Sept 11, 2002

BY ROB STROUD Staff Writer

CHARLESTON -Trace Photonics' efforts to develop light, long-lasting batteries has resulted in becoming one of only six companies this year to receive a U.S. Army research award.

The Army announced in mid-June that Trace Photonics, which is based in Charleston, had been selected to receive a Small Business Innovation Research Phase Quality Award for its battery project.

Ken Bower, president of Trace Photonics, and Shahid Yousaf, senior scientist with the Charleston company, accepted the award Aug. 21 in a ceremony at the Pentagon in Washington.

"It was the vindication of everything we have tried to develop so far," Bower said. "The Army has liked what it has seen."

Army research awards are based on the projects' originality, their relevance to the military, and their potential for commercialization. The 2002 award recipients were selected from a field of 27 nominations.

Trace Photonics' battery project and the five other award-winning projects are now being highlighted by the Army in a brochure that will be distributed at numerous small business and scientific events throughout the nation.

"Companies like ours represent success stories to them," Bower said.

Trace Photonics has harnessed radioisotope power sources to provide high energy density battery power for soldiers, the brochures state.

Nuclear batteries are much lighter than chemical ones and will last years or even decades, the brochures explain. No power cords or transformers will be needed for the next generation of microelectronics in which voltage-matched supplies are built into electrical components.

The brochures report safe, reliable power is available from the conversion of radioactive decay energy to electricity. It is well-suited to power active radio frequency equipment tags, sensors and communications chips used on modern battlefields.

Bower said he hopes the award will help Trace Photonics get backing for moving to the next step, integrating the power sources into electrical components.

"It's kind of a seal of approval or mark of quality," Bower said of the research award. Trace Photonics has submitted proposals for the next step of its battery project to the U.S. Army, Army Research Labs and Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency.

Bower said the battery project could have significant economic benefits in Illinois if it moves forward. Bower noted that he is working with the University of Illinois' department of nuclear engineering and Eastern Illinois University's physics department on the project.

In addition, Trace Photonics is also working with Southern Illinois University's College of a Engineering and Honeywell FM&T of Kansas City, Mo., to develop a light-weight lithium battery with a built-in solar recharger.

Trace Photonics conducts research at its offices in the old Charleston railroad depot and in Albuquerque, N.M.

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

Used with permission from  the Mattoon Journal Gazette & Charleston Times Courier