Nearly $7 million (£4.3 million) is being invested in cost analysis to support the development of fuel cell and hydrogen storage systems by the US Department of Energy.

The money will be used by three projects in California, Ohio and Virginia over five years, calculating cost estimates for manufacturing equipment, labour, energy and raw materials, such as platinum.

Two projects hosted by Directed Technologies in Arlington, Virginia, will focus on the use of fuel cells systems in light-duty vehicles and buses, taking into account the fluctuating cost of platinum and design parameters including operating pressure. It will receive up to $3 million.

Another project at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory in California will consider the impacts of using state-of-the-art manufacturing technologies and a cost analysis of increased production volume. Researchers will receive up to $1.9 million for this project.

The final Battle Memorial Institute project in Columbus, Ohio, will consider the use of stationary fuel cell applications, as well as cost analysis for large-scale fuel cell applications in the 100kW to 250kW range. The project will receive up to $2 million.

US energy secretary Steven Chu explained: "These projects will help advance our fuel cell and hydrogen storage research efforts and bring down the costs of producing and manufacturing next generation fuel cells.
 

"These technologies are part of a broad portfolio that will create new American jobs, reduce carbon pollution, and increase our competitiveness in today's global clean energy economy."

The data will be used to determine future department investment in fuel cell and hydrogen storage system technology, with an emphasis on efficiency through stringent research and development.

Data used to make the cost analyses is based on a conceptualisation of the manufacturing process and is vetted by National Laboratories, which considers patents, literature, developer presentations and peer review.

Department of Energy Awards Nearly $7 Million to Advance Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Storage Systems Research (09/08/11)

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