SEATTLE, 27 June 2006. Neah Power Systems Inc., a Nevada corporation, has announced that the Department of Defense has included in the House version of its appropriations bill for fiscal year 2007 $3 million in funding for the Porous Silicon-based Direct Methanol Fuel Cell research and development project. This funding would support Neah Power's continued development of silicon-based fuel cell technology for portable military applications and devices, such as man-pack radio systems carried by soldiers.
"Our military and first responders deserve better portable power capabilities than batteries can provide," says Dan Rosen, Ph.D. Chairman of Neah Power Systems. "The project included in the DOD Appropriations Bill strengthens our ability to develop better, longer-lasting, portable power solutions for both military and homeland security personnel at the earliest possible date."
The U.S. military has a demonstrated need for portable, lightweight, long-lasting power sources to operate all types of electronic equipment in the field.
Neah is developing a 45 watt, porous silicon-based micro fuel cell which can operate military electronic equipment and will be packaged in a size no larger than the military's BA-5590 battery which is currently used in portable electric power applications.
Neah's fuel cell will also provide two to three times the power of the military's BA-5590. This level of performance can increase effectiveness and survivability, as well as having the potential for overall cost savings of tens of millions of dollars per year because replacement fuel cartridges are a fraction of the cost of extra batteries.
Neah recently announced that it is extending its product line to include closed loop fuel cell systems for military and homeland security sensor applications that require long-term, continuous power in a configuration that does not interact with the environment.
