Area of Interest B - Hydrogen Utilization

The summary for the Area of Interest B - Hydrogen Utilization grant is detailed below. This summary states who is eligible for the grant, how much grant money will be awarded, current and past deadlines, Catalog of Federal Domestic Assistance (CFDA) numbers, and a sampling of similar government grants. Verify the accuracy of the data FederalGrants.com provides by visiting the webpage noted in the Link to Full Announcement section or by contacting the appropriate person listed as the Grant Announcement Contact. If any section is incomplete, please visit the website for the National Energy Technology Laboratory, which is the U.S. government agency offering this grant.

Area of Interest B - Hydrogen Utilization: NOTE: This descriptive area provides an overview of Area of Interest B only. YOU MUST READ THE FUNDING OPPORTUNITY ANNOUNCEMENT DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS ON ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, EVALUATION CRITERIA AND HOW TO PREPARE AN APPLICATION UNDER AN AREA OF INTEREST. Please scroll to the bottom of this page to access the Funding Opportunity Announcement. Area of Interest B - Hydrogen Utilization Objective of Activity: The Hydrogen Utilization area of interest solicits modification and optimization of advanced ICEs to operate on hydrogen or hydrogen-natural gas mixtures and demonstration of the long-term performance of these engines in vehicles or stationary applications. Project Description: It is anticipated that hydrogen ICEs will provide a high volume usage of hydrogen prior to the low cost mass production of fuel cells for transportation. In this light, the use of hydrogen or hydrogen-methane mixtures in ICEs could result in an acceleration of hydrogen demand into the nearer-term economy, particularly in terms of hydrogen production and delivery. Several programs are currently underway to define baseline emissions and operational ranges for hydrogen and hydrogen-methane mixtures. Examples of these types of programs are studies being conducted by DOE-NETL's Office of Science and Engineering Research (OSER) on lubricant life in hydrogen ICEs, injector performance, and ignition systems. All of these programs focus on performance issues -that is short term test data with regards to emissions. Power and long-term operational issues have not been verified, to date. Some examples of these long-term operational issues include: 1. Low power density linked to the low volumetric energy density and combustion properties of hydrogen. 2. Little if any durability data are available, particularly for 100% hydrogen fueled ICEs. 3. Ignition System Life and associated alternatives. Other lifetime issues could include the interactions of the fuel with the engine lubricant, the fuel with the engine materials and the combustion products with the engine lubricant system. These are multifaceted issues that may incorporate a number of modes for failure. The proposed research sought shall include efforts which address each of the above long-term operational issues. The proposed research shall be structured in two primary areas: (1) lab-scale operational performance for ICEs under varying load conditions; preferably for 100% hydrogen fueled applications, and (2) comparative performance and economic evaluation of a baseline ICE and/or vehicle and modified ICE and/or vehicle. Data for a minimum of a 1,000 hrs of operation is required (preferably more). The proposed efforts should include at least one engine manufacturer's involvement. Interested parties looking to submit an application under this area of interest can download the application package at the following link: http://www.grants.gov/search/search.do?mode=VIEW oppId=8255