Projects funded by the Department of Energy’s (DOE) Hydrogen and Fuel Cells Program and Vehicle Technologies Program are required to be presented and peer-reviewed during an Annual Merit Review (AMR). The conference, which was attended by roughly 2,000 people, is designed to help DOE make funding decisions for upcoming years. Though many of the presentations were highly technical, I thought the government-sponsored event was worthwhile because it connects industry experts and allows them to share their experiences with new fuel cell technologies and applications.
The first event I attended focused on highly technical presentations of projects involving innovative fuel cell materials. I can’t report on the information that was shared (since it consisted mostly of chemistry jargon), but it was inspiring to see a room full of several hundred chemists and engineers give feedback during the Q&A sessions. Some were challenges to how thoroughly a new material had been tested, while others (usually starting with, “Have you tried…?”) may have helped research teams to explore new areas. My general impression was that while many fuel cell technologies and materials are proven, much research is being done investigate new materials that are cheaper and more durable. It was also a reminder that while the industry faces many technical challenges, this does not mean things are stagnant. Thousands of scientists are working every day to advance fuel cell technologies.
The other session I attended centered on the developments of several fuel cell demonstration projects. Most of them have been successful and are still operating (one is no longer being pursued), but a prominent theme that emerged was that the permitting process can be smooth or extremely burdensome and costly depending on the county or utility. For example, installing a stationary fuel cell system may be a straightforward process in most counties, but one may want expensive and misguided safety equipment. Utilities can also help or hurt fuel cell installations. After installing two separate fuel cell systems on large government properties, a fuel cell manufacturer reported that while one has been completed and turned on, the other project (also completed) has been sitting for nearly a year as it awaits approval.
Overall, I thought the AMR was a fantastic event. I’m sure it didn’t come cheap, but it gives fuel cell executives and scientists the opportunity to share their experiences, network and hopefully build on each other’s progress—all of which enhance the government’s investment in alternative fuels.
Image: Argonne researcher Deborah Myers demonstrates the fuel cell fixture created to allow in situ X-ray study of transition metals. Read more about Argonne’s transportation research at transportation.anl.gov. Photo by of Argonne National Laboratory on Flickr.
