DHS Systems LLC said its Intelligent Power Technology®, a networked power micro-grid system that optimizes generators to fluctuating power demands, has proven its energy saving capabilities at the Networked Integrated Evaluation (NIE) 13.1, according to a summary report.
The Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) Summary Report included a document detailing the system’s performance throughout the NIE process, finding the Intelligent Power Technology® system reduced fuel consumption by more than 60 percent.
NIE 13.1 began in October and lasted through November, during which a range of military equipment was tested in the field and in lab studies for efficiency, interoperability, and durability. Intelligent Power Technology® was entered into NIE as a System Under Evaluation (SUE) to determine its ability to improve operational energy on the battlefield.
The purpose of the DHS participation was to assess potential benefits of generators equipped with digital control panels and the associated Intelligent Power Technology® compared to generators with traditional analog controls. During NIE, the Intelligent Power Technology® system was used to power the Brigade Support Battalion (BSB) Tactical Operations Center (TOC) and three Company Command Posts (CP).
The TRADOC Summary Report concluded that the Intelligent Power Technology® generators consumed fuel at more than a 60 percent savings compared to the analog generators operating under the same conditions. It said under the loads experienced during the exercise, traditional generators consume 300 gallons of fuel per day. However, the Intelligent Power Technology® system, a micro-grid of six generators of varying outputs totaling 222 kW, consumed an average of 109 gallons of fuel per day–a consumption rate that is only 36.33 percent of the rate of traditional analog generators.
Overall, the Intelligent Power Technology® system conserved 191 gallons of fuel per day, resulting in a total fuel saving of 63.67 percent, it said.
The Intelligent Power Technology® conserved fuel but also decreased the number of generators needed to supply power to the BSB’s operations centers. The number of generator sets needed decreased from 10 to six, thus lightening the load by 40 percent.
DHS Director of Federal Programs Tim Taets was present at the evaluation and said: “NIE 13.1 was major for Intelligent Power Technology®. The system performed exceptionally well on many fronts, but we were most pleased with its extraordinary capability for fuel saving. DHS demonstrated that it is an industry leader in military power generation.”
In addition to the Intelligent Power Technology® system’s fuel saving capability, the system’s remote monitor, efficient size, weight, power characteristics, and user-friendly interface were highlighted in the assessment report.
“In speaking with NIE participants, one of the top highlights for Intelligent Power Technology® was its remote capability and user-friendly interface,” Taets said.