Sandia is advancing the use of hydrogen as an energy carrier through research and engineering projects that are integral to the development of the hydrogen economy. Our work ranges from fundamental research on hydrogen properties to comprehensive systems engineering of hydrogen technologies.

Sandia's Hydrogen Program supports President Bush's long-term vision for commercially viable hydrogen-powered vehicles to reverse America's growing dependence on foreign oil. The President communicated this vision in his 2003 State of the Union Address and later that year announced the five-year, $1.2 billion Hydrogen Fuel Initiative to accelerate hydrogen research.   Sandia actively supports this vision and the DOE's broad-based research and development efforts aimed at moving the United States toward a new energy economy based on hydrogen.

Sandia has taken a leadership role in a number of areas across the spectrum of programs in the DOE Offices of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy, Fossil Energy, and Nuclear Energy, as well as the Office of Science. We also have developed a substantial effort of corporately funded activities through Sandia's Laboratory Directed Research & Development Program. We also conduct research in direct support of U.S. industry partners through Sandia's Work for Others Program. These activities are carried out by multidisciplinary scientists and engineers located at Sandia's sites in Livermore, Calif., and Albuquerque, N.M. The work is done in close partnership with other industry, government, and university research institutions worldwide. 

In addition to our technical work, Sandia scientists and management are responsible for providing technical program guidance to DOE in areas such as hydrogen storage and materials research; safety, codes, and standards; infrastructure; distributed power; reacting flows; and systems analysis.

Sandia’s Hydrogen Program spans a breadth of technical activities, including:

• Hydrogen storage in complex metal hydrides
• Materials development for hydrogen separation
• Advanced materials for fuel cell membranes
• Modeling of fuel cell systems
• New materials to improve electrolysis
• Production of hydrogen from renewable energy, nuclear energy, and fossil fuels
• Systems integration of hydrogen technologies subsystems
• Systems modeling for analysis of alternative hydrogen futures
• Hydrogen-fueled internal combustion reciprocating engines
• Advanced combustion capabilities for hydrogen and hydrogen-blended hydrocarbon fuels in gas turbines
• Development of science-based codes and standards to ensure hydrogen safety
• Sensors

Contacts:

Don Hardesty
drharde@sandia.gov
(925) 294-2321

Jay Keller
jokelle@sandia.gov
(925) 294-3316