DOE’s Hydrogen Fuel Cell A

Developing Technolog

Validating it through Rea

Evaluation

Keith Wipke, Sam Sprik, Jennifer K

John Garbak

2

Alternative Fuels & Vehicles Confere

Las Vegas, NV

May 12, 2008

1NREL, 2US Dept. of Energy

This presentation does not contain any proprietary or confid

NREL/PR-560-43325
• Diverse Domestic Resources • High Efficiency & Reliability • Zer

Why Hydrogen?
Technology 

Barriers

Economic & 

Institutional Barriers

Fuel Cell Cost and Durability 

(Targets: $30 per kW, 5000-hour durability)

Safety, Codes & Standards DevelopmentDelivery InfrastructureDomestic Manufacturing and Supplier BasePublic Awareness & Acceptance

Hydrogen Cost *

(One cost-competitive pathway required for critical path. Target: $2 – 3 /gge — met by distributed reforming of natural gas)

H2 Storage Capacity & Cost

(Targets: 2.7kWh/L, 3kWh/kg, and $2/kWh)

Technology 

Validation:

(Technologies mu

be demonstrated under real-world conditions)

Vehicular Hydrogen Challenges 
Fuel Cell Vehicle Learning Dem

Seeks to Validate Real-World 

• Objectives

– Validate H

2 FC Vehicles and Infrastruct

– Identify Current Status and Evolution of 

• Assess Progress Toward Technology Read• Provide Feedback to H

2 Research and Dev

Performance Measure 2009 2015

Fuel Cell Stack Durability 2000 hours 5000 hoursVehicle Range 250+ miles 300+ milesHydrogen Cost at Station $3/gge $2-3/gge

Key Targets

Solar Electrolysis S
Industry Partners: 4 Automaker/Energy-

Rollout: 

2nd Generation FC Introduction in 

On-Board Hydrogen Storage Methods

-

102030405060708090

100

2005Q2

2005Q3

2005Q4

2006Q1

2006Q2

2006Q3

2006Q4

2007Q1

2007Q2

2007Q3

2007Q4

Cumulative Vehicles Deployed

Liquid H2700 bar tanks350 bar tanks

Created Feb-08-2008 8:57AM

92

92

Gen 1 Gen 1

Gen 1 & 2

Gen 2

Gen 2 

Gen 1 >1.1 Million Miles and

50,000 Vehicle Hours
Dyno (1) Window-Sticker (2) 

0

1020304050607080

Fuel Economy (miles/kg H

2

)

Fuel Economy

Created: Feb-15-08 7:17 AM

(3) Excludes trips < 1 mile. One data point for on-road fleet average of each make/model.(1) One data point for each make/model. Combined City/Hwy fuel economy per DRAFT SAE J2572.(2) Adjusted combined City/Hwy fuel economy (0.78 x Hwy, 0.9 x City).(4) Calculated from on-road fuel cell stack current or mass flow readings.

Dynamometer and On-Road Fuel Ec

Gen 1 Learning Demonstration 

High Fue

Efficiency 

Relatively H
Refueling Stations Test Performance in Va

Learning Demo Comprises ~1/3 of all 

April-14-2008

Northern 

California

7

Southern California

17

44

Southeast Michigan

7
Infrastructure Hydrogen Production Methods 

012345

Delivered

Compressed H2

Natural Gas On-site

Reforming

Electrolysis Delivered Liquid H2

Production Technology

# of Stations

Created Feb-15-08

Majority of Project’s Fixed Infrastruc

Vehicles Has Been Installed – Examp

Recent station additions include: 

SMUD (BP) and White Plains, NY (Shell). 

15 stations now deployed

Mobile Refueler

Sacramento, CA

Steam Methane Reforming

Oakland, CA

Total of >40,000 kg H2 

produced or dispensed
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2 1.4 

0

100200300400500600

Avg Fuel Rate (kg/min)

Number of Fueling Events

Histogram of Fueling Rates

All Light Duty Through 2007Q4

5 minute fill of5 kg at 350 bar

3 minute fill o5 kg at 350 b

Average = 0.79

 % >1 = 24

2006 Tech V2010 MYPP 

Created: Feb-15-08 1:44 PM

Actual Vehicle Refueling Rates from 

Measured by Stations or by V

Average rate: 0.79 kg/min

24% of refueling events exceeded 1 kg/min
GOAL: Diverse cost-competitive domestic pathways to 

PROGRESS: Significant cost reductions have b

Hydrogen Production Pro
Hydrogen for Vehicles from On-Site Solar and Water Electrolysis (o

DTE: Southfield, MichiganSMUD: Sacramento, CA

Xcel/NREL Wind/Hydrogen Project (ongoing, shown below)

Integrates electrolyzers and wind turbines to understand the benefits and im

production facilities to the electric power grid (NREL wind site at Golden, Co

Hawaii (planned)

Hydrogen production using curtailed wind and geothermal energy to generathydrogen buses at national parks

