Space Industry and Business News  
Final 20 Teams Compete For DoD Wearable Power Prize

File image.
by Staff Writers
Washington DC (SPX) Oct 01, 2008
The final phase of the Department of Defense (DoD) Wearable Power Prize competition began yesterday when 20 teams powered up their systems at the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms, Calif.

Large companies, small businesses and individual inventors are vying for a $1 million top prize for producing a system that will provide ground warfighters with lightweight, wearable power for their combat equipment.

"I think this competition is a great opportunity," said Scott Schoeffel, a member of finalist Team Ultralife, a Newark, NY company that specializes in batteries and power solutions.

"Having spent 10 years in Navy Special Operations Forces, I know what it's like to pack several pieces of equipment that need rechargeable power. It's great to see technology lightening the load of soldiers so they can be more effective in the battlefield."

DoD launched the innovative competition in July 2007 by offering a $1 million first prize for a wearable system that provides 20 watts (avg.) of electrical power for 96 hours, weighs less than 4 kilograms (8.8 pounds), attaches to a standard military vest, and operates autonomously.

University of Maine students and brothers Chris and Brandon Look were one of 169 original entries to make it to the final testing round. "Our dad is an engineer and owns a construction company, so we've always been interested in anything mechanical," said Brandon, who is a volunteer firefighter.

"Chris serves in the Army National Guard, so in a sense, we're both ground pounders. We know from experience what might benefit the guys in the field."

After passing rigorous safety inspections yesterday, each of the final 20 teams attached its prototype power system to a nylon vest that is strapped to a mannequin to begin a 92-hour bench test.

"Each prototype is now connected to a computer-controlled load system," said Karen Burrows, a Power Prize competition program manager.

"We have many different kinds of batteries and fuel cells being tested and some interesting power generators. On Thursday morning as the teams complete the bench test, we fully expect to have some prototypes still producing power above the minimum levels?those teams will then compete head-to-head in a final field test on Saturday."

The 4-hour field test will be held at Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms, Calif., on Saturday Oct. 4. Beginning at 7 a.m. (PST), the base will be open to the public and media to view exhibits and see finalists wearing their prototypes as they power surrogate military equipment at nine stations in the final trial of the competition.

Related Links
DoD Wearable Power Prize competition
Powering The World in the 21st Century at Energy-Daily.com



Memory Foam Mattress Review
Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily
XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News


China Energy Recovery To Acquire 30 MW Heat Recovery Power Generation System
Shanghai, China (SPX) Sep 29, 2008
China Energy Recovery, Inc. ("China Energy Recovery" or "CER"), a leader in the waste-heat energy recovery sector of the alternative energy industry, today announced that the company has entered into a design service contract with Sinochem Fuling Chongqing Chemical Industry Co., Ltd. ("Sinochem Fuling") for the detailed engineering design of a 30 MW Heat Recovery Power Generation System. The value of the design service contract is estimated to be RMB 960,000 (approximately $140,000 as of the date of this press release). The announcement was made by the Chairman and CEO of China Energy Recovery, Mr. Qinghuan Wu.







  • Computer applications float in Internet cloud
  • ASTRA Broadband Services Bundles SES ASTRA's Broadband Activities
  • HP to cut 24,600 jobs worldwide with EDS acquisition
  • Google chief admits to 'defensive component' of browser launch

  • Sea Launch Successfully Delivers Galaxy 19 To Orbit
  • Sea Launch Countdown Underway For The Galaxy 19 Mission
  • Telesat Launches Nimiq 4 Broadcast Satellite
  • ArianeSpace Buys 10 Soyuz Rockets For Kourou Spaceport

  • Researchers Scientists Perform High Altitude Experiments
  • Airbus expecting 'large' China order by early 2009: CEO
  • Airbus globalises production with China plant
  • Safer Skies For The Flying Public

  • Airman Provides Air Support For Army Battlespace
  • The Modern Airborne Military Communications Market
  • Boeing Ships Software-Defined FAB-T Radio Prototype
  • DataPath Wins Suppport Contract For US CENTCOM SatComm Hubs

  • New Research Shows Why Metal Alloys Degrade
  • Microsoft courts Chinese consumers with slashed software price
  • Oracle, HP unveil computer to cope with digital explosion
  • Study Spotlights Anti-satellite And Space Debris Threats

  • Orbital Appoints Frank Culbertson And Mark Pieczynski To Management
  • Chris Smith Named Director Of Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory
  • AsiaSat Appoints New General Manager China
  • NASA names aeronautics administrator

  • Students And Astronauts Use Powerful New Tool To Explore Earth From Space
  • Raytheon Completes Ground Segment Acceptance Testing For NPOESS
  • NRL HICO-RAIDS Experiments Ready For Payload Integration
  • Infoterra Adds High Resolution City Datasets

  • Trimble Enters To Acquire TopoSys To Extend Its Geospatial Solutions Business
  • Edge 705 GPS-Enabled Cycling Computer Made Available To The Public
  • GPS Navigation Devices Can Be Duped
  • GTX Announces Release Of New 2-Way GPS Module

  • The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright Space.TV Corporation. AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space.TV Corp on any Web page published or hosted by Space.TV Corp. Privacy Statement