Abstract
Georgetown University (GU) has been at the forefront in the development of transportation fuel cells for over eighteen years. GU has been involved in the development, demonstration and testing of several fuel cell power plants and vehicles, including three 30βfoot transit buses and two 40βfoot transit buses. All of these vehicles are still operational. GU rolled out a 40βfoot fuel cell powered transit bus May 1998. This electric bus is powered by a 100 kW Phosphoric Acid Fuel Cell (PAFC) manufactured by UTC Fuel Cells, LLC. A second 100 kW Proton Exchange Membrane Fuel Cell (PEMFC) power plant has been fabricated by Ballard Transportation Business Unit and has been integrated into a second 40βfoot transit bus platform. This is the worldβ²s largest PEMFC power plant capable of operating on liquid methanol; it rolled out in December, 2001. The GU program is the only one of its kind that is addressing the commercialization of the easily refueled and longerβrange, liquidβfueled fuel cell buses. As a hydrogen carrier, methanol greatly exceeds the vehicular weight percent storage targets for hydrogen set by the US Department of Energy (DOE). Coal, an abundant US domestic fuel, can be used to produce methanol. The potential to make domestic coal the feedstock for transportation fuel cannot be ignored. This offers a realistic approach to true energy independence. The GU Fuel Cell Powered Transit Bus Program is supported by a grant from the Federal Transit Administration (FTA).