Blog Posts
ARPA-E focuses on next-generation energy innovation to create a sustainable energy future. The agency provides R&D support to businesses, universities, and national labs to develop technologies that could fundamentally change the way we get, use, and store energy. Since 2009, ARPA-E has provided approximately $2 billion in support to more than 800 energy technology projects. Last month, we introduced a new series to highlight the transformational technology our project teams are developing across the energy portfolio. Check out these projects turning ideas into reality.
Blog Posts
Newest ARPA-E Program Director Dr. Robert (Bob) J. Ledoux’s professional experience ranges from professor to entrepreneur and his patents from nonintrusive cargo inspection to medical technologies. Recently we had a chance to visit with Dr. Ledoux to discuss how he will bring his experience to bear to further ARPA-E’s mission.
Blog Posts
Here at ARPA-E, we’re constantly looking for new white space where we can innovate American energy technologies to increase efficiency and decrease emissions. How people get around has always been an area of interest to us. For instance, we’ve launched programs focused on developing transportation technologies that use smart connected vehicles or alternative power sources and storage technologies for electric motors. Now, our Program Directors are looking at developing transportation programs in a different space – one that has required them to look to the sky.
Blog Posts
Every year, convention centers around the world fill with eager attendees looking for a chance to experience firsthand the latest and greatest in the world of automobile innovation. Whether you’re a classic gearhead or technology enthusiast, the auto manufacturers’ annual showcase season is truly a sight to behold. To celebrate car show season, here’s a quick look at some of ARPA-E’s transportation portfolio and a few projects that could one day shape how Americans get around.
Slick Sheet: Project
Parallel Systems is developing a highly scalable system of rechargeable electric rail vehicles to enable existing railroads to economically serve the short-haul market. This system will include all associated software including vehicle control, dispatch software, fleet management, and terminal operations. These independent rail cars would simplify terminal operations, enabling significantly more competitive services at congested ports, and unlock the construction of smaller inland terminals leading to more resilient freight infrastructure.
Press Releases
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) today announced $42 million in funding for 12 projects to strengthen the domestic supply chain for advanced batteries that power electric vehicles (EVs).
Slick Sheet: Project
The University of Delaware (UD) will develop the Composite Architected Materials Processing (CAMP) technology to enable fast, energy-efficient composite manufacturing with a complex 3D geometry formation capability to construct efficient, reliable, and cost-competitive structural materials for air and ground transportation vehicles. With their high strength-to-weight ratios, carbon fiber-reinforced composites have strong potential for lightweighting in structural applications to replace steel and aluminum.
Slick Sheet: Project
Hinetics will develop and demonstrate a high-power density electric machine to enable electrified aircraft propulsion systems up to 10 MW and beyond. Hinetics’ technology uses a superconducting machine design that eliminates the need for cryogenic auxiliary systems yet maintains low total mass. The innovative concept features a sub-20 K Stirling-cycle cooler integrated with a low-loss rotor to maintain the SC coils below 30 K.
Slick Sheet: Project
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) aims to eliminate ice/snow/frost accretion on stationary and mobile electrified systems by developing a multi-functional coating that synergistically combines two different ice/snow/frost removal mechanisms. The team will incorporate pulsed interfacial heating with controlled surface wettability to demonstrate a two orders of magnitude reduction in ice/snow/frost removal time with 50% lower energy consumption without bulk melting compared with state-of-the-art steady heating methods.
Slick Sheet: Project
Gencores enables technology for ultra-light vehicles to decarbonize transportation. Herein they demonstrate a scalable and digital production of low-cost and high-performance hybrid Polymethacrylimide (PMI) foam cores for sandwich composite constructions. Sandwich composites feature a foam core wrapped in fiber-reinforced skins and offer a 40-75% weight reduction potential compared with traditional metal alternatives. Current PMI foam cores are costly and time-consuming to produce in complex shapes.