The Palm Desert renewable [hydrogen] transportation system

Conference · Sat Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1998

OSTI ID:305627

Chamberlin, C E; Lehman, P ^[1]

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1. Humboldt State Univ., Arcata, CA (United States). Schatz Energy Research Center

This paper describes the Schatz Energy Research Center (SERC) progress on the Palm Desert Renewable Hydrogen Transportation System Project for the period June 1997 through May 1998. The project began in March 1996. The goal of the Palm Desert Project is to develop a clean and sustainable transportation system for a community. The project demonstrates the practical utility of hydrogen as a transportation fuel and the proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell as a vehicle power system. The project includes designing and building 4 fuel cell powered vehicles, a solar hydrogen generating and refueling station, and a fuel cell vehicle diagnostic center. Over this last year, SERC has built a fuel cell powered neighborhood electric vehicle and delivered it to the City of Palm Desert. The design of the hydrogen refueling station is near completion and it is anticipated that construction will be complete in the fall of 1998. The vehicles are currently being refueled at a temporary refueling station. The diagnostic center is being designed and maintenance procedures as well as computer diagnostic programs for the fuel cell vehicles are being developed. City employees are driving the vehicles daily and monitoring data are being collected. The drivers are pleased with the performance of the vehicles.

• Research Organization: National Renewable Energy Lab., Golden, CO (United States)
• OSTI ID: 305627
• Report Number(s): NREL/CP--570-25315-Vol.2; CONF-980440--Vol.2; ON: DE98007508
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

08 HYDROGEN
30 DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION
33 ADVANCED PROPULSION SYSTEMS
CALIFORNIA
DESIGN
ELECTRIC-POWERED VEHICLES
FUEL SUBSTITUTION
HYDROGEN FUEL CELLS
MAINTENANCE
PERFORMANCE
SERVICE SECTOR
SOLID ELECTROLYTE FUEL CELLS
URBAN AREAS