Fuel Cell Technologies Office Newsletter: June 2017

The June 2017 issue of the Fuel Cell Technologies Office (FCTO) newsletter includes stories in these categories:

• In the News
• Webinars and Workshops
• Studies, Reports, and Publications
• National Laboratory and Principal Investigator Achievements

On June 8, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announced approximately $15.8 million for 30 new projects aimed at discovery and development of novel, low-cost materials necessary for hydrogen production and storage and for fuel cells onboard light-duty vehicles. Selected projects will leverage national lab consortia launched under DOE's Energy Materials Network (EMN) this past year, in support of DOE's materials research and advanced manufacturing priorities.

The DOE Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Program announced its annual awards at the 2017 DOE Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Program Annual Merit Review and Peer Evaluation Meeting, known as the AMR, on June 5. Each year, the Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Program presents awards for contributions to the overall efforts of the Program and to recognize achievements in specific areas. Learn more about the 2017 award recipients.

The Annual Merit Review and Peer Evaluation Meeting was held June 5–9, 2017, in Washington, D.C. Plenary speakers included Daniel Simmons, Acting Assistant Secretary, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, U.S. Department of Energy; Dr. Joe Powell, Chief Scientist – Chemical Engineering, Shell; and Jon Lauckner, Chief Technology Officer, VP of Research and Development, and President of GM Ventures, General Motors. More than 1,700 people registered with 20 countries represented. More than 160 experts reviewed almost 150 presentations, with a total of nearly 750 expert reviews being provided. Annual Merit Awards were also presented on Monday. The full proceedings of the meeting are now available. The 2018 AMR will take place in June in Washington, D.C. Stay tuned for more information soon.

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The FCTO will present a live webinar titled “Carbon Fiber Composite Material Cost Challenges for Compressed Hydrogen Storage Onboard Fuel Cell Electric Vehicles” on Tuesday, July 25, from 12 to 1 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). To kick off the webinar, Ned Stetson, FCTO Hydrogen Storage Program Manager, will provide a brief overview of the Hydrogen Storage Program. Following the overview, John Gangloff, an Office of Energy Efficiency & Renewable Energy Science and Technology Policy Fellow with FCTO, will discuss the topic of onboard compressed gaseous hydrogen storage in carbon fiber reinforced composite overwrapped pressure vessels (COPVs). John will discuss how FCTO is developing strategies to address the high cost of the carbon fiber reinforced composite materials that are needed for safe, high-pressure hydrogen storage in fuel cell electric vehicles. John will also provide an overview of supported research and development for hydrogen storage system cost reduction that specifically addresses lower cost carbon fiber precursor materials and processing, alternative fibers to carbon fibers, alternative resins, and alternative COPV designs and manufacturing processes. Register for the webinar.

Visit our website to see webinar archives or workshop presentations.

FCTO has released two new records this month. Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Program Record #17004 shows that the successful deployment of more than 900 backup power (BuP) fuel cell systems with DOE funds has led to more than 7,600 BuP fuel cell shipments and units on order with no DOE funding. Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Program Record #17003 shows that the successful deployment of more than 700 material handling equipment (MHE) fuel cell units with DOE funds has led to more than 15,800 MHE fuel cell shipments and units on order with no DOE funding.

The ECS Toyota Young Investigator Fellowship Selection Committee has chosen three winners who will receive $50,000 fellowship awards each for projects in green energy technology. The awardees include FCTO researcher Dr. Ahmet Kusoglu, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. The selected fellows will receive restricted grants of a minimum of $50,000 to conduct the research outlined in their proposals within one year. They will also receive a one-year complimentary ECS membership as well as the opportunity to present and/or publish their research with ECS. Ahmet was awarded the fellowship for his work in ionomer composites with active self-reinforcement.