Displaying 1 - 50 of 1431

Status: Selected
State: NY
Project Term: TBD
Program: ULTRAFAST
Award: $2,847,754

University of Buffalo

Optically Cascoded Ultrahigh Voltage Gallium Oxide Devices for Modular Multi-Converter

The University of Buffalo is developing an optically controlled high voltage power switching device for enhanced resiliency, reliability, and control of power flow in grid applications. The proposed switches would be made of the ultrawide-bandgap material beta-gallium oxide, which offers benefits including high breakdown strength, scalable melt-grown substrates, and ease of material processing. The University of Buffalo would use an optical cascode architecture to achieve high slew rate operation and noise immunity for the devices.


Status: ALUMNI
State: MA
Project Term: -
Program: OPEN 2009
Award: $3,999,828

1366 Technologies

Cost-Effective Silicon Wafers for Solar Cells

1366 Technologies is developing a process to reduce the cost of solar electricity by up to 50% by 2020—from $0.15 per kilowatt hour to less than $0.07. 1366's process avoids the costly step of slicing a large block of silicon crystal into wafers, which turns half the silicon to dust. Instead, the company is producing thin wafers directly from molten silicon at industry-standard sizes, and with efficiencies that compare favorably with today's state-of-the-art technologies. 1366's wafers could directly replace wafers currently on the market, so there would be no interruptions to the…


Status: ALUMNI
State: MA
Project Term: -
Program: BEEST
Award: $5,975,331

24M Technologies

Semi-Solid Flowable Battery Electrodes

Scientists at 24M Technologies are crossing a Li-Ion battery with a fuel cell to develop a semi-solid flow battery. This system relies on some of the same basic chemistry as a standard Li-Ion battery, but in a flow battery the energy storage material is held in external tanks, so storage capacity is not limited by the size of the battery itself. The design makes it easier to add storage capacity by simply increasing the size of the tanks and adding more paste. In addition, 24M's design also is able to extract more energy from the semi-solid paste than conventional Li-Ion batteries. This…


Status: ALUMNI
State: MA
Project Term: -
Program: IONICS
Award: $3,984,474

24M Technologies

Lithium Electrode Sub-Assemblies

24M Technologies will lead a team to develop low cost, durable, enhanced separators/solid state electrolytes to build batteries using a lithium metal anode. Using a polymer/solid electrolyte ceramic blend, 24M will be able to make a protective layer that will help eliminate side reactions that have previously contributed to performance degradation and provide a robust mechanical barrier to branchlike metal fibers called dendrites. Unimpeded, dendrites can grow to span the space between the negative and positive electrodes, causing a short-circuit. The resulting, large-area lithium electrode…


Status: ACTIVE
State: MA
Project Term: -
Program: EVs4ALL
Award: $3,198,085

24M Technologies

Low-Cost, High Areal Capacity, Anode-Free Sodium-Metal Batteries Enabled by Solid Electrolytes

24M Technologies will develop low-cost and fast-charging sodium metal EV batteries with good low-temperature performance. 24M’s cell design will incorporate (1) its ultra-thick SemiSolid cathode made up of cobalt-free and nickel-free sodium-based active materials, (2) a wide-temperature, fast-charging electrolyte developed using machine learning and automated high-throughput screening technology, and (3) a solid-state electrolyte-based separator to enable a high-energy density, anode-free configuration. The SemiSolid electrode architecture has been commercially demonstrated with exceptionally…


Status: ALUMNI
State: MN
Project Term: -
Program: IONICS
Award: $2,300,000

3M

Polymeric Anion Exchange Membranes

3M will develop a new anion exchange membrane (AEM) technology with widespread applications in fuel cells, electrolyzers, and flow batteries. Unlike many proton exchange membrane (PEM) applications, the team’s AEM will operate in an alkaline environment, which means lower-cost electrodes can be used. The team plans to engineer a membrane that simultaneously meets key goals for resistance, mechanical and chemical stability, and cost. They will do this by focusing on simple, hydroxide-stable polymers, such as polyethylene, and stable cations, such as tetraalkylammonium and imidazolium groups.…


