South Coast Air Quality Management District

Execute Contract to Renew AQMD’s Participation for Three Years in National Fuel Cell Research Center at University of California, Irvine

SYNOPSIS:

On February 13, 1998, the Board approved AQMD participation in the National Fuel Cell Research Center (NCFRC) for three years for $120,000 ($40,000 per year). Along with AQMD, other founding members included US Department of Energy, Southern California Edison, Southern California Gas, and other industry partners. Staff is recommending that AQMD renew its participation for another three years for $90,000, at a lower annual fee of $30,000. As a member, AQMD will be involved in the NFCRC’s activities, have access to all non-proprietary data and reports, and receive assistance from NFCRC staff in technical evaluations of fuel cells and advanced low-emissions power generation technologies.

COMMITTEE:

Technology, April 27, 2001, Recommended for Approval

RECOMMENDED ACTION:

Authorize the Chairman to execute a contract with the Regents of the University of California, Irvine in an amount not to exceed $90,000 from the Clean Fuels Fund for a three-year membership from 2001 to 2004 in the National Fuel Cell Research Center at the University of California, Irvine.

Barry R. Wallerstein, D.Env.
Executive Officer

Background

The AQMP relies on significant penetration of zero- and near-zero emission technologies in the Basin to attain federal and state clean air standards by 2010. Fuel cells produce electricity without combustion and are emerging as a leading technology to help meet AQMP emission reduction targets. These ultra-clean electrochemical engines have the potential to work in virtually every mobile and stationary application currently powered by internal combustion engines (ICEs). Fuel cell technologies are being advanced steadily and hold strong promise to match or exceed ICEs in power density, durability, fuel efficiency, range, etc..

In 1992, the National Fuel Cell Research Center (NFCRC) was established, at Edison’s Highgrove Generating station in Riverside County, to identify and help overcome key barriers hindering the commercialization of fuel cell technologies. In late 1997, NFCRC was moved to UC Irvine. Electricity de-regulation adversely affected Edison’s ability to maintain the Research Center, and UCI expressed interest in being the host, as well as in expanding the role of the Center. The Center is currently located in the UCI Engineering Laboratory Facility and consists of an information gallery, a multi-functional room, office space, three indoor test cell sites, and outdoor space for testing up to 1 MW size of prototype fuel cells. Additional facilities nearby can assist in evaluating fuel cells in the multi-megawatt class. AQMD, along with U.S. Department of Energy, Southern California Edison, Southern California Gas and several industry partners, were among the original founding members of the NFCRC.

Achievements to-date include:

• The NFCRC is collaborating with Siemens Westinghouse and Southern California Edison on testing an innovative and unique hybrid fuel cell technology of size 220 kW. Cosponsored by DOE, AQMD, CEC, this consists of a 200 kW solid-oxide fuel cell (SOFC) and a 50 kW micro-turbine. Electrical efficiency, even at sizes between 200 kW to 5 MW, is projected to exceed 60 percent, which is twice that of a conventional power plant, and compares favorably with efficiencies of the latest combined cycle technologies of much larger sizes, i.e. over several hundred Megawatts.
  
  
• Operates a 25 kW SOFC to obtain durability and performance data. The long-term life testing has provided encouraging results, in that very limited degradation has occurred despite the unit being run for over 15,000 hours. NFCRC is also assessing the fuel flexibility of SOFC systems using natural gas, diesel, JP-8, and simulated landfill and digester gas.
  
  
• NFCRC is examining a revolutionary DC controller technology to improve the electrical output efficiency of fuel cells, and photo-voltaic modules. Usually DC current from the latter is converted to AC current. Several AC appliances such as computers and fluorescent lighting have internal circuits that convert the AC back to DC. Such back and forth intermediate conversions create major inefficiencies that can be potentially eliminated by this DC controller, which directly hooks the DC output from the fuel cells into the appliances.
  
  
• NFCRC is working with Toyota Motors to demonstrate a prototype neighborhood electric vehicle known as e.com. About 100 drivers participated in testing and evaluating this prototype electric vehicle (a total of 15 vehicles were used in the program) as a second personal vehicle. The next phase will involve placement of 15 vehicles as fleet vehicles among 6 area companies. In the future, such vehicles can provide a platform for demonstrating the viability of fuel cells and fuel cell systems in transportation applications.
  
