U.S. Department of Energy - Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy

Fuel Cell Technologies Program

Hydrogen Storage Engineering Center of Excellence

The Department of Energy Hydrogen, Fuel Cells and Infrastructure Technologies Program within the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy is requesting applications to fund one multidisciplinary Hydrogen Storage Engineering Center of Excellence (CoE) team. This CoE team will complement the work of existing independent projects and the three materials-based hydrogen storage CoEs (adsorbents, metal hydrides and chemical hydrogen storage materials) by researching and developing onboard vehicular hydrogen storage systems and components that will allow for a driving range of greater than 300 miles while meeting vehicular packaging, safety, cost and performance requirements. The CoE will develop engineering, design, and system models that address on-board subsystems, including refueling, thermal management, hydrogen discharge, and the storage-delivery interface. The CoE will also design, construct, test, evaluate and decommission subscale prototypes based upon adsorbents, metal hydrides and chemical hydrogen storage materials.

Applications for this Funding Opportunity Announcement must be accessed, completed, and submitted through Grants.gov to be considered for award. Applications are due June 4, 2008.

DOE intends to select one team and provide approximately $35 to $40 million over 6 years for this effort, subject to appropriations, under authority of the Energy Policy Act of 2005, Public Law 109-58, in particular the Spark M. Matsunaga Hydrogen Act of 2005, Title VIII — Hydrogen.

Specific objectives of the new Engineering CoE are to:

  • Develop and utilize an understanding of storage system requirements for light-duty vehicles to design innovative components and systems with the potential to meet DOE performance and cost targets;

  • Develop innovative on-board system concepts for materials-based storage technologies;

  • Develop and test innovative concepts for storage subsystems and component designs;

  • Develop engineering, design and system models which address both on-board subsystems and the fuel cycle, including refueling, transfer and separation of fresh and spent fuel for chemical approaches, hydrogen discharge profiles, thermal management and the storage-delivery interface; and

  • Design, fabricate and test subscale prototype components and systems for each material-based technology (adsorbents, metal hydrides and chemical hydrogen storage materials).

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