The grant is underwritten by the U.S. Dept. of Defense. The portion of the $6.25 million grant going to Yan and UCR is $875,000.
The grant is to fund research into replacing batteries that military personnel carry in the field with fuel cells. It's hoped lighter-weidght fuel cells that are environmentally friendly will replace the current load of up to 30 pounds of batteries armed service members carry. The batteries power items like night-vision goggles and GPS devices. The fuel cells could be up to 80 percent lighter than batteries.
The research may add to advances in fuel-cell technology for the private sector as well as the military. Yan sees transportation as a field that would potentially benefit from the ongoing research.