Wind Turbine

100kW

AC-DC Converter

Alkaline and PEM 

Electrolyzers

Compressor

150psi-3,500psi

H2 Storage (85kg)

Xcel-NREL Wind2H2 Project

Four Renewable Fuel/Power Demonstratio

Examples of Renewable Path

Electricity and Vehicular Fuel De
1000

2000

2003 2006 

Status

Hours

* 5000 hours correspond

Laboratory Fu

1000

2000

2003 2006 

Status

Hours

* 5000 hours correspond

Automotive Fu

Laboratory Fu

(Based 

0

100200300

2000 2005 2010 2015

Automotive Fuel Cell System Cost

(Projected to high-volume manufacturing of 500,000 units/year) 

$/kW

$275/kW

$110/kW

$45/k $30/kW W $94/kW

0

100200300

2000 2005 2010 2015

Automotive Fuel Cell System Cost

(Projected to high-volume manufacturing of 500,000 units/year) 

$/kW

$275/kW

$110/kW

$45/k $30/kW W $94/kW

Automotive Fuel Cell System Cost 

(Projected to high-volume manufacturing of 500,000 units/year)

Automotive Fuel Cells Pro

Projected Cost (at Volume) and Labora
0

200400600800

10001200140016001800200022002400

2006 Target2009 Target

Actual Operating Hours Accumulated To-Date Projected Hou

Max Hrs Accumulated (1)(2) Avg Hrs Accumulated (1)(3) Projection to 

Time (Hours)

DOE Learning Demonstration Fuel Cell Stack Durabi

Based on Data Through 2007 Q4

Created: Feb-26-08 11:46 AM

(1) Range bars created using one data point for each OEM.(2) Range (highest and lowest) of the maximum operating hours accumulated to-date of any OEM's individual stack (3) Range (highest and lowest) of the average operating hours accumulated to-date of all stacks in each OEM's flee(4) Projection using on-road data -- degradation calculated at high stack current. This criterion is used for assessing  may differ from OEM's end-of-life criterion, and does not address "catastrophic" failure modes, such as membra(5) Using one nominal projection per OEM: "Max Projection" = highest nominal projection, "Avg Projection" = averag The shaded green bar represents an engineering judgment of the uncertainty due to data and methodology limit as additional data are accumulated.

In Real-World Operation, Some Firs

Vehicles Have Met 2006 Target of 

Multiple stacks have now 

demonstrated >1000 

hours of operation
GOAL: On board storage with > 300-mile driving range (meeting req. fo

PROGRESS: The Program has identified materials with > 50% improv

* System capacity estimates include materials, tanks, and balance of plant

Storage SYSTEM* Capacity — Status vs. Targets

Hydrogen Storage Progr

Current Products and Advanced 

Today’s 

gasoline 

vehicle 

systems
Dyno Range (2) Window-Sticker Range (3) On-

0

50

100150200250300

Vehicle Range (miles)

Vehicle Range1

Created: Feb-15-08 7:37 AM

(1) Range is based on fuel economy and usable hydrogen on-board the vehicle. One data point for each (2) Fuel economy from unadjusted combined City/Hwy per DRAFT SAE J2572.(3) Fuel economy from EPA Adjusted combined City/Hwy (0.78 x Hwy, 0.9 x City).(4) Excludes trips < 1 mile. One data point for on-road fleet average of each make/model.(5) Fuel economy calculated from on-road fuel cell stack current or mass flow readings.

Current Status of Range from G

Gen 1 Vehicle Range Still Limited 

by Commercially Available H2 

Storage Technology
Evaluation of Hydrogen and 

Buses in Five Fleets

Santa Clara VTA, San Jose, CASunLine, Thousand Palms, CAAC Transit, Oakland, CACTTRANSIT, Hartford, CTHickam AFB, Honolulu, HI

Fuel economy is highly dependent on 

duty-cycle and hybridization, but 

shows improvement approaching 2X
Summary

• Program continues to advance the state-o

cell and hydrogen production technology tportfolio in collaboration with industry

– Projected FC system costs at volume productio

currently at ~3X target

– Hydrogen production pathway from distributed 

reforming economically viable for near-term

– Multiple H2 production pathways including rene

for longer-term energy security and sustainabili

• Program is simultaneously validating real-w

performance to ensure robust progress

– 92 FCVs and 15 stations deployed– 1.1 million miles traveled, 40,000 kg H2 produce

– Project to continue through 2010– Total of 47 composite data products published – FC buses and forklifts also being evaluated– Roll-out of 2nd generation FCVs has begun
Questions and Discu

All public Learning Demo CDPs, papers, and presentations 

online at http://www.nrel.gov/hydrogen/proj_tech_valida

Systems Integration & Analysis

Basic Research & Applied R&D

DELIVERY

FUEL CELLS

STORAGE

PRODUCTION

Education

Market Transformation Market Transformation

Market Transformation

Technology 

Validation

Safety, Codes & StandardsManufacturing R&D

Project Contact: Keith Wipke, National Renew

303.275.4451 keith_wipke