UC Davis transportation researchers will receive about $10 million in research and outreach grants as part of a U.S. Department of Energy program to bring the hydrogen economy closer.
The $350 million program was announced by U.S. Secretary of Energy Spencer Abraham April 27. UC Davis researchers at the Institute of Transportation Studies will receive support over five years as part of the program.
One project includes a state-of-the-art hydrogen fueling station to be constructed on campus by ChevronTexaco.
"This multi-million dollar commitment to research is a down payment on a more energy- and environmentally-secure future," Abraham said, in a statement announcing the awards.
UC Davis already partners with the Department of Energy on many clean energy projects, said Dan Sperling, director of the Institute of Transportation Studies at UC Davis. "The new hydrogen programs will provide one more outstanding opportunity for us to apply our research and education capabilities in support of federal initiatives,"
Researchers from the institute are partners in grants in three of four program areas funded by the energy department.
The institute will join a "Center of Excellence" in hydrogen storage research, led by the Los Alamos and Pacific Northwest national laboratories. The center will address the problem of storing enough hydrogen fuel in a vehicle to allow it to travel more than 300 miles without losing passenger or cargo space.
UC Davis researchers also will play a major role in four hydrogen fleet demonstration projects, out of five funded by the department. UC Davis will provide expertise in: education and outreach; hydrogen production from an advanced energy station; fleet operation and demonstration; and research on infrastructure cost and lifecycle modeling. The projects are intended to carry out the research needed to make vehicles powered by hydrogen fuel cells a commercial reality.
Each hydrogen-fleet project is led by an automotive manufacturer and an energy company, with multiple academic, government and private sector partners. UC Davis is participating in projects led by ChevronTexaco and Hyundai; Air Products and Chemicals and Toyota; and Ford and BP America. The city of Davis also will host vehicles in the project led by Ford.
ITS-Davis researchers also will work with industry partners on using fuel cells for off-road vehicles, such as maintenance and utility vehicles.
In a related program announced recently, UC Davis is sharing a grant from the Department of Energy to develop hydrogen technology learning centers for California, Florida and New York in collaboration with other universities and agencies. The 18-month project will include developing displays and exhibits, setting up a Web site, and holding a national conference.
UC Davis received national recognition for its hydrogen programs on April 20, when Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger came to the campus to announce his "Hydrogen Highways" initiative and inaugurate the first publicly accessible hydrogen fueling station in California. The campus's station for the Hydrogen Highway was made possible by funding from Toyota and federal grants for hydrogen bus research initiated by former Congressman Vic Fazio, and continued by current federal representatives Doug Ose and Mike Thompson.