United States
U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Fuel Cell Technologies Program
The DOE Fuel Cell Technologies Program conducts comprehensive efforts to overcome the technological, economic, and institutional obstacles to the widespread commercialization of fuel cells and related technologies. The Program works with partners in industry, academia, non-profit institutions, and the national labs. In addition, the Program coordinates closely with other programs in four DOE offices—Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Science, Fossil Energy, and Nuclear Energy.
Key Accomplishments
DOE has achieved several significant accomplishments since hydrogen and fuel cell RD&D was accelerated in 2004:
- Significant cost reduction of automotive fuel cells (Costs dropped from $275/kW in 2002 to $61/kW in 2009, based on projections of high-volume manufacturing costs.)
- Two-fold increase in the durability of fuel cell systems in vehicles operating under real-world conditions (Data in 2006 showed 950-hour durability; today, this number is 2,500-hour durability — equivalent to approximately 75,000 miles of driving.)
- Demonstration of fuel cell membrane electrode assembly durability — more than 7,300 hours (with cycling at < 80°C) in single-cell laboratory tests, exceeding DOE's 2015 target of 5,000 hours
- Cost reduction of hydrogen production from both renewable resources and natural gas (Hydrogen can now be produced by distributed reforming of natural gas at a projected high-volume cost of $3.00/gallon gasoline equivalent—a cost competitive with gasoline.)
- Identification of several new materials that show a 50% improvement in on-board hydrogen storage capacity
- Validation of hydrogen technologies by demonstrating 140 fuel cell vehicles and 20 refueling stations nationwide
Mission and Key Goals
The mission of the Fuel Cell Technologies Program is to enable the widespread commercialization of fuel cells in diverse sectors of the economy. This mission is to be accomplished 1) with emphasis on applications that will most effectively improve our stewardship of the environment and expand economic opportunities, 2) through research, development, and demonstration of critical improvements in the technologies, and 3) through diverse activities to overcome economic and institutional obstacles to commercialization. The Program’s primary goal is to advance hydrogen and fuel cell technologies in the marketplace, making them competitive with incumbent and other emerging technologies. The Program has defined its key goals based on the technical advances that are needed and the timeframe in which they can be accomplished, as identified through discussions with the research community and stakeholders from all relevant energy sectors.
Strategy
The Program has a comprehensive strategy that incorporates a broad-based, technology-neutral approach with highly focused efforts in specific technologies and applications. The Program pursues the advancement of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies for a wide range of applications, supporting core research in areas common to many applications and technologies. Specific targets and milestones for all R&D pathways are developed in close consultation with experts in industry and the research community, and Program activities are selected on the basis of their ability to make progress toward these milestones.
The Program’s approach for making technical advances includes integrating basic and applied research, technology development, and technology validation and demonstration. Communication and feedback among these areas allow the Program to more rapidly identify challenges and roadblocks as they emerge and to more effectively allocate resources to R&D efforts.
Program Activities
To address the key challenges facing the commercialization of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies, the Fuel Cell Technologies Program conducts the following activities:
Hydrogen Production & Delivery R&D
The Program is developing lower-cost methods for producing and delivering hydrogen. The ultimate goal is for several different domestic production and delivery pathways to be used (at a variety of scales ranging from large, centralized production to very small, local [distributed] production) depending on what makes the most economic and logistical sense for a given location. The key objective for all production/delivery pathways is to reduce the cost of hydrogen to $2 to $3 per gallon gasoline equivalent (gge), delivered and untaxed.
Hydrogen Storage R&D
The Program is developing hydrogen storage systems that are more compact, have higher capacity, and are less costly. The key objective is to enable a driving range of at least 300 miles for all light-duty vehicle platforms, without reductions in interior space or performance, and without increases in cost. The principal focus of these efforts is on advanced materials having the potential to store hydrogen at lower pressures and near-ambient temperatures, with reduced volume and weight.
Fuel Cell R&D
The Program’s fuel cell R&D efforts are aimed at reducing the cost and improving the durability of fuel cells. The key applications under development are as follows:
- Stationary fuel cell system with 40% efficiency and a 40,000-hour lifespan at a cost of $750/kW
- Combined-heat-and-power fuel cell system with 90% overall efficiency and a 60,000 hour lifespan at a cost of $450/kW
- Auxiliary power fuel cell operating on standard ultra-low sulfur diesel fuel with an efficiency of 40% and a 20,000-hour lifespan, at a cost of $500/kW
- Vehicular fuel cell system with 60% peak efficiency and a 5,000-hour lifespan (150,000 miles) for a cost of $30/kW (projected to manufacturing volumes of 500,000 units/year)
Manufacturing R&D
This effort is aimed at developing and demonstrating processes and technologies that reduce the manufacturing cost of fuel cell systems and systems for the production, delivery, and storage of hydrogen while ensuring quality and reliability. These low-cost, high-volume manufacturing processes are critical tools that industry needs to produce affordable hydrogen and fuel cell components and systems and to develop a domestic supplier base.
Technology Validation
The Program conducts technology validation activities to fully assess and validate the results of its R&D efforts (e.g., demonstrations of stationary power systems, vehicles, and hydrogen infrastructure).
Safety, Codes & Standards
The Program is addressing critical needs regarding hydrogen safety concerns and the development of codes and standards, which are essential for establishing a receptive market environment for hydrogen-based products and systems.
Education
The Program is addressing the knowledge barriers that may impede the acceptance of hydrogen technologies. Overcoming these barriers is critical to enabling the successful implementation of near-term hydrogen demonstration projects and early-market fuel cell installations, as well as the longer-term market adoption and acceptance that are required to realize the full benefits of hydrogen and fuel cell technologies.
Market Transformation
To ensure that the benefits of its efforts are realized, the Program conducts activities to facilitate the growth of early markets for fuel cells, particularly in the areas of backup power and specialty vehicles (e.g., forklifts). The growth of early markets will help reduce costs by enabling economies of scale, which will result in increased market opportunities for fuel cells. The Program has focused most of its efforts in this area toward facilitating federal early adoption of fuel cells, through technical and financial support.
Systems Analysis
The Program conducts systems analysis activities to ensure that its efforts are directed in the most effective way. These activities involve extensive cross-cutting lifecycle analysis, emissions analysis, and environmental analysis to enable a comprehensive understanding of the major issues involved in potential hydrogen and fuel cell energy systems. Some specific issues include: the impacts of various technology pathways (well-to-wheels energy and environmental issues), resource needs and impacts, cost elements and drivers, key cost and technological gaps, alternative means for meeting Program goals, progress toward Program targets, and energy-related economic benefits.
Competitive Project-Selection and External Input and Review
The Program ensures the most effective use of funds through a rigorous competitive-selection process, cost-sharing with private-sector partners, and extensive use of peer-reviews. The Program also incorporates input and guidance from expert advisory groups and external review boards, such as the National Academies of Science and Engineering, the Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technical Advisory Committee, the Government Accountability Office, as well as other sources including Congress and the Administration. In addition, the Program benefits from ongoing feedback through interaction with a wide range of stakeholders in industry, academia, and non-profit organizations.