DOE Funds Six New Projects Aimed at Alternate Hydrogen Production and Utilization

 

DOE Funds Six New Projects Aimed at Alternate Hydrogen Production and
Utilization

Publication Date:16-September-2006
04:30 PM US Eastern Timezone
Source:FuelCellWorks
WASHINGTON, DC - The Department of Energy today announced the selection
of six cost-shared research and development projects that will aid in
alternate hydrogen production and greater hydrogen utilization. The
selections help to fulfill President Bush's Hydrogen Fuel Initiative
which describes a hydrogen economy that minimizes America's dependence
on foreign oil, reduces greenhouse gas emissions, and provides funding
for hydrogen research and development.

Hydrogen is considered a potential energy carrier for the future, and
it may be produced from hydrogen-containing materials such as water and
fossil fuels. Until other resources are available to produce hydrogen
at lower costs, production from coal is the most economical source.

To identify, implement, and integrate the research and technology
development needed to achieve the hydrogen economy, DOE developed the
Hydrogen Posture Plan, and several DOE offices and national
laboratories, including the Office of Fossil Energy's National Energy
Technology Laboratory, are charged with implementing the plan.

DOE will help fund these six new projects which focus on two different
areas of interest:
 
Alternate hydrogen production uses coal to create hydrogen-rich,
zero-sulfur liquid fuels or synthetic natural gas, with demonstration
of an alternative pathway and reforming system to produce hydrogen in
decentralized locations anticipated by the end of 2011.


Hydrogen utilization seeks to demonstrate protocols for hydrogen or
hydrogen/natural-gas mixtures and modifications to reciprocating
internal combustion engines for advanced engine systems.


The total value of the six projects is nearly $18 million dollars, with
DOE providing $12.9 million and industry partners contributing more
than $4.9 million. The industry cost-share of almost 28 percent
indicates industry's commitment to these advanced technologies, and
suggests strong future support for their commercialization and
adoption. Descriptions of the six new projects are shown below.
 
Louisiana State University (Baton Rouge, La.) ? In this project,
researchers will develop a coal-based process for the conversion of
syngas to ethanol and higher alcohols using rhodium-based catalysts.
Clean coal-derived syngas will be produced using Conoco-Phillips' EGAS
technology. The final step is the selective catalytic conversion to
ethanol. Louisiana State University researchers will be joined by
scientists from Clemson University (Clemson, S.C.), Conoco-Phillips
(Houston, Texas), and Oak Ridge National Laboratory (Oak Ridge, Tenn.).
(DOE share: $2,257,427; industry share: $1,346,913; project duration:
36 months)


Abengoa Bioenergy R&D, Inc. (Chesterfield, Mo.)  This project seeks to
improve the catalytic conversion of coal-derived syngas into ethanol
and investigate ethanol reformability to hydrogen. The goal is to
design new catalysts for higher alcohol synthesis, with the research
aimed at accelerating the crucial steps that limit the selective
conversion of synthesis gas to alcohols, especially ethanol. (DOE
share: $2,965,899; industry share: $749,781; duration: 36 months)


Energy Conversion Devices, Inc. (Rochester Hills, Mich.) Energy
Conversion Devices, Inc. will develop a low-cost method to convert
small (less than 25 horsepower) gasoline internal combustion engines to
run on hydrogen fuel, while maintaining performance and durability
equivalent to the unmodified gasoline engine. There is a huge potential
worldwide market for reliable, low-cost small engines with near-zero
emissions in stationary and mobile applications including two- and
three-wheeled vehicles, lawn and garden care equipment, and small
back-up generator sets. (DOE share: $1,200,000; industry share:
$514,288; project duration: 27 months)


Electric Transportation Engineering Corporation (Phoenix, Ariz.)
Electric Transportation Engineering Corporation will partner with Roush
Industries (Livonia, Mich.), Argonne National Laboratory (Chicago,
Ill.), and Sacré-Davey Innovations (North Vancouver, British Columbia,
Canada), to evaluate the durability of a proven hydrogen internal
combustion engine design using both accelerated aging tests under
laboratory conditions (maximum power and torque for 300 hours) and
field tests in diverse fleets (24,000 miles and 1,100 hours of
operation per vehicle). Results of the durability evaluation will be
compared to current gasoline internal combustion engine standards, and
recommendations to reduce durability risk factors will be developed.
(DOE share: $1,323,271; industry share: $567,117; project duration: 29
months)


Hythane Company, LLC (Littleton, Colo.) ? Three organizations?Hythane
Company LLC and Hydrogen Components Inc., both of Littleton, Colo., and
the Engines and Energy Conversion Laboratory at Colorado State
University (Fort Collins, Colo.)?will collaborate on this project aimed
at acquiring three identical heavy-duty, spark-ignited natural gas
engines and subjecting them to stationary testing. Two of the engines
will be modified, one for operation on Hythane® (a hydrogen and
natural gas mixture) and one for pure hydrogen operation. The modified
engines will be optimized for emissions, efficiency, and power relative
to the natural gas baseline, using the experience and intellectual
property of the project team. All three engines will undergo durability
testing to demonstrate their long-term performance. (DOE share:
$2,481,935; industry share: $1,068,309; project duration: 36 months)


Iowa State University (Ames, Iowa) ? The objective of this project is
to develop a process that will convert syngas from coal into ethanol
and then transform the ethanol into hydrogen. Investigators will first
synthesize, characterize, and evaluate mesoporous manganese silicate
mixed oxide materials supports for rhodium nanocatalysts. They will
then construct and demonstrate two reactor systems: one for producing
synthetic liquid fuel from a simulated syngas stream and one for
evaluating ethanol reformability. The data gathered will be used to
analyze the process and provide a preliminary economic evaluation. (DOE
share: $2,750,000; industry share: $690,614; project duration: 36
months)