April 4, 2002

Local scientist developing batteries for military

Bower working with other scientists to help after Sept. 11

BY ROB STROUD
Staff Writer
CHARLESTON -A local man was in a select group of scientists invited to Washington last month to participate in a conference focused on how science can help the military, Ken Bower of Charleston attended the Scientists Helping America Conference that was organized in response to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

As a result, he is now working with other researchers to develop light-weight and long- lasting batteries for U.S. military special forces units.  Bower, president and CEO of Trace Photonics Inc. in Charleston, said the importance of the conference at the Naval Research Laboratory, was summed up by the opening remarks of Nobel Prize- winning chemist Alan Heeger . 

Heeger was in a  nearby sky- scraper when  the World Trade Center was attacked, Bower stated. "When (Heeger) saw the devastation, he asked himself, 'What can we do?' " Bower said.

The U.S. Special Operations Command, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency and Naval Research Laboratory tried to answer this question by organizing the first Scientists Helping America Conference.  Bower said the conference brought some of the nation's most creative people together to find solutions to problems facing special forces and first- responders to disasters.

Approximately 230 scientists from throughout the country were chosen from hundreds of applicants to attend the conference, he said.  Bower said his application was selected because of Trace Photonics' work with electronic polymers at its office in the old Charleston railroad depot and work with nuclear batteries at its office in Albuquerque, N.M.

Military personnel ranging in rank from privates to generals were at the conference, Bower said. The scientists I were given a chance to talk to  them and see how they handle their equipment, he said.

 "I thought the conference was very beneficial in trying to turn our specialized knowledge to good use," Bower said.

Special forces carry approximately 120 pounds of  equipment into and out of the field with them on 14-day missions, Bower said. Batteries for radios and other gear account for 4o pounds of the  weight, he said. Bower said he made two proposals in regards to the  batteries. One proposal involves working with Southern Illinois University's College of Engineering and Honeywell FM&T of Kansas City, Mo., to develop a light-weight battery , with a built-in solar re-charger.  

Lithium anodes, lithium  electrolyte chemistries and light-weight polymer cathodes would be used to accomplish this task. Lithium has the highest-energy density of all metals and is the lightest metal.

The other proposal involves working with the University of Illinois' Department of Nuclear Engineering and Eastern Illinois University's Physics Department to develop a radioisotope-chemical battery hybrid. The hybrid would involve self-charging capacitors that could be optimized, miniaturized and integrated into military components, particularly for recharging chemical secondary battery cells.

Bower said he is looking forward to working with dozens of researchers to help the special forces and to develop innovative technologies.

Contact Rob Stroud at rstroud@jg-tc.com.

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