Hydrogen Fuel Cell VehiclesResearch and Development

Michael LewisApril 27, 2011

Why Hydrogen and Fuel Cells?

• Ultimate Goal is to reduce emissions and dependence on foreign oil

• Hydrogen is abundant and can be produced from a variety of feedstock– Natural Gas Reformation– Biomass Gasification– Renewable Electrolysis

• Hydrogen is a carbon free fuel

• Hydrogen Fuel Cells are more efficient than traditional technologies and have zero emissions

Current Challenges

If it was easy…

• Hydrogen production, distribution, and storage– Reduce cost on all fronts– CO2 sequestering Zero emissions– Innovative materials based storage is promising

• Fuel Cell cost and durability– Advances in membrane and component technology are ongoing

and leading to decreased cost and increased reliability

• Current political environment is less favorable than in the past

CEM’s Role

• Address Challenges through– Technology Demonstration and Implementation

• Increase Commercialization through– Technology Transfer to Industrial partners– Balance of Performance versus Cost

• Provide Education to– Manufacturers

and Public Disclaimer: This is not a fuel cell vehicle.

Early Hydrogen Fuel Cell Work

• Plug-In Hybrid Fuel Cell Bus demonstration and evaluation (2007-2008)– Excellent learning platform that has provided knowledge and

experience for current and future programs

• Installed first permanent Hydrogen Fueling Station in Texas– Unique capability to produce and deliver compressed hydrogen for

current and future hydrogen vehicle programs

Current and Ongoing Work

Extended Range Hydrogen Utility Vehicle

• Goal: To significantly increase range without reducing vehicle performance

• Hydrogen fuel cell retrofit of existing battery powered utility vehicle– Two vehicles in 8 months

• Sponsored by Defense Logistics Agency and NAVSEA-CRANE

• Currently performing successfully halfway through 12 month demonstration at Warner Robins AFB

Project Partners:

Success in this program has led to other DLA opportunities.

Current and Ongoing Work

Austin Demonstration of Plug-In Hybrid Fuel Cell Transit Bus

• 12-month revenue service under Capital Metro• Goal: Reduce NOx and further commercial

acceptance of hydrogen bus and fueling infrastructure

• Proterra Hydrogen Fuel Cell Hybrid bus– Fuel cell “plug-in” hybrid using advanced Li-ion batteries– Increases fuel economy by 2-3X over conventional diesel

buses

• To be fueled using UT-CEM hydrogen station– Program onset will included station upgrades to reformer

and storage capacity

• Funding provided by TCEQ and FTA (through CTE)• UT-CEM is the prime under TCEQ funding

– Program management, as well as bus and station evaluation

Project Partners:GTI, CTE, Capital Metro, Proterra

Upcoming and Future Projects

Hydrogen Powered Terminal Tractors

• Goal: Identify onboard hydrogen storage and power system designs to increase performance of current state-of-art terminal tractors

• Sponsored by Defense Logistics Agency

Phase I Design:• Capacity of Texas PHETT is baseline vehicle for retrofit

– Plug-In Hybrid Electric Terminal Tractors using lead-acid batteries and a diesel gen-set

• Dual parallel Fuel Cell modules with 700 bar gaseous hydrogen storage– Adds reliability and redundancy to power system– Provides opportunity for increased hydrogen

storage while still maintaining compatibility with more common 350 bar infrastructure

Phase II Proposal submitted March 2011

Leveraged success of Hydrogen Utility Vehicle Program for similar retrofit of a commercial terminal tractor with DLA.

Upcoming and Future ProjectsElectric Transit Bus with On-route Charging

• Goal: Demonstrate transit technologies that reduce energy consumption and GHG emissions

• FTA sponsored TIGGER award– Transit Investment for Greenhouse Gas and Energy

Reduction

• Partners: CTE, Proterra, Star Metro (Tallahassee, FL), VIA (San Antonio, TX)

• Star Metro – Conductive on-route charging with optional fuel cell package

• VIA – Inductive on-route charging

• CEM’s role: data collection and evaluation, technical program management– Opportunity to collect data / knowledge on advanced

batteries for future projects and other applications

• All-electric derivative of the Proterra fuel cell transit bus

• 70 kWh of Li-ion batteries• Rapid charge in about 8 minutes

(or less), 60% to 70% SOC swing• Gives about 20 mile range• Requires on-route charging

infrastructure

Commercialization / Education

Hydrogen Utility Vehicles and Terminal Tractors

• Goal: Develop hydrogen fuel cell utility vehicle (or terminal tractor) that balances cost and performance for commercial applications

• Potential market exists at sites currently using fuel cell lift trucks– Hydrogen refueling structure is already in place– Over 1500 lift trucks in operation at more than 40 sites throughout U.S.

• DLA vehicles were subject to demanding requirements (range, gradeability, duty cycle)

• Commercial Utility Vehicle Design Approach– Keep cost down by using vehicle’s stock lead-acid batteries with 1-2 kW fuel cell and 0.5-1.0 kg of H2

– Hydrogen Fuel Cell upgrade cost: $8,000 to $12,000 (current vehicle cost ~$10,000)

• Commercial Terminal Tractor Design Approach– Keep cost down by using single fuel cell power module and– Balancing performance and customer needs

• CEM will present Commercial Utility Vehicle potential to Columbia ParCar in upcoming months

• Capacity of Texas plans to contract CEM for technical assistance through their TCEQ funding for development of a Zero Emissions Terminal Tractor (ZETT)– Modeling tools and experience Education and Technology Transfer

Questions?

Michael Lewis

UT - Center for ElectromechanicsPRC Mail Code #R7000

Austin, TX 78712

Phone: (512) 232-5715

mclewis@cem.utexas.edu