REVIEW OF THE RESEARCH PROGRAM OF THE FreedomCAR AND Fuel Partnership: SECOND REPORT by National Research Council of the National Academies

Author:National Research Council of the National Academies
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: Energy and Energy Conservation : Energy Use, Supply, Demand. Energy and Energy Conservation : Policy, Reviews and Evaluations
Publisher: NATIONAL ACADEMY PRESS
Published: 2008-05-16T00:00:00+00:00

Appropriate Federal Role

Sponsorship of the hydrogen storage component of the FreedomCAR and Fuel Partnership is an appropriate role for the federal government. Work on hydrogen storage has been advanced significantly through the large increase in the number of qualified researchers, the sharp focus on common goals, enhanced communication among participants, and accountability for results.

Recommendations

The hydrogen storage program has reported significant progress during the past 2 years, yet results reported to date are still far short of the 2010 and 2015 system targets.

Recommendation. The hydrogen storage program should continue to be supported by the Partnership at a high level since finding a suitable storage material is critical to fulfillment of the vision for the hydrogen economy. Both basic and applied research should be conducted.

At the beginning of the hydrogen storage program a wide net was cast in search of suitable hydrogen storage materials. It is now becoming clear that many approaches and materials may not be worth pursuing, even at a basic level.

Recommendation. The Partnership should rebalance the R&D program for hydrogen storage to shift resources to the more promising approaches as knowledge is gained. The new systems engineering center of excellence should look at all of the system requirements simultaneously, not just the system weight percent storage goal, and guide this rebalancing.

Recommendation. In the event that no onboard hydrogen systems are found that are projected to meet targets, the Partnership should perform appropriate studies to determine the risks and consequences of relying on pressurized hydrogen storage. They should include production and delivery issues as well as effects on vehicle performance, safety, and costs.

Recommendation. The Partnership should pursue research leading to lower costs for high-quality carbon fibers and bonding materials that would allow higher operating temperatures for compressed hydrogen gas storage.

Recommendation. The Partnership should maintain a strong basic research activity on hydrogen storage. New hydrogen storage concepts should continue to be supported by the Office of Basic Energy Sciences.

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