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Automotive Fuel Cell Technology used for Unmanned Undersea Vehicles

Accepted submission by SeaDachshund at 2016-06-24 02:38:17
Science

Ars Technica Reports [gm.com] that U.S. Automotive Stalwart General Motors [gm.com] have teamed up with the U.S. Office of Naval Research and the U.S. Naval Laboratory to incorporate hydrogen fuel-cells into a next generation of Navy unmanned undersea vehicles.

Paraphrasing from the source article, the U.S. Navy has turned to hydrogen fuel cells in lieu of batteries as a result of fuel cells being quicker to refuel. However, fuel cells pose some challenges as well -- underwater, it's not about weight or volume, but buoyancy as well. [ Submitter's Note: this statement may seem redundant from a physical standpoint, but implies the importance of the environmental aspects of the physical calculations ]

Although GM is not expected to receive feedback from the Navy's findings for national security reasons, the funding GM receives from the Navy could stimulate additional research of hydrogen fuel-cell technology.

 


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