Status: ALUMNI
State: MN
Project Term: -
Program: OPEN 2018
Award: $2,776,899

3M

Passive Radiative Cooling Film

3M will develop a film that passively radiates heat away from an engineered surface for use in cooling applications. Using a unique, weather resistant polymer composition, the team will improve the film’s ability to reflect sunlight and ultraviolet (UV) light, thus boosting performance while also increasing its lifespan. This film builds upon radiative cooling technology developed in prior ARPA-E awards to Stanford University and SkyCool Systems, a partner in this project. These cooling films are aimed at reducing electricity consumption for air conditioning, refrigeration systems,…


Status: ALUMNI
State: NC
Project Term: -
Program: FLECCS
Award: $1,088,587

8 Rivers Capital

Enhancing Responsiveness of Gas Turbine Generators through Retrofitting with Exhaust Gas Recycle and a Phase-Change CO2 Capture Process

8 Rivers Capital seeks to enhance the profitability and responsiveness of gas turbine generators in high variable renewable energy environments. This project would retrofit existing plants with Exhaust Gas Recycle (EGR) and a novel phase-change solvent CO₂ capture system known as UNO MK3, offering a lower cost pathway than new gas turbines with capture. The UNO MK3 process captures 90% of exhaust gas CO2 using a benign precipitating solvent at high concentration to reduce circulation rates and decrease energy usage. Additional innovations of a smaller novel solids-tolerant absorber and a…


Status: ALUMNI
State: NC
Project Term: -
Program: GRIDS
Award: $4,580,020

ABB

Magnetic Energy Storage System

ABB is developing an advanced energy storage system using superconducting magnets that could store significantly more energy than today's best magnetic storage technologies at a fraction of the cost. This system could provide enough storage capacity to encourage more widespread use of renewable power like wind and solar. Superconducting magnetic energy storage systems have been in development for almost 3 decades; however, past devices were designed to supply power only for short durations—generally less than a few minutes. ABB's system would deliver the stored energy at very low cost, making…


Status: ALUMNI
State: NC
Project Term: -
Program: OPEN 2018
Award: $2,302,897

ABB

Economical Data-fused Grid Edge Processor (EDGEPRO) for Future Distribution Grid Control Applications

ABB Inc. will design a low-cost, secure, and flexible next-generation grid service platform to improve grid efficiency and reliability. This technology will merge advanced edge computing, data fusion and machine learning techniques for virtual metering, and create a central repository for grid applications such as distributed energy resource (DER) control and others on one platform. The united platform will consist of four functional layers: (1) communication including data collection and exchange, (2) data processing and distributed state estimation, (3) data standardization and storage, and…


Status: ALUMNI
State: CO
Project Term: -
Program: HEATS
Award: $1,555,200

Abengoa Solar

Conversion Tower for Dispatchable Solar Power

Abengoa Solar is developing a high-efficiency solar-electric conversion tower to enable low-cost, fully dispatchable solar energy generation. Abengoa's conversion tower utilizes new system architecture and a two-phase thermal energy storage media with an efficient supercritical carbon dioxide (CO2) power cycle. The company is using a high-temperature heat-transfer fluid with a phase change in between its hot and cold operating temperature. The fluid serves as a heat storage material and is cheaper and more efficient than conventional heat-storage materials, like molten salt. It also allows…


Status: CANCELLED
State: MI
Project Term: -
Program: OPEN 2015
Award: $4,894,904

Accio Energy

New Option for Wind Energy

The team led by Accio Energy will develop an ElectroHydroDynamic (EHD) system that harvests energy from the wind through physical separation of charge rather than through rotation of an electric machine. The EHD technology entrains a mist of positively charged water droplets into the wind, which pulls the charge away from the electrically-grounded tower, thereby directly converting wind energy into a mounting voltage. The resulting High-Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) can then be transferred across higher efficiency power lines without the need for a generator, a gearbox, or costly high…


Status: ALUMNI
State: CA
Project Term: -
Program: OPEN 2015
Award: $9,009,265

Achates Power

Efficient Engine Design

The team led by Achates Power will develop an internal combustion engine that combines two promising engine technologies: an opposed-piston (OP) engine configuration and gasoline compression ignition (GCI). Compression ignition OP engines are inherently more efficient than existing spark-ignited 4-stroke engines (potentially up to 50% higher thermal efficiency using gasoline) while providing comparable power and torque, and showing the potential to meet future tailpipe emissions standards. GCI uses gasoline or gasoline-like fuels in a compression ignition engine to deliver thermal efficiency…


