National Center for Hydrogen Research (NCHR)
Mary Helen McCay, Ph.D., Research Professor, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Director
The NCHFR was established with funding from NASA to perform research and development concerning the application of hydrogen as a fuel for airborne platforms. Its objectives are to (1) develop and demonstrate the use of a hydrogen-based fuel cell and practical on-board storage of hydrogen fuel in an operating aircraft; (2) develop an aircraft test platform as a hydrogen fuel, fuel cell and sensor test bed for collaborating experimenters; (3) improve the understanding and performance of fuel cells through computational and laboratory experiments; (4) develop a technique for hydrogen purification as a means of improving fuel cell performance; (5) develop fiberoptic sensors suitable for safety applications, systems monitoring and withstanding exposure to cryogenic hydrogen, and with the capability to resist degraded performance during extended lifetime service; (6) investigate alternate approaches to hydrogen and fuel cell production to improve affordability, scalability and lifetime cost-of-ownership; and (7) establish collaborations with universities.