Review of the Research Program of the FreedomCAR and Fuel Partnership First Report (2005) / Chapter Skim
Currently Skimming:
5 Overall Assessment
5 Overall Assessment
Pages 97-108
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From page 97... ...
Funding levels and the consequent research results during the next few years should allow future reviews to make a more firmly based assessment. MAJOR ACHIEVEMENTS AND TECHNICAL BARRIERS Major Achievements Identifying the major achievements associated with the FreedomCAR and Fuel Partnership is challenging, primarily owing to two factors that make this 97
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From page 98... ...
· The decision to create hydrogen storage centers of excellence that are expected to be working this year (2005)
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From page 99... ...
. · Advances in many of the longer-term technologies associated with fuel cell components, onboard hydrogen storage, and electrochemical energy storage.
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From page 100... ...
It should be noted that the long-term goals of the FreedomCAR and Fuel Partnership are "energy freedom," "environmental freedom," and "vehicle freedom" rather than hydrogen fuel and fuel cell power systems per se, but thus far, these are the only options being pursued to achieve those goals. The technical barriers arise in almost every aspect of achieving widespread distribution of affordable hydrogen and in almost every aspect of devising fuel cell technologies for eventual commercialization.
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From page 101... ...
The most recent cost projection, which assumes mass manufacture, is about $125/kW ($175/kW including compressed hydrogen storage) , roughly four times the cost goal of $30/ kW (not including hydrogen storage)
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From page 102... ...
The emphasis is on R&D activities related to fuel cell materials and components, hydrogen production and delivery technologies, and hydrogen storage materials. The budget also includes $29.2 million for basic science, which is consistent with The Hydrogen Economy, which recommended increased emphasis on the fundamental science related to hydrogen and fuel cell technologies.
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From page 103... ...
activity, creating GATE centers of excellence and multidisciplinary curricula and providing funds for research fellowships; and Challenge X, in which university teams partner with General Motors to integrate advanced vehicle technologies and appropriate fuels to minimize the use of petroleum. The FCVT program is also responsible for the 21st Century Truck (21st CT)
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From page 104... ...
The funding of automotive OEMs is for the vehicle learning demonstrations and includes only the demonstration associated with automotive company tasks. The learning demonstrations entail 50 percent private sector cost sharing, but the $225 million budget and the associated percentage breakdown includes only DOE funds.1 1Information on funding breakdown supplied to the committee on January 19, 2005, in response to questions submitted by the committee to DOE.
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From page 105... ...
Note that these appropriations are through the Congressional Subcommittee on Interior and Related Agencies. While the committee endorses the overall size and relative allocation strategy in the hydrogen program budget, there are four areas of concern.
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From page 106... ...
In summary, there are four areas of concern in the hydrogen program, namely congressional earmarks, carbon sequestration, spending that may be skewed too 43 29 Budget % 13 13 2 Basic Applied Development Demonstration Deployment (Education) FIGURE 5-2 Distribution of funding for hydrogen technology and fuel cell activities for FY05 by RD&D category.
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From page 107... ...
be reallocated to high-priority research areas. Finally, the program involves both short-term goals that are related to hydrocarbon-fueled vehicles, used during a transition period, and much longer-term goals aimed at enabling "a clean and sustainable transportation energy future." The committee considers the current split of funding between the long-term and shorter-term goals to be appropriate.
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