Status: ALUMNI
State: CA
Project Term: -
Program: OPEN 2018
Award: $3,221,759

Achates Power

Highly-Efficient Opposed Piston Engine For Hybrid Vehicles (“HOPE-Hybrid”)

Achates Power will develop an opposed-piston engine suitable for hybrid electric vehicle applications. The team will use a unique gasoline compression ignition design that minimizes energy losses (e.g., heat transfer) typical in conventional internal combustion engines. A motor-generator integrated on each engine crankshaft will provide independent control to each piston and eliminate all torque transmitted across the crankshaft connection, thus reducing engine size, mass, cost, friction, and noise. Engine efficiency improvement is expected through this real-time control of the combustion…


Status: ALUMNI
State: MA
Project Term: -
Program: OPEN 2012
Award: $5,701,998

Adaptive Surface Technologies

Slippery Coatings to Promote Energy Conversion

Adaptive Surface Technologies is developing a slippery coating that can be used for a number of technology applications including oil and water pipelines, wastewater treatment systems, solar panels (to prevent dust accumulation), refrigeration (to prevent ice buildup), as well as many other energy-relevant applications. Contamination, build-up of microorganisms, and corrosion of untreated surfaces can lead to inefficiencies in the system. Adaptive Surface Technologies’ liquid-based coating is tailored to adhere to and then spread out evenly over a rough surface, forming a completely smooth…


Status: ALUMNI
State: OH
Project Term: -
Program: BEETIT
Award: $3,380,389

ADMA Products

Membrane Dehumidifier

ADMA Products is developing a foil-like membrane for air conditioners that efficiently removes moisture from humid air. ADMA Products' metal foil-like membrane consists of a paper-thin, porous metal sheet coated with a layer of water-loving molecules. This new membrane allows water vapor to permeate across the membrane at high fluxes, at the same time blocking air penetration and resulting in high selectivity. The high selectivity of the membrane translates to less energy use, while the high permeation fluxes result in a more compact device. The new materials and the flat foil-like nature of…


Status: ALUMNI
State: NC
Project Term: -
Program: PNDIODES
Award: $2,247,120

Adroit Materials

Selective Area Doping for GaN Power Devices

Adroit Materials will develop a gallium nitride (GaN) selective area doping process to enable high-performance, reliable GaN-based, high-power switches which are promising candidates for future high efficiency, high power electronic applications.. Specifically, doping capabilities that allow for the creation of localized doped regions must be developed for GaN in order to reach its full potential as a power electronics semiconductor. Adroit's process will focus on implantation of magnesium ions and an innovative high temperature, high pressure activation anneal, or heat treatment,…


Status: ALUMNI
State: NC
Project Term: -
Program: Exploratory Topics
Award: $500,000

Adroit Materials

Ion Implantation-enabled Fabrication of AlN-based Schottky Diodes

Adroit Materials will grow and fabricate aluminum nitride (AlN)-based Schottky diodes with electrical properties that will drastically reduce forward conduction (energy) losses compared with existing high-power diodes. The team will achieve this objective through implanting silicon ions in AlN, a wide bandgap semiconductor, combined with sophisticated point defect control processes to achieve controlled low doping. These breakthroughs enable a paradigm shift for the feasibility of AlN in next-generation power electronics.


Status: ALUMNI
State: NC
Project Term: -
Program: Exploratory Topics
Award: $500,000

Adroit Materials

kV-class GaN-based Junction Barrier Schottky Diodes Using Ion Implantation

Adroit Materials aims to grow and fabricate gallium nitride (GaN)-based Junction Barrier Schottky (JBS) diodes using a novel ion implantation process. These JBS diodes are targeted for use in adjustable speed drive (ASD) motor systems, replacing silicon and silicon carbide (Si and SiC)-based diodes. Compared with existing Si diode-based systems, the energy loss in the diode front end rectifier system could be reduced by about 50%. The team will perform selective area doping via implantation of magnesium ions in combination with high pressure, high temperature activation annealing.


