Engineering Services: Exoskeleton Fuel Cell
AeroVironment, as part of a design team led by Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), provided the power generation and management system for Objective Force Warrior performance augmentation - an exoskeleton system. AeroVironment developed a battery pack in hybrid with a fuel cell-based electric power source to meet the exoskeleton’s energy needs. The basic architecture of the system includes a proton exchange membrane, hydrogen-air fuel cell as the base power requirement; a battery transient response module to supply system to address situations when the power requirements exceed that power deliverable by the fuel cell and in cases where the fuel cell response lags the load; and a safe method to generate hydrogen to the fuel cell. ORNL awarded AeroVironment the Small Business of the Year award for its part in the program.

