NASA’s Glenn Research Center is leading a team of
industry and university partners in demonstrating a prototype of a
commercial hydrogen fueling station that uses wind and solar power to
produce hydrogen from water. This initial installation will produce
hydrogen from Lake Erie water to fuel a mass transit bus powered by
fuel cells.
The demonstration, featuring a unique, high-capacity electrolyzer that
separates water into its elemental components of hydrogen and oxygen,
is part of an economic development program in the Cleveland area.
Local workers will design and build the electrolyzer using
commercially available components.
The Glenn-led collaboration will customize the electrolyzer for the
prototype fueling station, and design the circuitry needed to use
renewable energy sources to power the electrolyzer and fueling
station.
“The project is more than a key technology demonstration,” said
project team member Valerie Lyons, chief of Glenn’s Power and
In-Space Propulsion Division. “It will be a great educational tool
for the public and will serve as a catalyst to inspire new ideas and
initiatives that can generate many new jobs and manufacturing
opportunities in Ohio.”
The hydrogen fueling station will be located in downtown Cleveland at
the Great Lakes Science Center on the south shore of Lake Erie, where
it can be powered from the science center’s existing wind and solar
power sources. The fueling station will generate hydrogen from Lake
Erie water for use in a Greater Cleveland Regional Transit Authority
bus powered by fuel cells. The transit authority will operate the bus
in revenue service.
Cleveland State University’s Nance College of Business Administration
will work alongside the collaborators to develop a business template
for the electrolyzer and station. The designs for both will be
treated as intellectual property and placed in a trust benefiting
Ohio citizens.
The build-up of the electrolyzer, a major step toward the reality of
the fueling station, is funded by the Ohio Aerospace Institute
through a $310,000 grant from The Cleveland Foundation. The initial
funding is $110,000, with an additional $200,000 to be provided for
milestone progress.
The goals of the economic development program include engaging Ohio’s
supply chain manufacturers and retraining a skilled work force for
clean energy jobs. The project will demonstrate the viability of
clean energy systems for transportation and stationary power and
boost regional economic development.
Other collaborators include Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Consultants of
Brecksville, Ohio; the Center for Automotive Research and Technology
Management at Ohio State University in Columbus, Ohio; Parker
Hannifin of Cleveland; Sierra Lobo of Milan, Ohio; Hamilton
Sundstrand of Windsor Locks, Conn.; the University of Toledo; and the
Earth Day Coalition of Cleveland.
For information about NASA’s Glenn Research Center, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/glenn
To view an artist’s concept, visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/centers/glenn/news/pressrel/2009/09-014_addm.html
