The May 2018 issue of the Fuel Cell Technologies Office (FCTO) newsletter includes stories in these categories:
In the News
Energy Department Announces up to $3.5M for Nuclear-Compatible Hydrogen Production
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) announces up to $3.5 million for hydrogen production research and development (R&D) that is compatible with nuclear energy sources. Many utilities are now economically incentivized to consider integrating nuclear energy production with other industrial processes to optimize thermal and electrical energy production. Using electricity and heat generated at nuclear energy facilities to produce hydrogen via extremely efficient high-temperature electrolysis (HTE) is one promising integration approach for generating low-cost hydrogen. Utilizing the extreme high-temperature heat generated by nuclear energy plants allows for less electricity, and thus less cost to create energy, using the HTE process.
Energy Department Announces New Interagency Track at Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Annual Merit Review and Peer Evaluation Meeting
The Energy Department announces that there will be a new Interagency Activities track at the Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Program Annual Merit Review and Peer Evaluation (AMR). The AMR will take place June 13–15, 2018, at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel, Washington, D.C. The new track will focus on interagency collaboration and coordination and will include presentations from U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center and other Department of Defense organizations, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, Department of Transportation, U.S. Postal Service, and National Park Service, among others. The track will also include hydrogen and fuel cell project presentations from multiple state agencies representing California, Hawaii, Ohio, and Connecticut. Find information about the meeting, including a detailed schedule and hotel and travel details. All meeting participants must register to attend this meeting, including presenters and reviewers.
Energy Department Announces AMR Plenary Speakers
The Energy Department has announced that members of the Hydrogen Council will be featured as plenary speakers during the 2018 AMR on June 13. The Hydrogen Council is a global industry partnership with 40 companies committing to hydrogen infrastructure. Speakers include: Pierre-Etienne Franc, Vice President, Hydrogen Energy, Air Liquide; Katsuhiko Hirose, Professional Partner, Advanced R&D Engineering Division, Toyota Motor Corporation; and Thierry Lepercq, Executive Vice President, ENGIE. Get information about the meeting, including a detailed schedule and hotel and travel details. All meeting participants must register to attend this meeting, including presenters and reviewers.
SBIR/STTR FY18 BES Phase I Release 1 Awards Announced—Includes 15 for Hydrogen and Fuel Cells
The Energy Department has announced the 2018 Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) Phase I Release 1 Awards, including 15 projects focused on high-density hydrogen storage, innovative ionomers in the catalyst layer, gas diffusion layers, and membranes for electrochemical production of hydrogen. These projects are awarded through the Office of Basic Energy Sciences (BES). Get a full list of awardees.
Energy Department Announces Nearly $13 Million in Small Business Research and Development for EERE, Including 4 Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Projects
As part of a recent $34 million announcement by DOE Secretary Rick Perry for SBIR/STTR research and development projects, the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) will fund 87 new projects across 34 states, totaling nearly $13 million in funding, including 4 hydrogen and fuel cell projects.
Fuel Cell Car Ride-and-Learn at the Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Program Annual Merit Review and Peer Evaluation Meeting
FCTO will host a Fuel Cell Car Ride-and-Learn during the AMR on Thursday, June 14, during lunch hours. For the first time ever, AMR attendees will have the opportunity to get up close to the innovative technology inside the world's first commercial fuel cell cars and learn more about the early stage R&D making it possible. Efforts from FCTO-funded early stage R&D have helped cut the cost of fuel cells by 60% and quadrupled their durability in the past decade. The cars used for this event are part of the Energy Department's fleet and on loan from the automakers as an effort to collect data that feeds back to FCTO's early stage fuel cell and hydrogen fuel R&D.
National Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Forum Congressional Plenary Speakers Announced
The 2018 National Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Forum announces that Representative John Larson (D-CT), Representative Tom Reed (R-NY), and Representative Paul Tonko (D-NY) will be speaking as part of the plenary session on June 12 at the Ronald Reagan Building & International Trade Center in Washington, D.C. The National Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Forum is a full-day event and exposition preceding DOE's Annual Merit Review and Peer Evaluation Meeting. Attendees will hear from key policymakers, industry leaders, and senior government officials about the state of the industry, recent accomplishments, and future plans. The event will feature a government panel led by the DOE and includes other agencies with hydrogen and fuel cell activities. The event is being held at the Ronald Reagan Building & International Trade Center and is coordinated by the Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy Association. Register to attend.
