Status: ALUMNI
State: TX
Project Term: 10/01/2012 - 02/15/2015
Program: AMPED
Award: $712,000

Southwest Research Institute (SwRI)

Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) is developing a battery management system to track the performance characteristics of lithium-ion batteries during charge and discharge cycles to help analyze battery capacity and health. No two battery cells are alike—they differ over their life-times in terms of charge and discharge rates, capacity, and temperature characteristics, among other things. In SwRI's design, a number of strain gauges would be strategically placed on the cells to monitor their state of charges and overall health during operation. This could help reduce the risk of batteries…

Status: ACTIVE
State: TX
Project Term: 06/30/2017 - 06/18/2024
Program: NEXTCAR
Award: $8,149,932

Southwest Research Institute (SwRI)

Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) will develop control strategies and technology to improve the energy efficiency of a 2017 Toyota Prius Prime plug-in hybrid electric vehicle through energy-conscious path planning and powertrain control. The team will modify the vehicle to take advantage of connected, autonomous vehicle information streams and develop systems that co-optimize the control of vehicle speed and engine power to minimize energy consumption, maintain safety, and deliver expected performance. Modern automobiles are designed to provide the maximum possible performance to the driver…

Status: ALUMNI
State: TX
Project Term: 03/20/2019 - 12/19/2022
Program: OPEN 2018
Award: $2,619,839

Southwest Research Institute (SwRI)

SwRI’s storage system is based on an innovative thermodynamic cycle to store energy in hot and cold fluids. This technology features a simplified system, high round-trip conversion efficiencies (the ratio of energy put in to energy retrieved from storage), and low plant costs. At full scale, the technology would provide more than 10 hours of electricity at rated power (the highest power input allowed to flow through particular equipment). SwRI will build a small kW-scale electric demonstrator to validate the technology, and develop control strategy and operational procedures. This grid-scale…

Status: ALUMNI
State: TX
Project Term: 03/22/2021 - 06/21/2022
Program: FLECCS
Award: $762,953

Southwest Research Institute (SwRI)

Southwest Research Institute will apply energy storage to a natural gas, direct-fired supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) power generation cycle (Allam-Fetvedt cycle with near 100% carbon capture) by incorporating oxygen storage adjacent to the air separation unit (ASU). By operating the ASU at higher capacities when power from alternative energies is available (e.g., wind power at night or solar photovoltaic power during the day) and storing liquid oxygen (LOX), greater output from the power plant can be achieved during times of peak electricity demand. Using LOX’s vaporization cooling to…

Status: ALUMNI
State: CA
Project Term: 08/01/2014 - 12/31/2015
Program: IDEAS
Award: $499,880

Space Orbital Services

Space Orbital Services, in conjunction with SRI International, proposes to conduct laboratory-based, small-scale research to develop a methane conversion technology that employs unconventional chemistry at relatively low temperature, based on impacting a common alloy catalyst. The project uses laboratory experiments to establish, measure and refine operational parameters including conversion rates and efficiency, reaction products, and reactor design.

Status: ALUMNI
State: CA
Project Term: 08/05/2015 - 06/06/2017
Program: ARID
Award: $674,852

SRI International

SRI International and PPG Industries are integrating SRI’s proprietary Spectrally Tuned All-Polymer Technology for Inducing Cooling (STATIC) technology into a novel structure for use as a radiative cooling system that can provide supplemental cooling for power plant water during the daytime or nighttime. The two-layer polymer structure covers a pool holding power plant condenser discharge water. The cover prevents sunlight from penetrating it and warming the water, while allowing thermal energy to radiate to the sky, even during the day. The STATIC structure provides an insulating air gap to…

Status: ALUMNI
State: CA
Project Term: 05/01/2015 - 09/30/2018
Program: DELTA
Award: $3,853,224

SRI International

SRI International will develop a highly efficient, wearable thermal regulation system that leverages the human body’s natural thermal regulation areas such as the palms of the hands, soles of feet, and upper facial area. This innovative “active textile” technology is enabled by a novel combination of low-cost electroactive and passive polymer materials and structures to efficiently manage heat transfer while being quiet and comfortable. SRI’s electronically controllable active textile technology is versatile - allowing the wearer to continue to use their existing wardrobe. We believe that…

Status: ALUMNI
State: CA
Project Term: 12/10/2013 - 04/30/2015
Program: METALS
Award: $902,104

