Laser-powered solar cells offered as potential power source
A green army using hybrid tanks and unmanned drones powered by lasers could be a common feature on future battlefields, according to a British Army engineer.
Institution of Mechanical Engineers member Staff Sergeant Graham Thornton, writing in the latest Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME) Journal, says that cutting down on fossil fuels would not only reduce the Army’s carbon ‘bootprint’ but also create a more mobile and effective fighting force.
Potential green technologies could include:
• A Laser Charge system for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), or drones. UAVs are most vulnerable when landing to refuel and taking off. Firing a focused laser at a solar cell array attached to the aircraft could power it mid-flight.
• Laser-charged infantry. Modern soldiers are using more and more electrical equipment, which means heavier and heavier batteries. Using remote laser charging would make for a faster, more mobile infantry. Precise mirrors could create a point to point laser power link with outlying posts and patrol bases
• Hybrid vehicles, using a combination of electric and diesel power. While hybrid cars are becoming more and more common on Britain’s roads, the technology has yet to leap onto the battlefield. But with companies such as US car maker Millenworks and British defence tech firm QinetiQ developing hybrid vehicles for use on the battlefield, the hybrid tank is not far away.
Staff Sergeant Graham Thornton said:
“Warfare has changed drastically since NATO introduced the single fuel policy in 1988, which made diesel power the norm. Now highly mobile land battles mean large amounts of fuel need to be on hand at all times, creating a logistical nightmare and often stretching supply chains to breaking point.
“The defence industry has always been on the cutting edge of engineering but, despite the clear need for greener, more effective fuel sources, it is now lagging behind its civilian counterparts when it comes to low carbon technology.”
Stephen Tetlow, Chief Executive of the Institution of Mechanical Engineers (IMechE) and former Director of Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (REME), said:
“Technological innovation has been fundamental to success in warfare for centuries. It’s no different now. Yet, whether through lack of investment or lack of will, the military has largely ignored green technologies as a battle-winning factor.
“The advantages for increased agility, lower logistic drag and more efficient operations all around are clear – not to mention the Ministry of Defence doing its bit to reduce its carbon footprint.”
The 216 vehicles making up a standard battle group produce 31 tonnes of CO2 every time they use up a tank of diesel – the same as an average British family produces in a year. The Ministry of Defence is by far the least environmentally-friendly Government department, creating 60% of the Government’s total CO2 emissions.
Read the full journal article: SSgt Thornton REME article
Any views contained in the article or in this press release are those of the IMechE and SSgt Graham Thornton and do not necessarily reflect official MOD policy.