Status: ACTIVE
State: CO
Project Term: -
Program: Exploratory Topics
Award: $1,600,000

Advanced Conductor Technologies

Lightweight, High-power Density, Self-protecting Superconducting Power Cables and Connectors for Electric Aircraft Applications

Advanced Conductor Technologies will develop two-pole, high-temperature, superconducting DC power cables and connectors with a power rating of up to 50 MW to enable twin-aisle aircraft with distributed electric propulsion to reduce carbon emissions. The cables and connectors will contain insulation independent of the cryogenic medium used as coolant and allow an operating voltage of 10 kV. Because they have intrinsic fault current limiting capabilities, the cables can protect the power distribution network from over-currents. This intrinsic capability will reduce the complexity of the power…


Status: ALUMNI
State: PA
Project Term: -
Program: ARID
Award: $3,202,001

Advanced Cooling Technologies (ACT)

Cool Storage for Supplemental Cooling

Advanced Cooling Technologies (ACT) will work with Lehigh University, the University of Missouri, and Evapco, Inc. to design and build a novel cool storage system that will increase the efficiency of a plant’s dry-cooling system. During the day, the system will transfer waste heat from the plant’s heated condenser water via an array of heat pipes to a cool storage unit containing a phase-change material (PCM). The planned PCMs are salt hydrates that can be tailored to store and release large amounts of thermal energy, offering a way to store waste heat until it can be efficiently rejected.…


Status: ACTIVE
State: PA
Project Term: -
Program: REMEDY
Award: $3,300,000

Advanced Cooling Technologies (ACT)

Swiss-roll Flare Gas Incinerator

Advanced Cooling Technologies (ACT) proposes an innovative Swiss-roll incinerator that effectively recuperates the heat from combustion products to fully combust the flare gas over a wide range of flow rates and concentrations. ACT's design comprises a spiral heat exchanger surrounding the incinerator, which effectively minimizes the heat losses from flue gas, incinerator wall convection, and radiation. The excess enthalpy in the reactants significantly extends the range of flammable mixtures to provide a complete methane combustion. The heat recirculating Swiss-roll incinerator also…


Status: ACTIVE
State: WI
Project Term: -
Program: Exploratory Topics
Award: $500,000

Advanced Ionics

Simplified Steam Electrolysis: Hydrogen for Hard-to-Abate Industries

Advanced Ionics (AI) aims to advance its high-efficiency low-cost hydrogen electrolyzer technology to gigawatt-scale production within the next decade. If successful, AI’s system will enable and catalyze decarbonization in refining, ammonia production, chemicals production, steel, glass, methanol, and other highconsumption industries that currently rely on steam methane reforming (SMR) for hydrogen production. Today, electrolyzers suffer from low efficiencies and high capital cost, causing the price of hydrogen from electrolysis to be many times that of conventional SMR. AI’s technology will…


Status: ALUMNI
State: FL
Project Term: -
Program: OPEN 2018
Award: $541,184

Advanced Magnet Lab

Homopolar Machines Enabled With Electron Current Transfer Technology

Advanced Magnet Lab (AML) is developing a reliable, contact-free current transfer mechanism from a stationary to a rotating electrode to allow direct current (DC) electrical machines, motors, and generators to achieve unprecedented power and torque density. This technology, a reimagining of the first electric “homopolar” motor invented by Michael Faraday, would provide current transfer without the need for the costly sliding contacts, brushes, and liquids that have limited DC electrical engine efficiency and lifetime. AML’s contact-free current transfer would achieve 99% efficiency in DC…


Status: ACTIVE
State: FL
Project Term: -
Program: ASCEND
Award: $1,861,646

Advanced Magnet Lab

High Power Density Dual Rotor Permanent Magnet Motor with Integrated Cooling and Drive for Aircraft Propulsion

Advanced Magnet Lab (AML) seeks to develop high-power density permanent magnet motors. When coupled to an integrated SiC (silicon carbide) drive, these motors will enable an overall specific power beyond 12 kW/kg. The proposed concept relies on (1) the tight integration of a high-power density dual-rotor permanent magnet rotor based on "continuous flux directed" magnets (PM-360TM) currently under development at AML, (2) high-power density SiC power converters, and (3) a shared closed-loop cooling system rejecting the heat in the propulsion ducted fan air stream. The proposed motor…


