US hydrogen researchers target 300 mile range breakthrough

The US Department of Energy continued its love affair with hydrogen last week, earmarking a further $15.3m (£8.2m) for 10 hydrogen fuel research projects.

The projects, which could ultimately help bolster the infrastructure for hydrogen vehicles, will be part of the DoE's Hydrogen Storage Project, launched in 2003 with the goal of extending the driving range for hydrogen fuel cell vehicles above 300 miles.

Executives at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory said that hydrogen fuel cells generally offer an 180 mile range today, well short of the 300 to 350 mile range offered by a typical petrol car, and as such any widespread switch to hydrogen vehicles would require a refuelling infrastructure even denser than the current spread of petrol stations.

Projects include research into hydrogen absorbent materials, materials with tunable thermodynamics using nanoparticles, and metal hydride-based mixtures for oxygen storage.

The move was announced during the DoE's Hydrogen Road Tour, a promotional roadshow designed to promote hydrogen fuel cell technology for vehicles. It follows a funding opportunity announcement of $130m (£70m) for advanced fuel cells that the DoE made in late May.

However, some remain disatisfied with the government's plans to bolster fuel efficiency in conventional fossil fuel- and part fossil fuel-powered cars. This week, the Center for Biological Diversity criticised the US administration for what it said were inadequate proposals to change fuel efficiency standards over the next six years.

The standards, proposed in May, allow for an average increase of 3.8 miles per gallon to 31.6 by 2015. The Center believes that the standards fail to allow for the introduction of PHEV technologies in the 2010-11 timeframe, and fail to force automakers to change vehicle redesign schedules.