Office of Basic Energy Sciences

Office of Science
U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Science

Basic Research Needs for the Hydrogen Economy

New Research Activities in DOE’s Office of Basic Energy Sciences

Presentation to:
U.S. Senator Byron L. Dorgan

Dr. Patricia M. Dehmer

Director, Office of Basic Energy Sciences (BES)
Office of Science
U.S. Department of Energy
18 November 2004

BASIC ENERGY SCIENCES -- Serving the Present, Shaping the Future http://www.sc.doe.gov/bes/
 The $3.5 billion Office of Science (SC) is the primary source of U.S. support
for the physical sciences.
 Provides over 40% of federal support to the physical sciences (e.g. 90% of high energy
and nuclear physics, >1/2 of catalysis, 1/4 of nanoscience)
 Provides sole support to select sub-fields (e.g. heavy element chemistry)
 Directly supports the research of 15,000 PhDs, postdocs, and graduate students,
providing more than $625M to universities in FY 2004

 SC constructs and operates large scientific facilities for the broad U.S.
scientific community.
 Light sources & neutron sources, nanotechnology research centers, particle
accelerators and colliders, and other specialized facilities are used by more than
19,000 researchers every year based on peer reviewed proposals. About half of the
users come from the university community.

 SC has a national responsibility for basic research related to energy

resources, production, conversion, storage, efficiency, and waste
mitigation.
Energy Flow Diagram for the U.S., 1999
 The Terawatt Challenge

50 TODAY
2003 50
2050
2050
45 45
40 40
14 Terawatts (world) 30 – 60 Terawatts (world)
35 35
30 30
25 25
20 20
15 15
10 10
5 0.5% 5
0 0

Source: International Energy Agency

 Revisiting Basic Research Needs for Energy
Workshop: October 21-25, 2002
Report: March 2003
Dr. John Stringer, EPRI, Chair
Dr. Linda Horton, ORNL, Co-Chair
 Fossil fuels provide about 85% of the world’s energy.
Although reserves are adequate for the next 50 to 100 years,
there are two reasons to seek alternative energy sources
now:
 The largest reserves of one of the most important fossil fuels,
petroleum, reside outside the U.S. in politically unstable regions
of the world.
 The production and release of carbon dioxide into the
atmosphere pose the risk of global warming.
 All of the alternatives to fossil fuels, even when summed
together, today make at best marginal contributions to energy
production.
 The report highlighted 37 proposed research directions, most
of which already were represented in the BES portfolio of
activities
 Basic Research for a Secure Energy Future
Supply, End Use, and Carbon Management

Global Climate
Policy
Change Science

Fossil Carbon Non-Carbon Energy

Carbon Recycle CO2 Sequestration
Energy Sources Energy Sources Consumption

Coal Nuclear Fission Natural Transportation Geologic

Petroleum Nuclear Fusion Synthetic Buildings Terrestrial

Natural Gas Hydrogen* Industrial Ocean

Oil shale, tar sands,

Geothermal
hydrates,…

Hydroelectric

Solar

Wind

*an energy “carrier”

Conservation and Efficiency

 Hydrogen: A National Initiative

“Tonight I'm proposing $1.2 billion in research

funding so that America can lead the world in
developing clean, hydrogen-powered automobiles…
With a new national commitment, our scientists and
engineers will overcome obstacles to taking these
cars from laboratory to showroom, so that the first
car driven by a child born today could be powered by
hydrogen, and pollution-free.”

President Bush
State-of the-Union Address
January 28, 2003
 The Hydrogen Economy – The Technology Gaps

solar automotive
H2O wind fuel cells
hydro

nuclear/solar consumer
thermochemical gas or electronics
cycles H2 hydride H2
storage
stationary
electricity/heat
Bio- and fossil fuel
generation
bioinspired reforming

production storage use (in fuel cells)

4.4 MJ/L (Gas, 10,000 psi)
9M tons/yr 8.4 MJ/L (LH2)
$200-3000/kW

Gap Gap Gap

150M tons/yr 9.7 MJ/L $30/kW

(Light Cars and Trucks in 2040) (2015 FreedomCAR Target) (Internal Combustion Engine)
 BES Assessment of the Needs of Basic Research
Basic Research for Hydrogen Production, Storage, and Use (May 13-15, 2003)

Workshop Chair: Millie Dresselhaus (MIT)

Associate Chairs: George Crabtree (ANL)
Michelle Buchanan (ORNL)

Breakout Sessions:
Hydrogen Production
Tom Mallouk, PSU & Laurie Mets, U. Chicago
Hydrogen Storage and Distribution
Kathy Taylor, GM (retired) & Puru Jena, VCU
Fuel Cells and Novel Fuel Cell Materials
Frank DiSalvo, Cornell & Tom Zawodzinski, CWRU

Pre-Workshop Briefings by EERE:

Charge: To identify fundamental research needs
Hydrogen Storage JoAnn Milliken and opportunities in hydrogen production, storage,
Fuel Cells Nancy Garland and use, with a focus on new, emerging and
Hydrogen Production Mark Paster scientifically challenging areas that have the potential
to have significant impact in science and
Workshop Plenary Session Speakers: technologies. Highlighted areas will include
Steve Chalk (DOE-EERE) -- overview improved and new materials and processes for
George Thomas (SNL-CA) -- storage hydrogen generation and storage and for future
Scott Jorgensen (GM) -- storage generations of fuel cells for effective energy
Jae Edmonds (PNNL) -- environmental conversion.
Jay Keller (SNL-CA) – hydrogen safety
Basic Research for Hydrogen Production, Storage and Use Workshop

“Bridging the gaps that separate the hydrogen-

and fossil-fuel based economies in cost,
performance, and reliability goes far beyond
incremental advances in the present state of the
art. Rather, fundamental breakthroughs are
needed in the understanding and control of
chemical and physical processes involved in the
production, storage, and use of hydrogen. Of
particular importance is the need to understand
the atomic and molecular processes that occur at
the interface of hydrogen with materials in order
to develop new materials suitable for use in a
hydrogen economy. New materials are needed for
membranes, catalysts, and fuel cell assemblies
that perform at much higher levels, at much lower
cost, and with much longer lifetimes. Such
breakthroughs will require revolutionary, not
evolutionary, advances. Discovery of new
materials, new chemical processes, and new
synthesis techniques that leapfrog technical
barriers is required. This kind of progress can be
achieved only with highly innovative, basic
research.”
 Priority Research Areas in Hydrogen Production
Fossil Fuel Reforming Bio- and Bio-inspired H2 Production
Catalysis; membranes; theory and modeling; Biological enzyme catalysis; nanoassemblies; bio-
nanoscience inspired materials and processes

Synthetic catalysts
for water oxidation
and hydrogen
activation

Ni surface-alloyed with Au to reduce carbon poisoning

Solar Photoelectrochemistry/Photocatalysis Nuclear and Solar Thermal Hydrogen

Understanding physical mechanisms; novel materials; Thermodynamic data and modeling; novel
theory and modeling; stability of materials materials; membranes and catalysts

High T operation
places severe
demands on
reactor design and
on materials
Dye-Sensitized solar cells

Source: BES Hydrogen Workshop Report

 Priority Research Areas in Hydrogen Storage
Novel and Nanoscale Materials
Li, Nature 1999

NaAlH4 X-ray view NaAlD4 neutron view

X ray cross section

H D C O Al Si Fe

Neutron cross section

Neutron imaging of Cup-stacked carbon

hydrogen Nanoporous inorganic-organic
Nanofiber compounds

Complex metal hydrides can be recharged

on board the vehicles Theory and Modeling
To Understand Mechanisms, Predict Property
Fuel (NaBH4)
Trends, Guide Discovery of New Materials
H2
Fuel
(Mg)
Fuel PEFC
Spent fuel
Spent fuel recovery
(MgO) (NaBO2)

Service Station
Fuel Cell H Adsorption in
Vehicle nanotube array
Borohydride
Production

Chemical hydrides will need off-

board regeneration
Source: BES Hydrogen Workshop Report
 Priority Research Areas in Fuel Cells

2-5 nm Controlled design of triple

Electrocatalysts and Membranes percolation nanoscale
20-50
-
Non-noble metal catalysts; designed triple- m networks: ions, electrons, and
percolation electrodes porosity for gases

H2 O2
Intake Anode Catalysts Membranes CathodeIntake

Low temperature fuel cells

‘Higher’ temperature membranes; Internal view of a
degradation mechanisms; tailored PEM fuel cell
nanostructures Electrons Water
Source: T. Zawadzinski (CWRU)