Status: ALUMNI
State: CA
Project Term: -
Program: MONITOR
Award: $2,494,131

Aeris Technologies

Complete Methane Leak Detection At Natural Gas Systems

Aeris Technologies will partner with Rice University and Los Alamos National Laboratory to develop a complete methane leak detection system that allows for highly sensitive, accurate methane detection at natural gas systems. The team will combine its novel compact spectrometer based on a mid-infrared laser, its patent-pending multi-port sampling system, and an advanced computational approach to leak quantification and localization. Their approach will use artificial neural networks and dispersion models to quantify and locate leaks with increased accuracy and reduced computational time for…


Status: ALUMNI
State: MA
Project Term: -
Program: GENSETS
Award: $2,555,590

Aerodyne Research

Single-Cylinder Two-Stroke Free-Piston Internal Combustion Generator

Aerodyne Research with partners from Stony Brook University, Precision Combustion, Inc., and C-K Engineering, Inc. will design and build a CHP generator based on a small single-cylinder, two-stroke free-piston internal combustion engine. Similar to an automotive internal combustion engine, the proposed system follows the same process: the combustion of natural gas fuel creates a force that moves a piston, transferring chemical energy to mechanical energy used in conjunction with a linear alternator to create electricity. The free-piston configuration used here, instead of a traditional…


Status: ALUMNI
State: MA
Project Term: -
Program: OPEN 2009
Award: $6,562,292

Agrivida

Engineering Enzymes in Energy Crops

Enzymes are required to break plant biomass down into the fermentable sugars that are used to create biofuel. Currently, costly enzymes must be added to the biofuel production process. Engineering crops to already contain these enzymes will reduce costs and produce biomass that is more easily digested. In fact, enzyme costs alone account for $0.50-$0.75/gallon of the cost of a biomass-derived biofuel like ethanol. Agrivida is genetically engineering plants to contain high concentrations of enzymes that break down cell walls. These enzymes can be "switched on" after harvest so they won't…


Status: ALUMNI
State: CO
Project Term: -
Program: GENSETS
Award: $3,225,000

Air Squared

High Efficiency Generator System

Air Squared with partners at Argonne National Laboratory, Purdue University, and Mississippi State University, will develop an advanced internal combustion engine (ICE) integrated with an organic Rankine cycle (ORC) for waste heat recovery. The ICE will use spark-assisted compression ignition (SACI) combustion, a turbulent jet ignition (TJI) fueling system, a high compression ratio, and aggressive exhaust gas recirculation to deliver a higher thermal efficiency with low emissions. Traditional internal combustion engines use the force generated by the combustion of a fuel (e.g. natural…


Status: ALUMNI
State: PA
Project Term: -
Program: METALS
Award: $4,267,218

Alcoa

Aluminum Electrolytic Cell with Heat Recovery

Alcoa is designing a new, electrolytic cell that could significantly improve the efficiency and price point of aluminum production. Conventional cells reject a great deal of waste heat, have difficulty adjusting to electricity price changes, and emit significant levels of CO2. Alcoa is addressing these problems by improving electrode design and integrating a heat exchanger into the wall of the cell. Typically, the positive and negative electrodes—or anode and cathode, respectively—within a smelting cell are horizontal. Alcoa will angle their cathode, increasing the surface area of the cell…


Status: ALUMNI
State: OH
Project Term: -
Program: OPEN 2009
Award: $5,992,676

Algaeventure Systems (AVS)

Fuel from Algae

Led by CEO Ross Youngs, Algaeventure Systems (AVS) has patented a cost-effective dewatering technology that separates micro-solids (algae) from water. Separating micro-solids from water traditionally requires a centrifuge, which uses significant energy to spin the water mass and force materials of different densities to separate from one another. In a comparative analysis, dewatering 1 ton of algae in a centrifuge costs around $3,400. AVS's Solid-Liquid Separation (SLS) system is less energy-intensive and less expensive, costing $1.92 to process 1 ton of algae. The SLS technology uses…


Status: ALUMNI
State: MN
Project Term: -
Program: IMPACCT
Award: $2,683,040

Alliant Techsystems (ATK)

