CHARLOTTE, N.C., May 14, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- UTC Aerospace
Systems has been selected by the Office of Naval Research (ONR) to
proceed with the next phases of the Long Endurance Undersea Vehicle
Propulsion (LEUVP) energy program. During these follow-on
phases, UTC Aerospace Systems (formerly Hamilton Sundstrand) will
continue the design and development of a Proton Exchange Membrane
based Fuel Cell Energy System (PES) for a 21-inch diameter Unmanned
Undersea Vehicle (UUV). The work will be performed by the
company's ISR and Space Systems team. UTC Aerospace Systems
is a unit of United Technologies Corp. (NYSE: UTX).
The PES would replace existing battery systems, providing
greater range and operational flexibility to the U.S. Navy.
The overall objective of the program is completion of a TRL
(technology readiness level) 6 demonstration. In the recently
completed phase, the system operated successfully for over 30 hours
using an integrated cryogenic reactant system and fuel cell power
plant to provide 42 kWh of total energy over a power range of 100
to 3800 watts. Major features include a qualified fuel cell
stack design, simple balance of plant and dense reactant storage.
This simple system architecture is a safe, reliable and affordable
solution for a 21-inch diameter vehicle which is scalable to larger
displacement UUVs and enables the broad range of operational
capability needed for future autonomous underwater vehicle
missions.
"The fuel cell hardware design selected for the LEUVP program is
identical to that being used for our qualified Fuel Cell Power
Module on the Spanish Navy's S-80 submarine," said G. Allen Flynt, general manager, Space Systems,
UTC Aerospace Systems. "With this heritage we feel that we
are well-placed with our partners to deliver a proven option to ONR
and the U.S. Navy on this program."
UTC Aerospace Systems designs, manufactures and services
integrated systems and components for the aerospace and defense
industries. UTC Aerospace Systems supports a global customer base
with significant worldwide manufacturing and customer service
facilities.
United Technologies Corp., based in Hartford, Connecticut, is a diversified
company that provides high-technology products and services to the
aerospace and building industries.
www.utcaerospacesystems.com
SOURCE UTC Aerospace Systems