Fuel cells were pioneered in the United States with early applications related to space missions. In those early days, Los Alamos had expertise in hydrogen as an energy source through its involvement in Project Rover. This capability was leveraged when DOE awarded the first Fuel Cells for Transportation program to Los Alamos in 1977, eventually leading to what is now the DOE Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office. Los Alamos has contributed to innovations in cost-effective catalysts and electrodes, advanced materials for improved durability of systems, better operating strategies, and proving understanding impurities that inhibit fuel cell performance.
Today, Los Alamos serves as a core laboratory for the DOE Fuel Cell program and partners with large and small corporations, universities, and other national labs to accelerate the development and deployment of fuel cell technologies. Los Alamos co-leads the Million Mile Fuel Cell Truck (M2FCT) and Electrocatalysis (ElectroCat) consortia and is a partner in the Hydrogen from Next-generation Electrolyzers of Water (H2NEW) consortium. These initiatives further expand the Los Alamos fuel cell program and leverage the unique expertise and capabilities the Laboratory has to offer.
Research Areas
- PEM fuel cells and electrolyzers
- Alternative membranes (PFSA, HC, Alkaline)
- Catalysis (PGM and PGM-free)
- Hydrogen production, transport, and storage
Key Capabilities
- Materials characterization
- Materials development and synthesis
- Electrode design and analysis
- Electrochemical and fuel cell testing
- Theory, modeling, and simulation of electrochemical processes and systems
- Materials modeling, validation, and design
Consortia
Los Alamos collaborates with industry, academia, and other national laboratories on developing transformative hydrogen and fuel cell technologies through the following DOE consortia: