The January 2016 issue of the Fuel Cell Technologies Office (FCTO) newsletter includes stories in these categories:

In the News

The Year of the Fuel Cell: Looking Back to Get Ahead

From research and development to real-world deployment, 2015 was a landmark year for the hydrogen and fuel cell industry. This recent blog from the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) highlights 2015 accomplishments.

Photo Gallery: 2016 Washington Auto Show

The future of America's auto industry was on display earlier this month at the Washington Auto Show, where Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz announced funding to advance the next generation of fuel-efficient vehicle technologies and a new report highlighting how the Advanced Technology Vehicles Manufacturing program is fueling economic growth in the United States. Scroll through the photos to see some of the Energy Department-supported technologies that are lowering carbon pollution and moving America's economy forward!

Fuel Cell Expert Dr. Sanjiv Malhotra to Lead Energy Department's Clean Energy Investment Center

On January 5, the Energy Department announced that Dr. Sanjiv Malhotra will be the first Director of the Clean Energy Investment Center (CEIC), located within the Office of Technology Transitions. Dr. Malhotra joins the center after most recently serving as a consultant for Tech-to-Market activities with FCTO. As the center's first Director, Dr. Malhotra will be responsible for standing up the CEIC, which will serve as a single point of contact for investors to access technical experts, acquire the latest reports on clean energy technology, and identify promising projects.

Energy Department Announces $1 Million H2 Refuel H-Prize Competition Finalist

The Energy Department has announced SimpleFuel as the finalist for the $1 million H2 Refuel H-Prize Competition. SimpleFuel was selected by an independent judging panel and will have until July 2016 to deploy their small scale, on-site hydrogen generation and fueling system and prepare it for testing. The H-Prize is administered by the Hydrogen Education Foundation.

David Friedman: On the Future of Transportation and the L.A. Auto Show

David Friedman, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in EERE, visited the L.A. Auto Show in November 2015. In this video interview, he shared his thoughts about transportation's future, the exciting technologies being introduced to the market, and the role EERE plays in supporting research and development. The video is courtesy of Jeremy Kahn, Department of Energy.

Fuel Cell Technologies Office: 2015 Recap and the Year Ahead

As 2016 begins, I'd like to thank all of you for your dedication and efforts in advancing hydrogen and fuel cell technologies during the past year. Let's take a minute to reflect on our 2015 accomplishments and highlight some of our plans for 2016. ~ Dr. Sunita Satyapal, Director, FCTO

SBIR/STTR FY16 Phase 1 Release 1 Awards Announced—Includes Four for Fuel Cell Membrane Development

The Energy Department has announced the 2016 Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) Phase I Release 1 Awards, including four projects focused on durable and inexpensive polymer electrolyte membranes for transportation and stationary fuel cell applications. These projects are awarded through the Office of Basic Energy Sciences.

Businesses Seek Fuel Cells to Meet Sustainability Goals, Provide Reliable Power

Businesses of all sizes are increasingly adopting cost-effective fuel cell technology to improve electrical power reliability, increase efficiencies, and reduce carbon emissions of operations, according to The Business Case for Fuel Cells 2015: Powering Corporate Sustainability, a new report from FCTO, compiled by the Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Energy Association.

Registration Now Open for 2016 Hydrogen Student Design Contest

Registration for the 2016 Hydrogen Student Design Contest is now open. The contest, run by the Hydrogen Education Foundation (HEF), is sponsored by FCTO, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and others. This effort is aligned with FCTO's activities to work with the public, academia, and energy associations to ensure that students and the workforce are equipped with the skills and training needed to lead the clean energy economy. The deadline to register is February 10, 2016. HEF will present a webinar on February 1, 2016, from 2 to 3 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST), focusing on the contest topic and questions from students.

Follow EERE on Facebook for More News

Sign up today to follow EERE on Facebook and receive news from all of EERE's offices, including the Fuel Cell Technologies Office.

Funding Opportunities and Requests for Information

Energy Department Announces Advanced Fuel-Efficient Vehicle Technologies Funding Opportunity, Includes Alternative Fuels Workplace Safety Programs

Energy Secretary Ernest Moniz announced more than $55 million in funding for vehicle technology advancements while touring the newest vehicle technologies at the Washington Auto Show last week. One specific topic is focused on the development of alternative fuel vehicle workplace safety programs. The Energy Department will fund cost-shared projects with private industry, national laboratories, and university teams. For more information and application requirements, please visit the EERE Exchange website or Grants.gov.

Updates and future RFI and funding opportunity announcements will be posted on the FCTO's financial opportunities website.

Webinars and Workshops

Upcoming Webinar February 25: 700 bar Compressed Hydrogen Storage System Cost Projection

FCTO will present a live webinar titled "700 bar Compressed Hydrogen Storage System Cost Projection" on Thursday, February 25, from 12 to 1 p.m. EST. Strategic Analysis will present results of its cost analysis of onboard compressed hydrogen storage systems. The hydrogen storage systems analyzed are 700 bar pressure vessels made of a carbon fiber composite wrapped polymer liner (type IV). Strategic Analysis uses a Design for Manufacturing and Assembly (DFMA) approach to estimate the cost to manufacture type IV hydrogen storage systems. Updates to the 2013 analysis, which serves as a baseline, will be presented. The goals of the webinar will be to familiarize participants with the DFMA approach, to explain what processes and materials are used to manufacture composite storage vessels, and to discuss the improvements in hydrogen storage systems that have led to cost reductions. Register for this webinar.

