Protonex launches soldier-worn power units

Protonex Technology Corp., a Southborough company specializing in portable fuel-cell power systems, announced the launch of power-management units that military personnel can wear in the field.

Because they are small, lightweight, and easy-to-configure, the company's SPM-611 and SPM-612 units reduce a soldier’s logistics burden by minimizing the number of batteries and different types of power sources that must be carried, Protonex said in a press release.

"Today’s soldier carries a wide array of sophisticated portable electronic gear," a Protonex official said in an e-mail. "Radios, GPS, computers, night-vision – all of these dramatically improve the soldier’s effectiveness and safety, but they also all use batteries. Since the equipment uses many different types of batteries, the soldier must carry not only the batteries in the gear, but spares of each type."

The e-mail continued: "The Soldier Power Manager 'translates' the power from any standard military or commercial battery to the power needed by each piece of equipment. The soldier uses the SPM by simply plugging the external power port of each piece of gear to the SPM, and also plugging one or two batteries to the SPM. The Power Manager automatically recognizes the equipment and the batteries that are connected and converts the power from what is available to what is needed."

The company also noted that its products help the soldier by lowering the weight of all the different spare batteries he or she must carry to just carrying one type and that these products lowers cost for the military services because they don't need to ship as many batteries overseas.

The company's press release included a statement from Greg Cipriano, vice president of marketing and military development.

“Our new soldier-worn power managers are a universal, invaluable power solution for soldiers, addressing both on- and off-mission requirements,” Cipriano said. “These unique systems deliver specific portable power capabilities that are currently unavailable to the soldier and further complement our growing power system portfolio.”

The image of a soldier-worn power manager that accompanies this post was provided by the company.

To read the company's press release, please click here.
(By Chris Reidy, Globe staff)