Litster Shares Fuel Cell Electrode Research at Department of Energy Event

Energy Fellow Shawn Litster shared his research at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Hydrogen Program's 2023 Annual Merit Review and Peer Evaluation Meeting (AMR) on June 6^th in Arlington, Virginia. The event showcased DOE's Hydrogen Program portfolio and shared updates on plans to advance clean hydrogen research, development, demonstration, and deployment initiatives including the Hydrogen Energy Earthshot, H2@Scale, and the H2Hubs.  Learn more about the event’s schedule and speakers here. 

The multi-day event kicked off on June 5 with the Biden-Harris administration announcing the release of the first ever U.S. National Clean Hydrogen Strategy and Roadmap. Attendees included Deputy Secretary of Energy David M. Turk, DOE Under Secretary for Science and Innovation Geraldine Richmond, and Director of Clean Energy Demonstrations David Crane. The event brought together an array of government departments, academic researchers, and industry leaders. 

Litster, Energy Fellow and Professor of Mechanical Engineering, is leading research that will further the US strategy for national clean hydrogen. His June 6^th presentation focused on a project that he leads on novel polymer electrolytes for fuel cell electrodes in heavy duty fuel cell trucks. The project is a collaborative effort with Chemours and Ballard Power. 

Litster’s project, “Advanced Electrode Ionomer Leads to Increased Performance and Durability,” is in its final year and has been highlighted in the U.S. DRIVE Annual Highlights Report. The report features federally-funded automotive research and is delivered to congress.

Litster’s research group was also featured in multiple other presentations across the four-day event. They were included in the Nikola Motors presentation on Tuesday. As a sub-awardee on that project, Litster’s team supports Nikola Motors with advanced imaging and computational simulation of fuel cells. Additionally, their work was highlighted in the H2NEW presentation on low-temperature electrolyzer R&D. They were awarded discretionary funds from the H2NEW consortium to support national laboratories with advanced ultra-high resolution 3D imaging and advanced operando diagnostics for electrolyzers. 

You can read more about Litster’s project in the U.S. DRIVE Annual Highlights Report on page 38.