The Department of Energy (DOE) National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) is seeking applications for the funding opportunity announcement entitled, “Solid State Energy Conversion Alliance (SECA) Core Technology and Innovative Concepts.” The purpose of this announcement is to develop science and technologies that address specific technical challenges and barriers faced by the SECA Industry Teams in the Cost Reduction and Coal Based Systems program.

DOE formed SECA in 2000 with a goal of producing a solid-state fuel cell module that would cost no more than $400 per kilowatt. SECA is an alliance between government, industry, and the scientific community that strive to capitalize on the advantages of fuel cell technology and develop fuel cells that will be sold in virtually every market needing clean and affordable electric power. The key to the ambitious cost reductions is the development of fuel cell system modules that can be mass-produced using advanced manufacturing processes. These modules could be clustered into a variety of arrangements to supply stationary power for both central and distributed power generation schemes.

The Alliance is comprised of three groups: Industry Teams, Core Technology program participants, and federal government management. The Industry Teams design the fuel cells and handle most of the hardware and market penetration issues. The Core Technology program is made up of universities, national laboratories, small businesses, and other R&D organizations and addresses basic R&D and technological issues critical to the rapid commercialization of SOFC. The federal government management facilitates interaction between Industry Teams and the Core Technology program as well as establishes technical priorities and approaches.

In 2006, SECA Industry Teams transitioned into Phase II of the Cost Reduction program after successfully developing 3-10kW prototype systems in Phase I. All SECA Phase I prototypes surpassed the DOE Phase I performance targets, representative of the giant leaps made toward solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) commercialization. The prototypes demonstrated 1) an average efficiency of 38.5% with a high of 41%, 2) average steady-state degradation of 2% per 1000 hours, 3) system availabilities of 97%, and 4) projected system costs ranging from $724/kW to $775/kW. Even while these numbers are impressive, more work needs to be done to improve the electrochemical performance of cathodes, improve (or reduce) degradation rates, and reduce the overall system costs.

In 2006, in order to address the issue of scalability and integration with advanced generation power plants, DOE combined the SECA Cost Reduction activities with the SECA Fuel Cell Coal-Based Systems program. The goal of the SECA Fuel Cell Coal-Based Systems program is to develop and demonstrate the fuel cell technology and scale-up required for central power stations that produce affordable, efficient, environmentally-friendly electricity from coal. The new program leverages the advances made in SOFC technology under the SECA Cost Reduction program, extending coal-based SOFC technology to large-scale centralized power generation.

Further details on the SECA program are available at www.seca.doe.gov.

This SECA Core Technology and Innovative Concepts announcement focuses on the following specific areas of interest:

Area of Interest 1: Theory, Investigation and Stability of Cathode Electrocatalytic Activity

Area of Interest 2: Performance Degradation of Lanthanum Strontium Cobalt Ferrite (LSCF) Cathodes

Area of Interest 3: Novel Fuel Cells for Coal-Based Systems

Area of Interest 4: Sealing Systems Based on Viscous Glass

Applications may only be submitted to one of the areas of interest.

Applicants are instructed to submit an application under the program area which best fits the majority of the effort to be performed. Applicants are instructed to submit an application by January 15, 2008. Anticipated date for notification of selections is March 14, 2008 with anticipated award dates of May 2, 2008. Awards made under this announcement will be for Phase I only. Phase I will be for a period of 18 months. Continuation applications will be required for selected projects to continue beyond the first budget period (Phase I). A thorough review and evaluation by DOE will determine whether the project will continue into Phase II. Phase II will be for a period of 18 months.

This funding opportunity announcement requests applications for research and development ONLY in the SECA Core and Innovative Concepts elements described above and focuses on FOUR AREAS OF INTEREST LISTED BELOW. Applications cannot be submitted under the master announcement.

Area of Interest 1– THEORY, INVESTIGATION AND STABILITY OF CATHODE ELECTROCATALYTIC ACTIVITY (DE-PS26-07NT43208-01): https://e-center.doe.gov/iips/faopor.nsf/UNID/5E60F7B91EAE2B668525733D0053FA3A?OpenDocument

Area of Interest 2- PERFORMANCE DEGRADATION OF LSCF CATHODES (DE-PS26-07NT43208-02): https://e-center.doe.gov/iips/faopor.nsf/UNID/1D8EDA84630EC96A8525733D0054C981?OpenDocument

Area of Interest 3- NOVEL FUEL CELLS FOR COAL BASED SYSTEMS (DE-PS26-07NT43208-03): https://e-center.doe.gov/iips/faopor.nsf/UNID/8D5984C0BCDF7D798525733D00553C09?OpenDocument

Area of Interest 4- SEALING SYSTEMS BASED ON VISCOUS GLASS (DE-PS26-07NT43208-04): https://e-center.doe.gov/iips/faopor.nsf/UNID/D843E9EF157DCF628525733D0055A32C?OpenDocument

NOTE: This descriptive area provides an overview of this Funding Opportunity. This funding opportunity notice contains four program areas of interest. Applicants are cautioned that this funding opportunity announcement is a master announcement and that each program area of interest has its own program-specific number for submission of applications. Applications cannot be submitted under the master announcement. YOU MUST READ THE FUNDING OPPORTUNITY ANNOUNCEMENT DOCUMENT FOR DETAILS ON ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, EVALUATION CRITERIA AND HOW TO PREPARE AN APPLICATION UNDER AN AREA OF INTEREST. Please scroll to the bottom of this page to access the Funding Opportunity Announcement. Applications must be submitted through Grants.gov.