The November 2015 issue of the Fuel Cell Technologies Office (FCTO) newsletter includes stories in these categories:

In the News

PDAS Friedman Unveils Hydrogen Refueling Dispenser at La Cañada Flintridge Station

Marking the end of construction at the hydrogen station in La Cañada Flintridge, California, a small group of stakeholders and fuel cell electric vehicle drivers joined David Friedman, Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary for Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), U.S. Department of Energy (DOE), and Sunita Satyapal, Director, Fuel Cell Technologies Office, to unveil the FirstElement Fuel's TrueZero dispenser on November 18. Friedman pointed out that much of the technology in this and other hydrogen stations was developed in conjunction with DOE and national labs support. Shane Stephens and Tim Brown, the founders of FirstElement Fuels, were introduced to hydrogen and fuel cells through projects at the University of California, Irvine that were funded in part by the DOE. Stephens told Friedman that this early exposure led to them starting a company that employs more than a dozen people and has created scores of design and construction jobs. He added that "it's a fine example of how EERE's R&D funding extends beyond cost reduction and technology improvements." Representatives from the California Energy Commission, the South Coast Air Quality Management District, and La Cañada Flintridge city officials also attended the event.

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Funding Opportunities and Requests for Information

DOE Announces Notice of Intent to Issue Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Research, Development, and Demonstration FOA

EERE intends to issue, on behalf of the Fuel Cell Technologies Office, a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) entitled "Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Research, Development, and Demonstration." The FOA will offer up to $35 million, subject to appropriations, for hydrogen production, delivery, and storage research and development; demonstration and deployment of infrastructure components; consortia topics for fuel cell performance and durability and advanced hydrogen storage materials research; and cost and performance analysis for hydrogen production, storage, and fuel cells. EERE plans to issue the FOA on or about December 10, 2015.

SBIR/STTR FY16 Phase I Release 2 Topics Announced—Includes Hydrogen Delivery and Two Technology Transfer Opportunities

The Energy Department has announced the 2016 Small Business Innovation Research and Small Business Technology Transfer (SBIR/STTR) Phase I Release 2 Topics, including magnetocaloric materials development for hydrogen delivery and two technology transfer opportunities (TTO). The first TTO is focused on durable, high activity electrocatalysts with low platinum content and low cost for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell applications. The second TTO is focused on safety sensors for hydrogen infrastructure applications. DOE plans to issue the Funding Opportunity Announcement on November 30, 2015.

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

Webinars and Workshops

Upcoming Webinar December 1: Northeast States’ Hydrogen Economy

FCTO will present a live webinar titled "Northeast States' Hydrogen Economy" on Tuesday, December 1, from 12 to 1 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST). The webinar will focus on state efforts to support the regional development of hydrogen infrastructure for the deployment of fuel cell electric vehicles (FCEVs) in the Northeast United States. The presentation will identify strategies, methods, and policies being employed in the Northeast states, from Maine to Maryland, to coordinate stakeholders, manage information, reduce potential barriers, and create new market opportunities for logical deployment of high efficiency FCEVs. Register to attend this webinar.

Upcoming Webinar December 10: Hydrogen Equipment Certification Guide

FCTO will present a live webinar titled "Hydrogen Equipment Certification Guide" on Thursday, December 10, from 1 to 2 p.m. EST. The webinar will introduce the Hydrogen Equipment Certification Guide, a document intended to aid in equipment approval until listed equipment are available for the entirety of equipment and components. Additionally, the webinar will begin a public comment phase of the document for soliciting stakeholder feedback in preparation for a September 2016 release. Register to attend this webinar.

Visit our website to see webinar archives or workshop presentations.

Studies, Reports, and Publications

Low Volume Production and Delivery Cost Record Released

According to the newly released Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Program Record #15011, the untaxed cost of hydrogen from central production and dispensed to 700 bar light duty FCEVs is, based on industry feedback, $13–$16/kg, not including any government incentives.

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

LANL Ph.D. Candidate is Second Place Recipient of the 2015 Bernard Baker Student Award

Andrew Baker, a Ph.D. candidate at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), received the 2nd place 2015 Bernard Baker Student Award during the Fuel Cell Seminar and Energy Exposition in Los Angeles, California, on November 19. Baker is doing his Ph.D. thesis at LANL from the University of Delaware. The first place recipient is Girish Upreti from the University of Tennessee.

LBNL Student Researcher Wins First Place at the PEFC 15 Student Poster Competition

Peter Dudenas, a student researcher at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL), won first place at the PEFC (Polymer Electrolyte Fuel Cells) 15 Student Poster Competition at the Electrochemical Society Meeting in October for his excellent scientific contributions in the field of polymer electrolyte fuel cell research. His poster was titled "Substrate Effects on Perfluorinated-Sulfonic Acid Polymer Thin Films."

Sandia's Groth and Hecht Win Inaugural Robert Schefer Best Paper Award

In October, Sandia National Laboratories scientists Katrina Groth and Ethan Hecht were recognized at the IA-HySafe International Conference on Hydrogen Safety (ICHS) with the inaugural Robert Schefer Best Paper award. The award honors the late Robert Schefer, formerly a researcher at Sandia's Combustion Research Facility, for his contributions to characterization and understanding of the behavior of hydrogen when unintentionally released at conditions relevant to hydrogen fueling infrastructure. Schefer's work has been key to the validation of numerical simulations of hydrogen behavior and the development of analytical models that capture the basic physics of these behaviors for use in codes and standards.

Zawodzinski Elected ACS POLY Fellow

Dr. Thomas A. Zawodzinski was recently selected as a fellow of the American Chemical Society (ACS) POLY division. Zawodzinski was also awarded a Royal Academy of Engineering Distinguished Visiting Fellowship to spend one month in England, hosted by Imperial College. Zawodzinski's work is focused on energy storage materials and systems, including electrolytes and membranes for fuel cells. He is currently the Governor's Chair in Electrical Energy Storage with a joint appointment at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and Oak Ridge National Laboratory.