Webinar January 7: FCTO Consortia Overview Webinar (FC-PAD and HyMARC)

FCTO presented a live webinar titled "FCTO Consortia Overview Webinar (FC-PAD and HyMARC)" on Thursday, January 7. To accelerate the rate of progress in developing technologies to improve the performance and durability of proton exchange membrane fuel cell systems and to develop advanced hydrogen storage materials for light‐duty fuel cell vehicle applications, FCTO has established two collaborative research consortia: Fuel Cell Consortium for Performance and Durability (FC‐PAD) and Hydrogen Materials—Advanced Research Consortium (HyMARC). This webinar provided an overview of the organization of these consortia, their planned scientific activities, and the role of individual projects selected to work with these consortia through the FY16 Funding Opportunity Announcement. See slides and a recording of this webinar.

Webinar January 12: Assessing Steel Pipeline and Weld Susceptibility to Hydrogen Embrittlement

FCTO presented a live webinar titled "Assessing Steel Pipeline and Weld Susceptibility to Hydrogen Embrittlement" on Tuesday, January 12. Understanding the impact of hydrogen on structural steel (commonly referred to as "hydrogen embrittlement") is critical to the design of equipment used in hydrogen service, such as compressors, storage vessels, and pipelines. This webinar discussed the breadth of testing performed at Sandia National Laboratories focused on the effects of hydrogen gas on steel pipelines and welds. The webinar also demonstrated how measured fatigue crack growth laws can be applied to calculate minimum wall thickness needed for steel hydrogen pipelines. See slides and a recording of this webinar.

Webinar January 21: Potential Strategies for Integrating Solar Hydrogen Production and Concentrating Solar Power: A Systems Analysis

FCTO presented a live webinar titled "Potential Strategies for Integrating Solar Hydrogen Production and Concentrating Solar Power: A Systems Analysis" on Thursday, January 21. Analysis conducted by Sandia National Laboratories explored potential synergies that may be realized by integrating solar hydrogen production and concentrating solar power (CSP) technologies. Three scenarios were considered, representing the integration of CSP and hydrogen production via (1) polymer electrolyte membrane electrolysis, (2) high-temperature electrolysis, and (3) high-temperature thermochemical reaction cycles. This webinar presented the results of this analysis, including a discussion of the conditions which may favor the integration of hydrogen production and CSP. See slides from this webinar (recording coming soon).

Visit our website to see webinar archives or workshop presentations.

Studies, Reports, and Publications

Hydrogen, Hydrocarbons, and Bioproduct Precursors from Wastewaters Workshop Proceedings Posted

The Hydrogen, Hydrocarbons, and Bioproduct Precursors from Wastewaters Workshop was held March 18–19, 2015, hosted by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory's Washington D.C. office. Sponsored by EERE's Bioenergy Technologies Office and Fuel Cell Technologies Office, the workshop gathered 30 experts from academia, government, and industry to share information and identify the current status and potential research, development, and demonstration possibilities for production of hydrogen and higher hydrocarbons (containing four or more carbon molecules) from wastewaters using biological, biochemical, and other techniques. See the report and presentations from the workshop.

Well-to-Wheels Greenhouse Gas Emissions for Methanol to Hydrogen Pathways Record #16001

FCTO has published Well-to-Wheels Greenhouse Gas Emissions for Methanol to Hydrogen Pathways Record #16001. The record shows that the methanol → hydrogen → fuel cell vehicle and direct methanol fuel cell vehicle pathways are estimated to have 30% to 35% less greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions as compared to today's gasoline internal combustion engine vehicle. In comparison, the natural gas → hydrogen → fuel cell vehicle pathways have 45% to 50% less GHG emissions as compared to today's gasoline internal combustion engine vehicle.

Testing of Hydrogen Effects on Full-Scale Type 1 Pressure Vessels in High Cyclic Fatigue (>30,000 cycles) Record #15005

FCTO has published Testing of Hydrogen Effects on Full-Scale Type 1 Pressure Vessels in High Cyclic Fatigue (>30,000 cycles) Record #15005. The record demonstrates the reliability of commercial Type I pressure vessels subjected to pressure cycling with gaseous hydrogen. These results provide experimental evidence for the integrity of Type I pressure vessels for hydrogen storage applications on industrial trucks and improve confidence that hydrogen embrittlement can be managed in highly demanding applications.

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.

National Laboratory and Principal Investigator Achievements

Piotr Zelenay Named Laboratory Fellow for 2015

Four Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) scientists have been selected as 2015 Laboratory Fellows, including FCTO researcher Piotr Zelenay. The Fellows organization was established in 1981 and comprises technical staff members who have been appointed by the LANL director in recognition of their sustained outstanding contributions and exceptional promise for continued professional achievement. Fellows are limited to two percent of LANL's technical staff. Piotr Zelenay has made sustained contributions in the field of catalysis. His discovery of non-platinum group catalytic activity is a well-recognized advance in fuel-cell technology.

NREL Selected as Outstanding Co-Op Employer of the Year by the University of South Carolina

For a second consecutive year, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) has been selected as the Outstanding Co-Op Employer by the University of South Carolina (USC) Career Center. During the 2014–2015 academic year, NREL scientists Huyen Dinh and Guido Bender mentored USC student Leah McGovern, who was also selected as the 2015 Outstanding Co-Op Student of the Year.