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About MI Hydrogen

Hydrogen is an important energy carrier that can play a key role in reducing carbon emissions from heavy-duty vehicles and aviation, heating and distributed power, and industrial applications like steelmaking, glassmaking and semiconductor manufacturing.

There is growing interest around wider adoption of hydrogen and its potential economic and environmental benefits, and so the University of Michigan has launched a new initiative to support and catalyze multidisciplinary research involving the universe’s lightest and most abundant element.

MI Hydrogen, a joint venture by the Office of the Vice President for Research, Michigan Engineering and the School for Environment and Sustainability, will foster collaboration among U-M researchers, community groups, government and industry partners so they can address existing knowledge gaps and develop strategies to help society transition toward an energy future that is equitable, affordable, clean and secure. The initiative, which will engage faculty across disciplines, is designed to provide the leading research necessary to accelerate the use of hydrogen beyond current industrial limits.

MI Hydrogen is part of the newly launched Institute for Energy Solutions, which is supported by Michigan Engineering and the Office of the Vice President for Research. Professors Todd Allen and Greg Keoleian, who have extensive research experience in fields ranging from nuclear engineering to sustainable systems, will serve as co-directors for MI Hydrogen.

Todd Allen

Greg Keoleian

Allen and Keoleian recently convened a series of visioning sessions with faculty engaged in the hydrogen space to solicit feedback regarding ways in which U-M can help accelerate clean and just energy transitions. The initiative builds upon the Hydrogen Roadmap for the State of Michigan Workshop hosted last spring at U-M, which brought together stakeholders from academia, industry and government, and led to a report published by the Center for Sustainable Systems, a lead collaborator of MI Hydrogen.

Based on community input around the proposed design and direction for the initiative, MI Hydrogen will launch with a set of new research projects focused on transportation and industrial applications. Hydrogen is primarily used nowadays in the chemical and petroleum refining industries.

Teams also will analyze the potential statewide demand for hydrogen, and develop a framework for hydrogen ecosystem planning and implementation. A majority of hydrogen production in the United States and abroad is generated from steam methane reforming of natural gas, which is problematic from a climate change perspective.

The potential for hydrogen to serve as a clean, economical energy carrier has generated increased momentum federally, highlighted by a recent commitment from the Department of Energy to invest $7 billion toward the creation of six to 10 regional hubs designed to accelerate the deployment of hydrogen across the U.S.

Hydrogen powered bus

MI Hydrogen will launch with a set of new research projects focused on transportation and industrial applications.  Teams also will analyze the potential statewide demand for hydrogen, and develop a framework for hydrogen ecosystem planning and implementation.

U-M Hydrogen Expertise

Alauddin Ahmed

Alauddin Ahmed

Mechanical Engineering

Todd Allen

Todd Allen

Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences

Andre Boehman

Andre Boehman

Mechanical Engineering

Rohini Bala Chandran

Rohini Bala Chandran

Mechanical Engineering

Matthew Collette

Matthew Collette

Naval Architecture and Marine Engineering

Daniel Cooper

Daniel Cooper

Mechanical Engineering

Michael Craig

Michael Craig

School for Environment and Sustainability; Industrial and Operations Engineering

Royan D'Mello

Royan D'Mello

Aerospace Engineering

Tulga Ersal

Tulga Ersal

Mechanical Engineering

Mirko Gamba

Mirko Gamba

Mechanical Engineering

Vikram Gavini

Vikram Gavini

Mechanical Engineering; Materials Science and Engineering

Gabby Hoelzle

Gabby Hoelzle

Nuclear Engineering & Radiological Sciences

Brendan Kochunas

Brendan Kochunas

Nuclear Engineering & Radiological Sciences

Greg Keoleian

Greg Keoleian

Center for Sustainable Systems; School for Environment and Sustainability

Geoffrey Lewis

Geoffrey Lewis

Center for Sustainable Systems; School for Environment and Sustainability

Tom Lyon

Tom Lyon

Ross School of Business; School for Environment and Sustainability

Joaquim R.R.A. Martins

Joaquim R.R.A. Martins

Aerospace Engineering

Adam Matzger

Adam Matzger

Chemistry; Macromolecular Science and Engineering

Zetian Mi

Zetian Mi

Electrical Engineering and Computer Science

Michael Moore

Michael Moore

School for Environment and Sustainability

Josh Newell

Josh Newell

School for Environment and Sustainability

Eranda Nikolla

Eranda Nikolla

Chemical Engineering

Jason Siegel

Jason Siegel

Mechanical Engineering

Nirala Signh

Nirala Signh

Chemical Engineering

Sara Soderstrom

Sara Soderstrom

Organizational Studies

Anna Stefanopoulou

Anna Stefanopoulou

Mechanical Engineering

Xiaodong Sun

Xiaodong Sun

Nuclear Engineering & Radiological Sciences

Sita Syal

Sita Syal

Mechanical Engineering

Parth Vaishnav

Parth Vaishnav

School for Environment and Sustainability

Aditi Verma

Aditi Verma

Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences

Timothy Wallington

Timothy Wallington

Climate and Space Sciences and Engineering

Margaret Wooldridge

Margaret Wooldridge

Mechanical Engineering

News

Past Events

The U.S. Hydrogen Demand Action Plan

March 31, 2023

Alex Maranville is a Research Associate at the Energy Futures Initiative.

Hydrogen-Powered Aircraft: Fundamental Concepts, Key Technologies, and Environmental Impacts with Joaquim R.R.A. Martins

February 10, 2023

Dr. Joaquim Martins is the Pauline M. Sherman Collegiate Professor of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Michigan

Hydrogen Safety and Reliability for Sustainable Mobility with Dr. Fatemeh Salehi

January 5, 2023

Dr. Fatemeh Salehi is an Associate Professor at the School of Engineering, Macquarie University, Australia.

 

Supporting sustainable energy decarbonization through Hydrogen

March 17, 2023

Dr. Vivek Sujan is a Distinguished Research Staff in the National Transportation Center at Oak Ridge National Laboratory

Opportunities and Challenges for Hydrogen to Decarbonize Energy Sectors with Amgad Elgowainy, Ph.D.

February 3, 2023

Dr. Amgad Elgowainy is a senior scientist and distinguished fellow at Argonne National Laboratory

Supporting Transportation and Industry with Nuclear Energy with Richard Boardman

March 10, 2023

Dr. Richard Boardman is the Laboratory Relationship Manager in the Fuel Cell and Hydrogen Technology office at Idaho National Laboratory

DOE National Clean Hydrogen Strategy and Roadmap with Marc Melaina, Ph.D.

January 20, 2023

Marc W. Melaina, Ph.D.
Senior Analyst
U.S. Department of Energy, Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office
Boston Government Services (contractor)
Note: Dr. Melaina is one of the primary authors of the DOE National Clean Hydrogen Strategy and Roadmap report.

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