YSZ Electrolyte for SOFCs

Mass of Pt Used in the PEMFCs
Solid Oxide Fuel Cells 1.4
 a Critical Cost Issue

Theory, modeling, and simulation; new 1.2

materials; novel synthesis; in-situ 1

gPt/kW

0.8

diagnostics 0.6

0.4

0.2

0
0.55 0.60 0.65 0.70 0.75 0.80
Ecell (V) Tailored Porosity
Source: H. Gasteiger (General Motors)
Source: R. Gorte (U. Penn)
Source: BES Hydrogen Workshop Report
 DOE Hydrogen Program FY 2005 Budget Request

Energy Efficiency and Renewable

Energy
$173 M (76%)
Fossil Energy (Coal)
$16 M (7%)

Nuclear Energy
Office of Science $9 M (4%)
Basic Energy Sciences
New addition to the $29 M (13%)
HFI in FY 2005

TOTAL: $ 227 M
BES Solicitation for Basic Research for Hydrogen Fuel Initiative
http://www.sc.doe.gov/bes/hydrogen.html
 BES Solicitation for Basic Research for Hydrogen Fuel Initiative

 Approximately $21.5 million in new funding will be awarded in FY 2005, pending

appropriations.

 Two solicitations (one for universities and one for FFRDCs) were issued in April 2004.
FFRDCs were limited to six submissions as leading institution. There was no limit on
the number of submissions for universities.

 668 qualified preproposals were received by July 15, 2004 in the following five
categories.
– Novel Materials for Hydrogen Storage
– Membranes for Separation, Purification, and Ion Transport
– Design of Catalysts at the Nanoscale
– Solar Hydrogen Production Bio-
Inspired
– Bio-Inspired Materials and Processes Solar (88) (54) Storage (199)

Catalysis (152)
Membranes (175)

Preproposals Submitted
 Preproposal Review and Selection

 Each preproposal was reviewed by at least one of five panels corresponding to the
five submission categories.

 Each panel consisted of DOE federal officials knowledgeable in the research areas
and with responsibilities for managing projects within the Hydrogen Fuel Initiative. 

 The review panels judged the suitability of the preproposals in accordance with
DOE's scientific, technical, and strategic goals related to the Hydrogen Fuel Initiative.

 261 preproposals were selected.

 Principal investigators were Bio-

Inspired Storage (56)
notified by September 1, 2004 to Solar Hydrogen
(23)

submit full proposals by January 4, (51)

2005. Membranes
(63)
Catalysis (68)

Preproposals Selected
 Preproposal Selection Results Summary

Universities DOE FFRDCs

 215 University preapplications were selected  46 FFRDC preproposals were selected (13
(101 Universities in 36 States and Puerto Rico). DOE National Labs in 10 States).

Bio- Bio-
Inspired Storage (19%) Inspired
Solar Hydrogen (9%) Solar Hydrogen (6%) Storage (33%)
(19%) (22%)
Membranes
Catalysis (29%) (24%) Catalysis (15%) Membranes
(24%)

Profile of Selected Preproposals

Universities DOE Lab

Labs
Average Number of PIs per
Preproposal 2.9 6.5
Average Funding Requested $834,500
per Preproposal $294,700
 Full Proposal Procedures

Timeline
January 4, 2005 Full proposals due
February – April, 2005 Proposal Peer Review
April – May, 2005 DOE assessment of review and selection of awards
June – July 2005 Awards made, pending appropriations
 Full proposals will be subjected to formal merit review against the following criteria:
- Scientific and/or technical merit of the project
- Appropriateness of the proposed method or approach
- Competency of the personnel and adequacy of the proposal resources
- Reasonableness and appropriateness of the proposed budget
- Basic research that is relevant to the Administration's HFI

 It is anticipated that up to $12 million annually will be available for multiple awards in each of the
two main research sectors – universities and FFRDCs.
 Initial awards will be in Fiscal Year 2005, pending appropriations.
 BES is coordinating with all appropriate groups, particularly EERE.
 Summary: Research for Short-term Showstoppers and Long-term Grand Challenges

fuel cell splitting

operation water

solid state
Energy Payoff

storage

Short-term: Incremental
advances via basic research and Longer-term: Breakthrough
technology development technologies via new materials and
catalysts, bio-mimetics, nanoscale
architectures, and more.
combustion in
gas/liquid
heat engines
storage

fossil fuel
reforming

Evolution of a Hydrogen Economy

 Realizing a hydrogen economy will not be easy, …
Peter Edwards
Scientific Coordinator, UK Sustainable Hydrogen Energy Consortium
UK-US Energy Dialogue, October 2004, London

From J. W. Gosselink, Shell Global Solutions, Amsterdam

… but electricity was not discovered via incremental improvements to the candle