Case to team up with Ashlawn Group to increase power supply for 'smart' munitions through fuel cell research
Collaboration likely to help create jobs for Northeast Ohio over next five years
For immediate release: March 11, 2004
 Case Western Reserve University is working with The Ashlawn Group, LLC, of Alexandria, Va., to develop fuel cells to double the shelf life of the U.S. Department of Defense "smart" munitions.
The research also positions Case and Ashlawn to help create much-needed research and development and manufacturing jobs for Northeast Ohio over the next five years.
An integral part of Case's Vision Investment Plan under President Edward M. Hundert, M.D., is to seek out collaborations and partnerships like this one with The Ashlawn Group and the Department of Defense in order to advance research and technology throughout the nation and the world.
"Since diversity, entrepreneurship, and research collaboration are core values at Case, we are especially pleased to partner with Norma Byron and her Ashlawn Group to apply our micro- and meso-fuel cell technology towards the defense goals of the nation and, potentially, creating jobs for many in Ohio," said Hundert.
Current munitions batteries only last five to 10 years. As the U.S. military continues to utilize more "smart" munitions, power supply issues become increasingly critical. Case, through its School of Engineering, has developed the technology that allows very small fuel cells to be built and to deliver the long-range power needed to operate the munitions. Ashlawn is designing patented fuel cells with the appropriate packaging that can withstand the difficult gun-launch environment.
Case and Ashlawn signed a one-year, $500,000 research agreement March 10 to work together to develop manufacturing and production capability in Ohio to supply these devices to the military, potentially creating up to 100 jobs in two years and an estimated 1,000 jobs in five years in the Cleveland area, said Norma Byron, president of The Ashlawn Group, which develops new technologies that have both commercial and defense applications.
Case researchers will be subcontracting with the team at Ashlawn to develop a "meso" fuel cell - about the size of a D-cell battery for use in smart munitions, said Jesse Wainright, a research associate professor of chemical engineering at Case and co-principal investigator along with Chung-Chiun Liu, the Wallace R. Persons Professor of Sensor Technology and Control at Case and director of Case School of Engineering's Electronics Design Center. The Ashlawn project will work on cell stacks of two different sizes, one roughly the size of a D battery, another the size and weight of an AA battery, Wainright said, adding that they have to fit in artillery and mortar shells.
"Combining Ashlawn's deep understanding of the needs of the military and Case's expertise in fuel cell design, the project aims to create a power source for next generation munitions," Wainright added. "The result is a simple device, with a minimum of moving parts, that should be highly reliable and easily manufactured."
Fuel cells are devices that directly convert the chemical energy in a fuel, such as hydrogen or methanol, into electricity. They can deliver more energy per volume and weight than batteries, even when including the volume and weight of the stored fuel.
"Using a fuel cell could carry significant advantages over existing power sources," said Ashlawn's Byron. "This is the latest in a generation of power sources that has spinoff capabilities commercially and beyond. Ashlawn's goal is to develop manufacturing and production capability in Ohio to supply these devices to the military, potentially creating numerous jobs for Ohioans. The advances made during this planned project are highly likely to have non-military applications as well.
"Because of their expertise in fuel cell research, the Case School of Engineering's researchers are the perfect partners for what we hope to accomplish for the military and beyond," Byron said. "We welcome the opportunity to work with them."
"Case is excited about the opportunity to work with Ashlawn Group to further develop the fuel cell technology that has been supported by DARPA," said Mark Coticchia, vice president of research and technology management at Case. "We believe that the continued development of this technology has the potential to create a significant new industry in our state."
About Case Western Reserve University
Case is among the nation's leading research institutions. Founded in 1826
and shaped by the unique merger of the Case Institute of Technology and Western
Reserve University, Case is distinguished by its strengths in education, research,
service, and experiential learning. Located in Cleveland, Case offers nationally
recognized programs in the Arts and Sciences, Dental Medicine, Engineering,
Law, Management, Medicine, Nursing, and Social Work. http://www.case.edu.
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