Phase I Release 2 technical topics include prototype fuel cell-battery electric hybrid trucks for waste transportation and novel membranes and non-platinum group metal catalysts for direct methanol as well as hydrogen fuel cells.
Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office
November 14, 2013
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On October 31, the U.S. Department of Energy announced the Fiscal Year 2014 Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) Phase I Release 2 technical topics. These topics include prototype fuel cell-battery electric hybrid trucks for waste transportation and novel membranes and non-platinum group metal catalysts for direct methanol as well as hydrogen fuel cells.
DOE's key hydrogen objectives are to reduce the cost of producing and delivering hydrogen to $2–$4 per gallon of gas equivalent (gge) to enable fuel cell vehicle competitiveness with gasoline. Key fuel cell objectives are to reduce fuel cell system cost to $30/kW (equivalent to the cost of a gasoline internal combustion engine) and improve durability to 5,000 hours (equivalent to 150,000 miles of driving) for automotive fuel cell systems. In support of those goals, SBIR/STTR topics in the FY14 Phase I Release 2 are focused on demonstrating fuel cell-battery electric hybrid truck technologies and on developing cost-effective, durable membrane electrode assemblies.
Topics include the following:
- Demonstration of a Prototype Fuel Cell-Battery Electric Hybrid Truck for Waste Transportation: Technology and business solutions that will help establish a business case, mitigate the cost of hydrogen fuel infrastructure, and demonstrate fuel cell-battery electric hybrid truck technologies in waste hauling applications.
- Cost-Effective Membrane Electrode Assemblies Utilizing Novel Membranes and Non-Platinum Group Metal Catalysts for Direct Methanol Fuel Cells: Development of membrane electrode assembly manufacturing methods, scale-up, and cell stack development testing (Technology Transfer Opportunity).
- Durable Membrane Electrode Assemblies for Polymer Electrolyte Membrane Fuel Cell Applications: Research and development on non-aqueous liquid compositions comprising ion exchange polymers and on advanced MEAs for fuel cells (Technology Transfer Opportunity).
The full SBIR/STTR Funding Opportunity Announcement will be issued on November 25, 2013, and applications will be due February 4, 2014.
A webinar was held on November 4 to provide additional information. View the recorded webinar. For additional information about the topics, see details in the technical topic document found on the announcement page.