The U.S. Army has announced it developed a new hydrogen-powered nanogrid.
The nanogrid — a self-contained electric power system that operates independently from the electric power grid — can use hydrogen fuel to power areas affected by outages, replacing traditional diesel generators, which produce a large amount of air pollution while in use (as well as a lot of noise).
Hydrogen fuel, unlike diesel, produces no air pollution at the point of use. However, very little of the hydrogen fuel that is being produced is renewable, as it is made using dirty energy sources. Luckily, that is beginning to change, as companies are pioneering ways to make "green" hydrogen fuel without creating massive amounts of air pollution.
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Definitely 👍 The nanogrid produced by the Army also includes a surveillance camera system, meteorological weather equipment, solar panels, and an atmospheric water generator.
"This joint work provides [the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Army Research Laboratory] a unique opportunity to explore atmospheric effects and power production processes associated with hydrogen fuel cells, resulting in the rare ability to directly operationalize scientific findings," ARL Atmospheric Intelligence for Hybrid Power Advancements leader Gail Vaucher said.
Creating something that benefits the environment is a major departure for the U.S. military, which has been referred to as the world's biggest polluter by several experts.
In addition to the massive amounts of air pollution that our military creates — the exact figures are not known, as the United States has successfully lobbied to exempt the military from international climate agreements — military bases have poisoned the soil and water sources of hundreds of communities at home and abroad with toxic chemicals. Recently, the Department of Defense announced plans to stop doing that.
Of course, all that damage pales in comparison to the human suffering that our military has caused and continues to cause.
The hydrogen-fueled nanogrid is in its testing phase at the White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico.
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