DOE Announces H2@ Scale, National Lab Showcase at 2018 National Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Forum
Taking place on Tuesday, June 12, the National Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Industry Forum is a full-day event and exposition preceding the AMR. The event will feature an exhibit highlighting the H2@ Scale concept—a DOE collaboration bringing together stakeholders to advance affordable wide-scale hydrogen production, transport, storage, and utilization to unlock revenue potential and value across sectors. The event will also showcase the DOE's national labs and provide information on how to facilitate R&D projects that leverage the labs' world-class capabilities in partnership with industry and academia. These DOE exhibits join other companies displaying the latest fuel cell and hydrogen technologies.
Fact of the Month May 2018: 10 Million Metric Tons of Hydrogen Produced Annually in the United States
Most of the hydrogen produced in the United States comes from a process called steam methane reforming. Nearly 70% of this hydrogen is used in the petroleum refining industry and 20% goes into fertilizer production. There are currently 1,600 miles of hydrogen pipeline in the United States and there are large hydrogen production facilities in almost every state as shown in the map. View the May Fact of the Month.
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Webinars and Workshops
Upcoming Webinar June 26: Thermodynamic and Economic Modeling of Boil-Off Losses in Liquid Hydrogen Handling Processes
FCTO will present a live webinar titled "Thermodynamic and Economic Modeling of Boil-Off Losses in Liquid Hydrogen Handling Processes" on Tuesday, June 26, from 12 to 1 p.m. Eastern Daylight Time (EDT). Hydrogen is delivered in liquid form to a host of end users, including hydrogen fueling stations, glassmaking facilities, electronics fabrication plants, and more. The economics of the pathway are challenged by the vaporization of liquid hydrogen (i.e., "boil-off"), particularly during transfers from liquid tankers to stationary dewars. In this presentation, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) will present findings from a comprehensive analysis of liquid hydrogen boil-off in a variety of scenarios. Topics include (1) development of a thermodynamic model that simulates liquid hydrogen transfers, accounting for real gas equation of states and two-phase behavior, (2) an analysis of current liquid hydrogen handling practices and requirements of U.S. Department of Transportation regulations, (3) collection of data on boil-off rates at a fueling facility at LLNL, and (4) predictions of boil-off losses for given station designs and capacities. The webinar will be recorded and include a 15-minute Q&A portion. Register for the webinar.
Webinar May 17: Fuel Cell Electric Buses: Progress toward Meeting Technical Targets
FCTO presented a live webinar titled "Fuel Cell Electric Buses: Progress toward Meeting Technical Targets" on Thursday, May 17. Leslie Eudy of the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) discussed progress made toward meeting technical targets for fuel cell electric buses (FCEBs). In 2012, DOE and the Federal Transit Administration (FTA) established technical targets to measure the progress of FCEBs toward commercialization. Targets include performance metrics such as fuel cell hour accumulation, fuel economy, availability, and reliability. Cost targets include capital, major components, and maintenance. NREL, under funding from both DOE and FTA, has been evaluating the performance of FCEBs compared to these technical targets and to conventional buses in similar service. This webinar provided the most recent performance results from FCEBs operated by six transit agencies. See slides of the webinar (recording coming soon).
Visit our website to see webinar archives or workshop presentations.
Studies, Reports, and Publications
Energy Department Releases Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Program Annual Progress Report
DOE released the 2017 Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Program Annual Progress Report. Every year, the Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Program publishes the Annual Progress Report documenting progress, accomplishments, and technology status with respect to performance metrics. This report includes more than 700 pages of accomplishments achieved by DOE-funded projects in the last year—including work conducted by industry, academia, and national laboratories.
Visit our website to access technical information about hydrogen and fuel cells. This information is provided in documents such as technical and project reports, conference proceedings and journal articles, technical presentations, and links to other websites.