Scott Samuelsen
Scott Samuelsen led the development of UCI's hydrogen fueling station, the most technologically advanced, publicly accessible station in the world. Daniel A. Anderson / University Communications

Scott Samuelsen is UC Irvine’s go-to guy on fuel cell and hydrogen technology.

Samuelsen led the development of UCI’s hydrogen fueling station, the most technologically advanced, publicly accessible station in the world. It was the first of its kind in Orange County, and it is a key component of the California Hydrogen Highway Network.

The station can fuel up to 10 vehicles per day. Drivers of vehicles made by General Motors, Toyota, Honda, Hyundai and Daimler regularly use the station. The vehicles are not yet commercially available.

Hydrogen is very climate conscious. When used to deliver energy, hydrogen produces zero or very low emissions. The emissions from a hydrogen fuel cell-powered vehicle contain only water vapor. Hydrogen today is produced efficiently from natural gas and also can be produced from non-petroleum sources, thereby potentially reducing the country and state’s dependence on petroleum. The ultimate goal is for hydrogen to be produced through a variety of clean and renewable energy sources.

Samuelsen directs the Advanced Power and Energy Program, which encompasses the National Fuel Cell Research Center, the UCI Combustion Lab, and the Pacific Rim Consortium on Energy, Combustion and the Environment. His research focuses on energy generation, distribution and utilization, and it includes the production of electricity, motive power and propulsive power from fuel cells, gas turbines and hybrids of both.

In the accompanying videos, Samuelsen explains UCI’s hydrogen research program, the hydrogen fueling station, and why hydrogen is the fuel of the future.

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