Manufacturing process assumptions used in fuel cell system cost analyses

This paper is a summary of the manufacturing processes used in recent automotive fuel cell system cost analyses funded by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). Through these analyses, DOE examines the projected cost of an 80-kW polymer-electrolyte fuel cell system manufactured at a rate of 500,000 systems per year. Directed Technologies Inc. (DTI) and TIAX LLC (TIAX) have been contracted independently to perform such analysis since 2006, and both have prior experience. This paper addresses the most recent fuel cell configurations envisioned by DTI and TIAX. DTI has recently presented their 2010 analysis results and TIAX has recently presented their 2009 results with preliminary 2010 results. Since these presentations do not document in full, the underlying details and assumptions, DTI and TIAX's most recent comprehensive written reports are used for the present discussion. DTI's most recent report detailed 2009 technology, and TIAX's most recent report detailed 2008 technology. The summary of manufacturing process assumptions is meant to impart a sense of the rigor of the cost analyses funded by the DOE, and to provide the reader with an overview of the manufacturing processes used for fuel cells.