DESC0022394
Project Grant
Overview
Grant Description
Low-cost high performance regenerative fuel cells (RFCs) for fossil-integrated hydrogen energy storage.
Awardee
Funding Goals
LOW-COST HIGH PERFORMANCE REGENERATIVE FUEL CELLS (RFCS) FOR FOSSIL-INTEGRATED HYDROGEN ENERGY STORAGE
Grant Program (CFDA)
Awarding Agency
Funding Agency
Place of Performance
Alexandria,
Virginia
22304-3906
United States
Geographic Scope
Single Zip Code
Related Opportunity
None
Analysis Notes
Amendment Since initial award the End Date has been extended from 02/13/23 to 02/13/24.
Gaia Energy Research Institute was awarded
Project Grant DESC0022394
worth $199,958
from the Office of Science in February 2022 with work to be completed primarily in Alexandria Virginia United States.
The grant
has a duration of 2 years and
was awarded through assistance program 81.049 Office of Science Financial Assistance Program.
SBIR Details
Research Type
SBIR Phase I
Title
22b Low-Cost High Performance Regenerative Fuel Cells (RFCs) for Fossil-Integrated Hydrogen Energy Storage
Abstract
The intermittency of solar photovoltaic and wind-based power plants places a significant burden on natural gas power plants, requiring that they ramp up and down quickly to compensate for unexpected changes in renewable electricity supply. Natural gas plants operate most efficiently with the lowest emissions per unit power at their peak output, not while operating at part power or while ramping up and down in power substantially. At high turn-downs ratios, or under fast ramping rates, these plants exhibit increased fuel consumption, higher greenhouse gas and air pollution emissions, lower longevity, and higher maintenance costs. Gaia Energy Research Institute (Gaia) proposes to develop thermodynamic, techno-economic, and environmental impact models to identify how to best integrate a new type of long-term storage device, reversible fuel cells, with natural gas power plants to reduce these impacts and improve their performance. A main technical objective of the Phase I project is to develop system designs for integrating hydrogen-based reversible fuel cells with natural gas power plants in an efficient and cost-competitive way. Another main objective of the Phase I project is to down-select to the most cost-competitive, effective configurations for integrating the reversible cells with these gas plants, and to finalize a system design configuration to be implemented in Phase II. Gaia proposes to identify optimal ways to integrate 3 different types of reversible fuel cells with natural gas plants through computer simulation of the (1) thermodynamics, (2) economics, and (3) environmental impacts of these cells with gas plants. Gaia will (1) Gather relevant engineering, economic, & environmental performance data; (2) Develop thermodynamic, techno-economic, and environmental impact models; (3) Develop design scenarios, run simulations, and search for optimal configurations; and (4) Down-select to the most optimal configuration for demonstration in Phase II. Gaia will identify optimal designs for integrating these three cell types with natural gas plants. These optimized design configurations will reduce emissions in the U.S. by millions of tonnes per year. They will breathe new life into natural gas power plant assets, by allowing these plants to smoothly transition from natural gas fuel to 100% renewable H2 over time. The intellectual property from this work will be licensed to benefit gas plant operators globally.
Topic Code
C53-22b
Solicitation Number
None
Status
(Complete)
Last Modified 1/9/23
Period of Performance
2/14/22
Start Date
2/13/24
End Date
Funding Split
$200.0K
Federal Obligation
$0.0
Non-Federal Obligation
$200.0K
Total Obligated
Activity Timeline
Transaction History
Modifications to DESC0022394
Additional Detail
Award ID FAIN
DESC0022394
SAI Number
None
Award ID URI
SAI EXEMPT
Awardee Classifications
Small Business
Awarding Office
892430 SC CHICAGO SERVICE CENTER
Funding Office
892401 SCIENCE
Awardee UEI
Z8CNCVCLAF18
Awardee CAGE
805T3
Performance District
Not Applicable
Budget Funding
Federal Account | Budget Subfunction | Object Class | Total | Percentage |
---|---|---|---|---|
Science, Energy Programs, Energy (089-0222) | General science and basic research | Grants, subsidies, and contributions (41.0) | $199,958 | 100% |
Modified: 1/9/23