Mobile Power System for Every Mission – Modular and Self-Sufficient Thanks to Fuel Cell

A successful partnership: VINCORION & SFC present prototype at German Defense Technology Association (DWT) expert forum in Bonn after two years of collaboration.

Almost exactly two years ago to the day, at a DWT symposium, VINCORION and fuel cell specialist SFC Energy agreed on their first joint project. At the time, the stated goal was a robust and powerful energy system (VINCORION) with self-sufficient and portable methanol fuel cell (SFC).

The duo kept their word – and delivered. The Portable Power Management Modules, or PPM modular^v for short, are the powerful result of their collaboration, and the companies are now showcasing them with a SFC methanol fuel cell. This is taking place in Bonn, of course, and once again at a DWT event that is currently being held in the former German capital. The product – a portable power supply for mobile emergency personnel – will be shown to the general public for the first time in the city on the Rhine. As a result, the two specialists are demonstrating exactly what they offer in compact form – operational readiness, flexibility, and mobility.

PPM modular^v – Tailored Configurability

The PPM modular^v, a mobile power system that can be configured to suit any application, was developed in less than two years thanks to its various portable modules: input, output, and storage. The three parts are flexible and can use – in addition to the fuel cell – any power source (AC/DC), such as available car batteries, old diesel generators, unstable local grids, or small solar power systems. Alternatively, the necessary independence can be achieved through the use of the system’s scalable storage modules. And the variable output module can be used to connect to a range of electrical consumers with a peak load of up to 10 kilowatts. This makes it suitable for particularly demanding missions ranging from disaster control to special military operations.

The PPM modular^v is particularly effective in hybrid operation with the modern SFC fuel cell. The field-proven methanol fuel cell generates 12 kW of electrical power per day and emits hardly any noise, no harmful exhaust gases, and hardly any heat. The decisive advantage is the self-sufficient energy supply based on SFC methanol fuel cartridges. Depending on the size of the SFC fuel cartridges, which have a NATO supply number for years, forces can work independently for days.

Sustainable, Independent Power Supply

Professor Karsten Pinkwart describes the problem of supplying power during times of crisis or in conflict regions as follows: “How can we set up a resilient energy supply? How can we further split up our energy supply? For example, what we are experiencing today with the war in Ukraine.” Pinkwart conducts research at the Fraunhofer Institute for Chemical Technology on batteries and fuel cells, among other topics, and advises the Federal Government and the Bundeswehr in various committees. The scientist thinks further: «What will the energy supply of my energy systems look like in the future?»

To this end, there is apparently a good guiding radar on the Rhine, because at the time of the announcement of the partnership, the DWT still named its symposium “Future Energy Supply.” Today, in the midst of Germany’s Zeitenwende (i.e., the government ushering in a new era in the defense sector), the conference is named “Sustainable Energy Sources for Military Mobility and Infrastructure.” And that is why the partners are appearing side by side at the DWT event. They have taken a first step into the future. The PPM modular^v is their business card. And a particularly sustainable contribution. Both companies – VINCORION and SFC Energy – are ready to actively shape the energy transition, even beyond the scope of their current partnership.

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Team VINCORION:

Helmar Burkhardt – Sales Manager
Christian Böhm – Senior Vice President Sales
Lukas Joos – Sales Project Manager
Daniel Zeitler – Director Product Management

Media Contact:

Petra Klähn
Head of Communications & Marketing
VINCORION Advanced Systems GmbH
Feldstrasse 155
22880 Wedel, Germany
Phone: +49 4103 60-5947
Mail: petra.klaehn@vincorion.com