[Federal Register Volume 69, Number 23 (Wednesday, February 4, 2004)]
[Notices]
[Pages 5331-5332]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 04-2272]
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DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy
On-Board Fuel Processing Go/No-Go Decision
AGENCY: Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Golden Field
Office, Department of Energy (DOE).
ACTION: Notice of on-board fuel processing go/no-go decision.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Energy (the Department or DOE) today gives
notice of the June 30, 2004, decision regarding the future of on-board
fuel processing activities within the Hydrogen, Fuel Cells and
Infrastructure Technologies Program. A review panel has been assembled
by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) to review the
current state of fuel processing activities against technical criteria.
Based on the panel findings, NREL will submit a written recommendation
to the Department regarding the technical decision regarding the future
of on-board processing activities on or before June 18, 2004. The NREL
review panel will meet during the May 24 through June 18 time frame to
hear presentations that include data to support the technical decision.
Position papers regarding the go/no-go decision will be accepted by DOE
for consideration in this decision and will also be forwarded to NREL
for consideration as a presentation to the review panel. Position
papers are limited to 10 pages maximum.
DATES: Written position papers for consideration by the Department
regarding this decision must be received by May 15, 2004. NREL must
receive requests to speak before the review panel no later than May 15,
2004. Attendees at the review panel will be limited to the current
presenter, the panel and NREL, Argonne National Laboratory and DOE
representatives.
ADDRESSES: Written position papers regarding the decision and requests
to speak before the review panel are welcomed. Please submit 10 copies
of the position paper to: U.S. Department of Energy, Office of Energy
Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Mail Station EE-2H, Attn: Valri
Lightner, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington, DC 20585-0121, e-
mail [email protected]. Requests to present before the panel
should be sent to: U.S. Department of Energy, National Renewable Energy
Laboratory, 1617 Cole Boulevard, Golden, CO 80401-3393, Attn: Dale
Gardner or via e-mail to [email protected].
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ms. Valri Lightner, U.S. Department of
Energy, Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Mail Station
EE-2H, Attn: Valri Lightner, 1000 Independence Avenue, SW., Washington,
DC 20585-0121, phone: (202) 586-0937, e-mail [email protected]
or Mr. Dale Gardner, U.S. Department of Energy, National Renewable
Energy Laboratory, 1617 Cole Boulevard, Golden, CO 80401-3393, Attn:
Dale Gardner, phone (303) 275-3020, e-mail [email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The mission of the Department of Energy's
Hydrogen, Fuel Cells and Infrastructure Technologies Program is to
research, develop and validate fuel cell and hydrogen production,
delivery, and storage technologies such that hydrogen from diverse
domestic resources will be used in a clean, safe, reliable and
affordable manner in fuel cell vehicles; central station electric power
production; distributed thermal electric; and combined heat and power
applications. The President's Hydrogen Fuel Initiative accelerates
research, development and demonstration of hydrogen production,
delivery and storage technologies to support an industry
commercialization decision on the hydrogen economy by 2015. The
FreedomCAR partnership is on track for an industry commercialization
decision on hydrogen fuel cell vehicles by 2015.
The transition to a hydrogen economy will take decades. During this
transition, from about 2010 to 2030, technologies that enable the use
of the current liquid fuels infrastructure to provide the hydrogen to
power fuel cell vehicles will be required. Several options are being
considered, such as fuel reforming on-site at fueling stations or fuel
reforming on-board the vehicle for transportation applications. The
Department has funded research and development (R&D) of on-board
vehicle, fuel processing technologies for 10 years. The R&D has focused
on the development of a fuel flexible, fuel processor targeting
gasoline, ethanol, methanol and natural gas. Based on the
[[Page 5332]]
current state of technology development, it is uncertain that on-board
fuel processing activities will be on track to meet the ultimate
technical criteria to support the transition to a hydrogen economy as
shown in Table 1.
Table 1.
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2003
Attribute Units status 2004 demo criteria Ultimate target
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Transient......................... sec.................. 60 <5, 10% to 90% and <1, 10% to 90% and
90% to 10%. 90% to 10%
Start-up Time..................... sec.................. <600 <60 to 90% traction <2 to 10%, <30 to
(+2080
Power density..................... W/L.................. 700 700.................. 2,000
Durability........................ hours................ 2000 2000 and 50 stop/starts. starts
Sulfur Tolerance.................. ppb.................. ........ <50 out from 30 ppm <10 out from 30 ppm
in. in
Turndown, cost.................... ratio................ ........ 20:1................. 50:1
$/kWe................ 65 n/a.................. <10
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Specifically challenging are start-up time/energy and cost. The
Department has decided to review the current state of on-board fuel
processing and the technology path forward as a ``Go/No-Go Decision''
whether to continue on-board fuel processing activities in June 2004.
The criteria for the review will be to demonstrate that the 2004
demonstration criteria can be met using available technology as
demonstrated in experimental hardware. A clear technical path to
achieving the ultimate targets is also required. It is desired that a
single system be demonstrated that meets all criteria simultaneously;
however, if integration with other technologies is needed to
simultaneously meet all targets, the technologies must be compatible.
For more information about the Hydrogen, Fuel Cells and Infrastructure
technologies Program and related fuel processing activities visit the
program's Web site at www.eere.energy.gov/hydrogenandfuelcells.
Issued in Golden, Colorado, on January 21, 2004.
Mary Hartford,
Acting Director, Office of Acquisition and Financial Assistance.
[FR Doc. 04-2272 Filed 2-3-04; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 6450-01-P