Supersonic Technology for CO2 Capture

Researchers at Alliant Techsystems (ATK) and ACENT Laboratories are developing a device that relies on aerospace wind-tunnel technologies to turn CO2 into a condensed solid for collection and capture. ATK's design incorporates a special nozzle that converges and diverges to expand flue gas, thereby cooling it off and turning the CO2 into solid particles which are removed from the system by a cyclonic separator. This technology is mechanically simple, contains no moving parts and generates no chemical waste, making it inexpensive to construct and operate, readily scalable, and easily…


Status: ACTIVE
State: WA
Project Term: -
Program: OPEN 2018
Award: $3,872,589

AltaRock Energy

Millimeter-Wave Technology Demonstration for Geothermal Direct Energy Drilling

AltaRock Energy will overcome technical limitations to deep geothermal drilling by replacing mechanical methods with a Millimeter Wave (MMW) directed energy technology to melt and vaporize rocks for removal. This approach could increase drilling speed by 10 times or more, reducing costs while reaching higher temperatures and greater depths than those achievable with the best current and proposed mechanical technologies. Project R&D will include benchtop testing as well as larger scale demonstrations of directed MMW drilling at unprecedented borehole lengths and power levels. A detailed…


Status: CANCELLED
State: CA
Project Term: -
Program: Exploratory Topics
Award: $999,997

Altex Technologies

Low Cost Feed Flexible Plastics Reuse (LCFFPR)

The United States is facing a huge plastic waste challenge. Altex Technologies Corporation will develop a novel process, system design, and catalyst to convert all types of plastic polymers, rubber, composites, and paper to a refinery grade crude oil. This crude oil then can be processed in U.S. refineries to produce gasoline, jet fuel, and diesel oil. Altex will demonstrate an end-to-end plastics-to-liquid fuel prototype system and develop a process design for a 250 ton per day plastic feed plant. The test data and analysis will be used to produce a techno-economic and life cycle analysis…


Status: ALUMNI
State: CA
Project Term: -
Program: OPEN 2012
Award: $4,599,814

Alveo Energy

Prussian Blue Dye Batteries

Alveo Energy is developing a grid-scale storage battery using Prussian Blue dye as the active material within the battery. Prussian Blue is most commonly known for its application in blueprint documents, but it can also hold electric charge. Though it provides only modest energy density, Prussian Blue is so readily available and inexpensive that it could provide a cost-effective and sustainable storage solution for years to come. Alveo will repurpose this inexpensive dye for a new battery that is far cheaper and less sensitive to temperature, air, and other external factors than comparable…


Status: ALUMNI
State: CO
Project Term: -
Program: IONICS
Award: $850,000

American Manufacturing

Flash Sintering System

American Manufacturing, in collaboration with the University of Colorado at Boulder, will develop a flash sintering system to manufacture solid lithium-conducting electrolytes with high ionic conductivity. Conventional sintering is the process of compacting and forming a solid mass by heat and/or pressure without melting it to the point of changing it to a liquid, similar to pressing a snowball together from loose snow. In conventional sintering a friable ceramic “bisque” is heated for several hours at very high temperatures until it becomes dense and strong. Oxide ceramics for solid-state…


Status: ALUMNI
State: MA
Project Term: -
Program: BEETIT
Award: $4,262,756

American Superconductor (AMSC)

High-Efficiency Air Conditioner

American Superconductor (AMSC) is developing a freezer that does not rely on harmful refrigerants and is more energy efficient than conventional systems. Many freezers are based on vapor compression, in which a liquid refrigerant circulates within the freezer, absorbs heat, and then pumps it out into the external environment. Unfortunately, these systems can be expensive and inefficient. ITC's freezer uses helium gas as its refrigerant, representing a safe, affordable, and environmentally friendly approach to cooling. ITC's improvements to the Stirling cycle system could enable the…


Status: ALUMNI
State: MA
Project Term: -
Program: GENSETS
Award: $4,008,019

American Superconductor (AMSC)

