ABSTRACT
The.U.S..Department.of.Energy’s.Office.of.Fossil.Energy.sponsors.a.wide.variety.of. research,.development,.and.demonstration.programs.aimed.at.maximizing.the.use. of. vast. domestic. fossil. resources. and. ensuring. a. fuel-diverse. energy. sector.while. responding.to.global.environmental.concerns..Development.of.cost-effective,.membrane-based.reactor.and.separation.technologies.is.of.significant.interest.for.applications. in. advanced. fossil-based. power. and. fuel. technologies.. Because. concerns. over.global.climate.change.are.driving.nations.to.reduce.CO2.emissions,.hydrogen. is.considered.the.fuel.of.choice.for.the.electric.power.and.transportation.industries.. In.his.2003.State.of.the.Union.address,.President.Bush.announced.a.Hydrogen.Fuel. Initiative.to.develop.hydrogen.production.and.distribution.technologies.for.powering. fuel.cell.vehicles.and.stationary.fuel.cell.power.sources..The.goal.of.this.initiative. is.to.lower.the.cost.of.hydrogen.enough.to.make.fuel.cell.cars.cost-competitive.with. conventional.gasoline-powered.vehicles.by.2010,.and.to.advance.the.methods.of.producing.hydrogen.from.renewable.resources,.nuclear.energy,.and.coal.