  
• NFCRC has also been developing advanced analysis tools, including developing steady state and dynamic modeling tools and protocols. The modeling tools and protocols will provide insight into operation and design as well as uniform testing standards for various fuel cell and micro-turbine applications.
  
  
• NFCRC has developed education and analysis tools, websites and outreach materials. The Internet clearinghouse, tutorial education resources and interactive displays convey the benefits of fuel cell technologies.
  
  
• NFCRC has created an educational facility on global and local urban air pollution. Visitors can toggle between several active and interactive displays to examine real-time ambient and indoor air quality monitoring; view slide shows pertaining to pollutant gas species, global climate change and the human impact on the atmosphere; and surf the Internet for sites pertinent to meteorology, pollution, and global warming. Visitors can view educational slide show presentations. The Global Climate Change presentation discusses the sources and impacts of greenhouse gasses and global warming emissions. The Urban Air Pollution slide show focuses on NO_X, CO, O₃, and particulate matter, explaining how each reduces the healthfulness of the ambient air.

Proposal

The NFCRC objective for the future includes expanding the above programs to address additional issues, such as

• Expanding the hybrid fuel cell program to focus on grid connectivity, dynamic control and building integration
• Expanding the 25 kW SOFC program to focus on inverter technology, fuel flexibility and dynamic control
• Developing strategies to facilitate commercialization of fuel cell based distributed generation in the market by developing innovative building integration protocols
• Developing and implementing technology to integrate distributed generation with advanced transportation systems, such as the Toyota station car program
• Standardizing testing protocols for micro-turbine generators and fuel cells
• Upgrading the NFCRC website content and design, and broadening its target audience and information
• Extending outreach to visitors, industry and regulators
• Expanding the participation in its annual conference on cleaner, advanced energy generation (ICEPAG)

Benefits to AQMD

As a result of being a Founding member, AQMD will also receive the following:

• 200 hours per year of consulting work from NFCRC staff to assist AQMD staff in the evaluation of fuel cell technologies and other power-generation technologies, and the review of related reports, proposals, etc.
• Membership on the NFCRC Technical Advisory Committee
• Quarterly reports on all NFCRC activities including non-proprietary data, test results and reports, technical papers and documents
• An annual report for each year of sponsorship
• First access to site visits, tours and demonstration sites
• First access to prototype testing
• First access to facilities use
• Participation in California marketing research
• Participation in topical tutorial workshops and first access to results

AQMD’s Membership in the NFCRC is consistent with the March 2001 update of the Technology Advancement Plan under 2001CFM4-4, "Demonstration of Fuel Cells in On-and Off-Road Vehicle Applications" and under 2001CFT-1 "Assessment and Technical Support of Advanced Technologies and Information Dissemination."

The AQMP identifies the need to implement zero-emission and near-zero emission technologies. Fuel cells are a promising technology for ZEV power plants of the future. Expected immediate benefits include the demonstration of zero- and near-zero-emission proof-of-concept plants in numerous stationary and mobile applications. Over the longer term, the proposed project has the potential to foster wide-scale implementation of zero-emission fuel cell technologies in the Basin which, in turn, could lead to significant improvements in global air quality, local air quality and fuel economy.

Resource Impacts

The cost of AQMD participation is $30,000 per year for a total of $90,000 for three years. Over 20 government and industry participants are contributing cash and in-kind contributions of up to $1.25 million per year. Public agency members include ARB; CEC; California Institute of Energy Efficiency; Department of Defense; Department of Energy and Electric Power Research Institute. Industry members include Capstone Turbines; Chevron; FuelCell Energy Corp.; General Electric; Horiba Limited, Parker Hannifin ; Pratt Whitney; Siemens-Westinghouse Power ; Solar Turbines, Southern California Edison; Southern California Gas; Texaco; Tokyo Gas and Toyota.

Sufficient funds are available from the Clean Fuels Fund, established as a special revenue fund resulting from the state-mandated Clean Fuels Program. The Clean Fuels Program, under Health and Safety Code Sections 40448.5 and 40512 and Vehicle Code Section 9250.11, establishes mechanisms to collect revenues from mobile sources to support projects to increase the utilization of clean fuels, including the development of the necessary advanced enabling technologies. Funds collected from motor vehicles are restricted, by statute, to be used for projects and program activities related to mobile sources that support the objectives of the Clean Fuels Program.

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