Resilient Batteries

Team Resilient came to solve an immediate problem: the 911th Airlift Wing's energy vulnerabilities were leading to mission degradation, and traditional backup solutions weren't providing the reliability that critical operations demanded.

What's At Stake

Energy vulnerabilities at the 911th Airlift Wing weren't just inconveniences—they directly impacted mission capability and life support systems. When the grid went down, the base's aging backup systems couldn't guarantee the reliable power needed for mission-critical operations. The challenge was both immediate and strategic: provide energy solutions that could handle current vulnerabilities while building long-term resilience.

Initially, Team Resilient pursued a solar grid solution to generate electricity when the main grid disconnected. But their sponsor rejected this approach due to weather conditions and limited construction space on the base.

Pivoting to Practical Solutions

Team Resilient's base visit in Pittsburgh provided the reality check their solution needed. Working under instructor Rachel Costello, they discovered that their initial solar approach wouldn't work in the operational environment where it needed to function.

The team's refined approach focused on distributed generators: some acting as central backup power for the entire base, others providing relocatable power that could be moved to mission-critical buildings as needs changed. This system addressed both base-wide resilience and tactical flexibility.

Through the same 15 interviews that informed Team Redstone, Team Resilient tested 10 of 13 key assumptions, gaining critical insights into how distributed power systems needed to function within existing base operations.

Operators of Another Kind

Team Resilient's members brought practical problem-solving to complex energy challenges.

Their approach emphasized adaptability—developing power solutions that could be repositioned based on changing mission requirements while providing the base-wide backup capability that traditional generators couldn't deliver consistently.

What Comes Next

Team Resilient's distributed generator system provides the 911th Airlift Wing with both centralized and tactical power solutions. By combining base-wide backup capability with relocatable power supplies, they address immediate vulnerabilities while building flexibility for future mission changes.

They didn't just study energy vulnerabilities. They distributed the solutions across the entire base.