Sustainable Economic mCHP Stirling (SEmS) Generator

American Superconductor (AMSC) in collaboration with team members Qnergy, Alcoa Howmet, Gas Technology Institute (GTI), MicroCogen Partners, and A.O. Smith Corporation will develop a Free-Piston Stirling engine (FPSE) powered by an ultra-low-emissions natural gas burner for micro-CHP applications. A Stirling engine uses a working gas housed in a sealed environment, in this case the working gas is helium. When heated by the natural gas-fueled burner, the gas expands causing a piston to move and interact with a linear alternator to produce electricity. As the gas cools and contracts, the…


Status: ALUMNI
State: IA
Project Term: -
Program: REACT
Award: $3,035,358

Ames National Laboratory

Cerium-Based Magnets

Ames Laboratory is developing a new class of permanent magnets based on the more commonly available element cerium for use in both EVs and renewable power generators. Cerium is 4 times more abundant and significantly less expensive than the rare earth element neodymium, which is frequently used in today's most powerful magnets. Ames Laboratory will combine other metal elements with cerium to create a new magnet that can remain stable at the high temperatures typically found in electric motors. This new magnetic material will ultimately be demonstrated in a prototype electric motor,…


Status: ALUMNI
State: CA
Project Term: -
Program: CIRCUITS
Award: $2,490,001

Ampaire

In-Flight Aviation Testbed Platform for ARPA-E Programs in Power Electronics, Motors, and Power Generation

Ampaire Inc. will provide a dedicated testbed aircraft that ARPA-E projects can use to deploy and test their technologies at high altitude (up to 6km) in actual flight environments. Ampaire’s dedicated, custom-built, 337 Electric EEL is a converted Cessna 337, the largest aircraft ever to fly using plug-in hybrid electric propulsion. The excess space and flight test payload capacity enable the addition of test circuits without compromising the plane’s performance. Teams can test new power distribution systems, high-power electronics, inverters, motors, propellers, ducted fans, batteries, fuel…


Status: ACTIVE
State: AZ
Project Term: -
Program: EVs4ALL
Award: $2,120,120

Ampcera

Thermally Modulated Solid-State Batteries for Ultra-Safe Fast-Charging Electric Vehicles

Ampcera will develop an all-climate thermally modulated solid-state battery (TMSSB) incorporating a thermally modulated cell technology (TMCT), developed by partner EC Power. “Heatable” solid-state batteries (SSBs) have the potential to provide disruptively high energy density and enable ultra-safe fast charging in EVs during cold weather, overcoming many of the consumer acceptance barriers hindering widespread adoption. Ampcera’s TMSSB combines a high-capacity silicon anode and a high-voltage, nickel-rich oxide-based cathode to enable a specific energy exceeding 400 Wh/kg. Combining the TMCT…


Status: ACTIVE
State: MI
Project Term: -
Program: Exploratory Topics
Award: $295,924

Amphionic

Nanostructured Pd-Anf Composites for Controlled LENR Exploitation

Cathode structure and surface morphology are thought to be essential for LENR reaction rate. Amphionic proposes to optimize cathode design to form Pd-polymeric composites within which the Pd nanoparticle size and shape are varied, and the interfacial separation and geometry are controlled. Experiments will focus on exploring if LENR are produced in potential wells existing between two nanoscale surfaces by controlling metal nanoparticle (NP) geometry, separation, composition, and deuterium loading.Enabling Fast Charging Batteries with 3D Lithium Metal Architectures and Sulfurized Carbon…


Status: ACTIVE
State: CA
Project Term: -
Program: DAYS
Award: $7,969,968

Antora Energy

Solid State Thermal Battery

The Antora Energy team will develop key components for a thermal energy storage system (solid state thermal battery) that stores thermal energy in inexpensive carbon blocks. To charge the battery, power from the grid will heat the blocks to temperatures exceeding 2000°C (3632°F) via resistive heating. To discharge energy, the hot blocks are exposed to thermophotovoltaics (TPV) panels that are similar to traditional solar panels but specifically designed to efficiently use the heat radiated by the blocks. The team will develop a thermophotovoltaic heat engine capable of efficiently and durably…


Status: ALUMNI
State: CA
Project Term: -
Program: BEEST
Award: $4,371,028

Applied Materials

New Electrode Manufacturing Process Equipment

Applied Materials is developing new tools for manufacturing Li-Ion batteries that could dramatically increase their performance. Traditionally, the positive and negative terminals of Li-Ion batteries are mixed with glue-like materials called binders, pressed onto electrodes, and then physically kept apart by winding a polymer mesh material between them called a separator. With the Applied Materials system, many of these manually intensive processes will be replaced by next generation coating technology to apply each component. This process will improve product reliability and performance of…


