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The green and the army go hand in hand!

Us days, everyone takes the green turn, even the army.
Earth2tech presents to us measures taken by the army of the United States to make its operations more ecological. We learn, inter alia, that solar energy seems a very important aspect of this project. The soldiers use tents whose material comprises silicone solar collectors. Moreover, in the future, the soldiers could be equipped with solar collector bags comprising an accumulator. This accumulator could be used to reload a generator or a vehicle. The army also collaborates with the Dupont company to produce solar modules 50% more effective than those used currently.

Obviously, which says green, known as transport. DARPA, the organization of the army in charge of the research projects of point, currently makes experiments aiming at using biocarburants on the aircraft. As regards infantry, BAE Systems announced the first hybrid system for vehicle of attack and Agressor, freight vehicle except road, also will also have a diesel and electric hybrid engine.

Obviously, all these measurements can seem ironic since the army is currently deployed in Iraq, to ensure the supply oil. It should however be remembered that many technological breakthroughs are developed for the army, then make their way until the civil one.


News Inside News:

7 Ways the Military is Using Eco Tech
Powerfilm, Solar Field Shelters: If you need solar power in the field, why not have it on your tents? Powerfilm, working with the Army’s Natick Soldier Center, has developed three army tents that use the company’s thin amorphous silicon technology.

Military Aviation Biofuel: Last July, the DOE’s Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) started looking into how to reduce the military’s reliance on traditional fuel for aircrafts, an effort it calls the BioFuels program. DARPA’s aim is to design bio-aviation fuel that starts with a 60 percent or greater conversion efficiency, leading to a 90 percent conversion efficiency.

MTI Micro’s fuel cells: Late last year, MTI Micro Fuel Cells made its Mobion 30M — a light, phone book-sized system fuel cell system — available to military customers for testing. It should be fully commercialized in 2008. (Update: MTI says they are now focusing on the military adaptation of the Mobion 1 — shown in the photo — and more recently discontinued the platform which included the Mobion 30M.)

Efficient in-the-field solar cells: In July, DARPA started a three-year effort with the newly formed DuPont-University of Delaware Very High Efficiency Solar Cell (VHESC) Consortium to produce solar cell modules that are more than 50 percent efficient and cost less than $1,000 per square meter. The logistics of supplying batteries to soldiers in the field is tricky — especially for short field jobs — and cheap, efficient solar power could save on labor, time and money.

Ground Combat Hybrid: This month, BAE Systems (BAESY) showed off what it says is the first hybrid electric drive system for ground combat vehicles as part of the Army’s Future Combat Systems program.

Soldier Solar: According to the Army’s Tank Automotive Research, Engineering and Development Center, the Army is working with United Solar Ovonic’s to create a “UNI-PAC solar panel,” which can be worn by soldiers and adapted to recharge a field generator or vehicle.

Army’s Aggressor: The Aggressor — an off-road military vehicle for ground exploration and scouting missions — is getting a diesel-electric hybrid version.

Release link: http://www.earth2tech.com