Fuel Cell System for Transportation -- 2005 Cost Estimate

Abstract

Printed on paper containing at least 50% wastepaper, including 20% postconsumer waste The Team found the methodology used by TIAX to estimate the cost of producing PEM fuel cells to be reasonable and, using 2005 cell stack technology and assuming production of 500,000 units per year, to have calculated a credible cost of $108/kW. Rationale for Conclusion:The Independent Review Team believes the process used by TIAX for the bottom-up determination of the cell stack costs yielded appropriate and representative results within the framework of the assumptions and recommendations from DOE and the FreedomCAR and Fuel Partnership Fuel Cell Technical Team.In general, the fuel cell companies and the national laboratories interviewed agree with the results of the TIAX cost analysis, based on the assumptions of 2005 cell stack technology and 500,000 units per year. Fuel cell component manufacturers agreed only with the estimated cost of their specific components, since they did not have the knowledge to comment on the total PEM fuel cell system.The TIAX cost analysis should not be used to infer that industry is prepared to manufacture 500,000 units per year based on the 2005 cell stack technology. Respondents stressed that the TIAX cost estimate of $108/kW is based on many design and manufacturing assumptions, including manufacture of 500,000 units, $900/troy ounce platinum, 2005 cell stack technology, and vertical integration of the stack manufacturing process. No company is currently ready to produce either the cell stack or the balance-ofplant fuel cell components for 500,000 PEM fuel cell systems, let alone a complete fuel cell system at $108/kW. Industry anticipates major investments would be required to achieve the production volumes necessary for transportation applications.-iv- IntroductionThe U.S. Cost Analysis AssumptionsDOE determined many of the top-level assumptions, in consultation with the FreedomCAR and Fuel Partnership Fuel Cell Technical Team (Tech Team), which were used by TIAX in its analysis. Lower level assumptions were developed by TIAX, as required, and are described herein when they are important to understanding the overall results.Fuel Cell Configuration: DOE requested that TIAX analyze an 80-kWnet direct hydrogen PEM fuel cell system which includes the fuel cell stack and balance-of-plant (BOP) components for air, water, thermal, and fuel management, but not the hydrogen storage and power conditioning, since the latter are not included in DOE's $125/kW target. DOE provided TIAX access to a PEM fuel cell system configuration and model developed by Argonne National Laboratory (ANL). The ANL model provides the basis for specifying the overall system, subsystem, and component performance parameters and the fluid and electrical interfaces.The TIAX cost analysis uses representative component designs, manufacturing processes for components, the development of a bill of materials, and list of purchased components. The model, data, component designs, and results were refined on the basis of recommenda...