SOFC Auxiliary Power Source for Surveillance Operations

Special operations forces use special combat craft for surveillance missions. To enable stealth while on station, these boats require quiet auxiliary power sources. Large battery banks are currently used, but these batteries are heavy and limit the mission duration. Fuel cells have been proposed as possible quiet power sources, but existing systems, e.g. Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cells, require specialized or potentially dangerous fuels such as highly compressed hydrogen that are impractical aboard ships or boats. We propose a compact, high-volumetric energy density solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) hybrid system operating on high-sulfur marine fuels. We will address critical system-level integration issues specific to deployment on the combat craft through detailed system modeling and system mechanical design. This approach will result in a quiet auxiliary power supply operating on safe logistics fuels with both high volumetric power density and high efficiency.