier-portable power systems and potentially other applications of interest to the U.S. military, such as Group II-III unmanned aerial systems.