Military Spy Vehicles Powered by Alternative Energy

Even military spy vehicles are going green. Unmanned aerial vehicles, used by the military to scan the terrain for “possible threats and intelligence”, have long relied on fossil fuels to fly – but now, hydrogen-powered fuel cells are gaining popularity as an alternative. What it comes down to for the Office of Naval Research, which is sponsoring the ‘Ion Tiger’ program, is making them more efficient- and quieter.

From Science Daily:

In particular, the Ion Tiger UAV tests a hydrogen-powered fuel cell design, which can travel farther and carry heavier payloads than earlier battery-powered designs. Ion Tiger employs stealthy characteristics due to its small size, reduced noise, low heat signature and zero emissions.

“Pursuing energy efficiency and energy independence are core to ONR’s Power and Energy Focus Area,” said Rear Admiral Nevin Carr, Chief of Naval Research. “ONR’s investments in alternative energy sources, like fuel cell research, have application to the Navy and Marine Corps mission in future UAVs and vehicles. These investments also contribute directly to solving some of the same technology challenges faced at the national level.”

“In this size range, we are hopefully able to conduct very productive surveillance missions at low cost with a relatively small vehicle, and a high-quality electric payload,” says NRL Principal Investigator Dr. Karen Swider-Lyons.

It’s nice to know that the government is cutting back on emissions while training its all-seeing eye upon the land, eh? Now they can say it’s for our own security and that it’s green. It’s for our own good. It’s making us safe. One nation under CCTV… Big Brother is watching. Look busy!

Link [Science Daily]

Honda Debuts FC Sport Concept to Dazed Crowd

The reaction to the new Honda FC Sport Concept at the LA Auto Show last week seemed to indicate that the crowd was either so dazzled by the amazing design that they were speechless, or that everyone was kind of baffled by strange, clunky look of the thing. Treehugger described the front grille as resembling “a pair of black Honda Super Hero Underoos draped across the hood”, with the rear looking like “a tapered jet engine exhaust”. That doesn’t sound good.

From Treehugger:

There is no jet engine to speak of however, but instead a patented Honda hydrogen fuel cell. They have been trying to make the fuel cell fly for the past couple years. Honda is not a big believer in the plug-in hybrid, stating that today’s batteries are not quite up to snuff with their technology to make them a viable option. Some would say this is a smart move, others would say a foolish… but as fierce a competitor Honda is in the consumer marketplace, it is hard to question the method of their madness.

Is electric plug-ins the wave for the future, with Tesla, among many others leading the way. Or should we invest our hopes in a hydrogen infrastructure? While some folks claim that the trillion dollar infrastructure would not be economically viable, others say that hydrogen could be in our grasp for a lot less than we think.

I’m certainly no expert on hydrogen fuel cell vs. plug-in technology, so that part is better left for others to mull over. But, back to the design. It’s pretty fugly, is it not? Sure, there have been much uglier concept cars unveiled before, but it’s still pretty bad. The New York Times called it “Quantum of Grotesque” and said “each angle is worst than the last”. It’s certainly… different. But, you can’t blame them for trying something new. And, once the shock wore off, it certainly got people talking.

Link [Treehugger] + [The New York Times]
Photo credit: LA Auto Show