Status: ALUMNI
State: CA
Project Term: -
Program: OPEN 2012
Award: $4,958,074

Applied Materials

Low-Cost Silicon Wafers for Solar Modules

Applied Materials is working with ARPA-E and the Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) to build a reactor that produces the silicon wafers used in solar panels at a dramatically lower cost than existing technologies. Current wafer production processes are time consuming and expensive, requiring the use of high temperatures to produce ingots from molten silicon that can be sliced into wafers for use in solar cells. This slicing process results in significant silicon waste—or “kerf loss”—much like how sawdust is created when sawing wood. With funding from ARPA-E, Applied…


Status: ALUMNI
State: NM
Project Term: -
Program: ARID
Award: $2,570,492

Applied Research Associates (ARA)

Cooling Using Thermochemical Cycle

Applied Research Associates (ARA) will design and fabricate a dry-cooling system that overcomes the inherent thermodynamic performance penalty of air-cooled systems, particularly under high ambient temperatures. ARA’s ACTIVE cooling technology uses a polymerization thermochemical cycle to provide supplemental cooling and cool storage that can work as a standalone system or be synchronized with air-cooled units to cool power plant condenser water. The cool storage will be completed in two stages. During the day, the cool storage is maintained near the ambient temperature, and then at night the…


Status: ALUMNI
State: RI
Project Term: -
Program: OPEN 2018
Award: $3,903,832

Aquanis

Active Aerodynamic Load Control for Wind Turbines

Aquanis will develop advanced plasma actuators and controls to reduce aerodynamic loads on wind turbine blades, facilitating the next generation of larger (20+ MW), smarter wind turbines. The technology contains no moving parts, instead using purely electrical plasma actuators on the blade that set the adjacent air in motion when powered. This system can change the lift and drag forces on turbine blades to reduce blade mechanical fatigue and enable the design of larger and cheaper blades. Currently effective at laboratory scales, Aquanis plans to improve the plasma actuator capabilities and…


Status: ACTIVE
State: CA
Project Term: -
Program: SHARKS
Award: $4,429,986

Aquantis

Tidal Power Tug

The Tidal Power Tug is a tidal hydrokinetic turbine using a vertical yawing spar buoy with a horizontal-axis, parallel-flow rotor. The turbine will achieve stable, safe operation in all sea conditions with unprecedented cost performance gained by use of novel materials, vertical mass-buoyancy distribution, high power-to-weight ratio, efficient deployment/retrieval, adaptive controls for blade pitch and shear compensation, and advanced analytical tools for efficient operations and maintenance. These factors will result in high turbine up-time. R&D involves structural material innovation,…


Status: ALUMNI
State: CA
Project Term: -
Program: PETRO
Award: $1,416,351

Arcadia Biosciences

Vegetable Oil from Leaves and Stems

Arcadia Biosciences, in collaboration with the University of California-Davis, is developing plants that produce vegetable oil in their leaves and stems. Ordinarily, these oils are produced in seeds, but Arcadia Biosciences is turning parts of the plant that are not usually harvested into a source of concentrated energy. Vegetable oil is a concentrated source of energy that plants naturally produce and is easily separated after harvest. Arcadia Biosciences will isolate traits that control oil production in seeds and transfer them into leaves and stems so that all parts of the plants are oil-…


Status: Selected
State: TBD
Project Term: TBD
Program: GOPHURRS
Award: TBD

Arcbyt

Integrated Thermal Spallation Drill for Heterogeneous Ground Conditions

Arcbyt is developing a small-diameter ultrafast tunneling construction tool to underground power lines in heterogeneous soil conditions. The tool can operate in both hard rock and soft sediments and enable cost-effective undergrounding. Digging through hard rock typically requires higher-power, oversized machines, which complicates undergrounding in urban and suburban environments. Instead, Arcbyt seeks to tunnel through hard rock using thermal spallation drilling which breaks rock into small pieces via thermal shock without touching or melting any rock material. At the same time, the same…