The Status and Impact of DOE’s Energy Materials Network (EMN) on Hydrogen Technology

Hydrogen technology is the focus of this study, with an emphasis on material development to support a hydrogen energy infrastructure. TMS has assembled an expert study team to examine the status, impact, and future opportunities of hydrogen technology for the Department of Energy’s Energy Materials Network (EMN) and EMN’s four hydrogen-related consortia.

The team is leading a 20-month initiative from December 2021 to June 2023. The final report will be released at the 2023 Materials Science & Technology Technical Meeting and Exhibition (MS&T23).

“The Status and Impact of DOE’s Energy Materials Network (EMN) on Hydrogen Technology,” is a TMS science and technology accelerator that is funded by the Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technology Office (DOE-EERE-HFTO) via Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL).

Planned Milestones

Scope and prioritize the areas of most promise, for each hydrogen-related consortia and the EMN as a whole
Establish a set of metrics to assess the progress and impact of the EMN consortia to date as well as areas of potential growth
Deep dive to identify in depth the key gaps, barriers, needs, and enablers to developing the materials necessary for achieving a competitive and robust H2 energy infrastructure
Provide concrete recommendations, key milestones, detailed action plans, and implementation pathways needed to help provide a foundation for ultimately transitioning from fundamental concepts to manufactured components

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Meet the Lead Expert Study Team

Kathy Ayers

Nel Hydrogen

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Jack Brouwer

University of California, Irvine

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Jack Brouwer is the Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and Director National Fuel Cell Research Center (NFCRC) and Advanced Power and Energy Program (APEP) at the University of California, Irvine (UCI)

Brouwer’s key research areas include science and engineering of energy conversion with coupled mass, energy and momentum conservation, chemical and electrochemical reaction and heat transfer; steady-state and dynamic modeling of fundamental processes that govern energy conversion devices such as fuel cells, electrolyzers, and gas turbine engines; solid state ionics and electrochemistry; fuel processing; synthesis and experimental investigation of novel fuel cell materials sets; analyses of integrated energy systems comprising fuel cells, photovoltaics, fuel processing, gas turbines, and wind turbines; experimental analyses and model validation; renewable energy; and life cycle analyses of energy conversion technologies.

Through Brouwer’s leadership, NFCRC and APEP are focusing research, education, beta testing, and outreach on high-efficiency, environmentally preferred energy conversion and power generation technology advancement with fuel cell and gas turbine systems as the principal targets. His current research projects address ultra-high efficiency and ultra-low emissions high temperature fuel cell systems, integrated hybrid fuel cell gas turbine systems, renewable power intermittency and integration, battery electric and plug-in hybrid electric vehicle evaluation and infrastructure development, advanced fuel cell and gas turbine dynamic operations, hydrogen and electricity infrastructure development, and power electronics and energy conversion devices for the smart grid. Prior to joining UCI, Brouwer was on the faculty at the University of Utah, a senior engineer at Reaction Engineering International, and a staff scientist at Sandia National Laboratories.

Jack Brouwer holds a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology with masters and bachelors of science degrees in mechanical engineering from UCI.

Nemanja Danilovic

Electric Hydrogen

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Jay Keller

Zero Carbon Energy Solutions

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Keller's technical work has been at the leading edge of research and development (R&D) in hydrogen technology, hydrogen infrastructure, and hydrogen codes and standards. He has academic and R&D expertise in combustion, heat transfer, thermodynamics, mass transfer, fluid dynamics, gas dynamics, and materials science. His applied science leadership stems from managing a hydrogen program overseeing long-term, multi-million-dollar R&D projects with numerous partners and stakeholders. As an entrepreneur he has founded technical consultancies providing guidance and project oversight to governments, international organizations, and private interests.

For nearly three decades, Keller was involved in combustion and hydrogen R&D at Sandia National Laboratories (SNL), where he built and administered a globally recognized hydrogen program. Projects he directed included: hydrogen fueled conventional technologies (internal combustion and turbine), fuel cell development for transportation, hydrogen storage, hydrogen effects on materials, thermochemical solar and nuclear hydrogen production, and the science and engineering behind international codes and standards for hydrogen deployment. Following SNL, he founded a technical consulting firm in California with the primary focus on hydrogen codes and standards development for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). In this capacity, he provides leadership and represents the DOE in national and international bodies such as ISO TC 197, H2USA, FCHEA, HySafe, and IPHE. His combination of technical, management, and international regulatory expertise uniquely qualifies him to develop technical teams, support hydrogen infrastructure deployment oversight, and manage globally scalable hydrogen initiatives.

Keller is the recipient of numerous distinctions and technical awards and has over 175 publications, including four patents. Keller studied industrial engineering at New Mexico State University, received a B.S. in mechanical engineering at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and an M.S. and Ph.D. in mechanical engineering at the University of California, Berkeley.