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
The Boeing Company will develop a comprehensive approach for mitigating aircraft induced cirrus that would leverage satellite observations, deep learning, new developments in onboard humidity sensors, and a numerical weather prediction model. Useful for flight planning, Boeing’s approach could improve observational datasets, forward scientific understanding of humidity in the upper troposphere, and advance weather forecasting capabilities for the general public.
Slick Sheet: Project
RTX Technologies Research Center (RTRC) will develop a platform for a physics-informed forecast of aircraft induced cirrus potential 100 kilometers ahead of the aircraft (up to 10 minutes ahead of time). The platform would include a novel on-board lidar sensor for water vapor that would be installed on a small fraction of a fleet’s aircraft to furnish data and predictions for the entire fleet.
Slick Sheet: Project
Northrop Grumman is developing a contrail prediction and avoidance system to scout optimal altitudes for flight crew that would feature a predictive algorithm and new airborne instrumentation. Northrop Grumman’s radiometric temperature and humidity sensor would measure the environmental conditions above, below, and in front of an aircraft to enable flight crew to proactively respond to regions conducive to long-lived cirrus formation minutes before entering the area.
Slick Sheet: Project
Universities Space Research Association is developing a real-time, cloud-based aviation contrail prediction and observation system that would improve airspace operations through new atmospheric data services and ensemble modeling approaches. The system would advance an existing cutting-edge contrail computer model with a novel machine learning approach to produce forecasts of persistent contrail-forming regions.