SRI International

SRI International is developing a reactor that is able to either convert titanium tetrachloride to titanium powder or convert multiple metal chlorides to titanium alloy powder in a single step. Conventional titanium extraction and conversion processes involve expensive and energy intensive melting steps. SRI is examining the reaction between hydrogen and metal chlorides, which could produce titanium alloys without multiple complicated steps. Using titanium powder for transportation applications has not been practical until now because of the high cost of producing powder from titanium ingots…

Status: ALUMNI
State: CA
Project Term: 12/05/2016 - 12/04/2019
Program: SHIELD
Award: $1,413,502

SRI International

SRI International, in collaboration with its partners will develop a transparent, adhesive film that can be easily applied to single-pane windows to reduce heat loss from warm rooms during cold weather. The team proposes an entirely new approach to thermal barriers and will develop a new class of non-porous materials that use nanoparticles to reflect heat and provide superior thermal insulation. Moreover, the transparent film does not block visible light, meaning that the coating allows light to transmit through the window and brighten the interior. The film could also improve the…

Status: ACTIVE
State: CA
Project Term: 09/09/2021 - 09/08/2024
Program: SHARKS
Award: $4,194,000

SRI International

Underwater kite systems offer the promise of energy capture from tidal power with minimal structural costs. Current approaches are not scaled for small communities, however. SRI International will team with the University of California at Berkeley, which has facilities for hydrodynamic testing and experience with environmental issues and community engagement, to realize a system that is appropriate for small communities. SRI’s proposed Manta kite system is simple and based on the payout and reel-in pumping action of a kite. A compact, low-cost, novel transmission will enable conversion of the…

Status: ALUMNI
State: CA
Project Term: 07/01/2010 - 06/30/2012
Program: BEEST
Award: $1,498,681

Stanford University

Stanford University is developing an all-electron battery that would create a completely new class of energy storage devices for EVs. Stanford’s all-electron battery stores energy by moving electrons rather than ions. Electrons are lighter and faster than the ion charge carriers in conventional Li-Ion batteries. Stanford’s all-electron battery also uses an advanced structural design that separates critical battery functions, which increases both the life of the battery and the amount of energy it can store. The battery could be charged 1000s of times without showing a significant drop in…

Status: CANCELLED
State: CA
Project Term: 04/30/2015 - 09/30/2017
Program: DELTA
Award: $1,718,025

Stanford University

Stanford University will develop transformative methods for integrating photonic, or radiant energy structures into textiles. Controlling the thermal photonic properties of textiles can significantly influence the heat dissipation rate of the human body, which loses a significant amount of heat through thermal radiation. To achieve heating, the team utilizes metallic nanowire embedded in textiles to enhance reflection of body heat. To achieve cooling, the team utilizes visibly opaque yet infrared transmissivity (IR) transparent textile. These techniques for heating and cooling have not yet…

Status: ACTIVE
State: CA
Project Term: 04/14/2020 - 07/13/2024
Program: DIFFERENTIATE
Award: $1,790,000

Stanford University

Stanford University will develop a machine-learning enhanced framework for the design of optical communications components that will enable them to operate at their physical performance limits. Information processing and communications systems use a significant fraction of total global energy. Data centers alone consume more than 70 billion kilowatt-hours per year. Much of this energy usage is intrinsic to electronic wiring. However, optical-based technologies offer a promising option to reduce energy consumption. Stanford’s design platform is intended to enable optical technologies to serve…

Status: ALUMNI
State: CA
Project Term: 07/01/2018 - 06/30/2019
Program: IDEAS
Award: $406,967

Stanford University

Stanford University will develop a new process to produce furan-2,5-dicarboxylic acid (FDCA), a potential replacement for purified terephthalic acid (PTA). PTA is produced from petroleum on the scale of 60 million tons per year and used to make synthetic polymers like polyester. The production of PTA is associated with 90 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions annually. FDCA, on the other hand, can be made from biomass and its polymers boast superior physical properties for high-volume applications such as beverage bottles. Current technologies produce FDCA from food sources (fructose) and…

Status: ALUMNI
State: CA
Project Term: 07/27/2016 - 06/30/2022
Program: NODES
Award: $4,162,823

Stanford University

Stanford University will develop Powernet, an open-source and open architecture platform for scalable and secure coordination of consumer flexible load and DERs. Powernet will be based on the principle of connecting information networks to the power network (connecting bits and watts). It uses a layered architecture that enables real-time coordination of centralized resources with millions of DERs by integrating embedded sensing and computing, power electronics, and networking with cloud computing. The team will develop a Home Hub system capable of networking with existing inverters and…

Status: ALUMNI
State: CA
Project Term: 01/14/2010 - 11/30/2016
Program: OPEN 2009
Award: $8,461,360

Stanford University

A team of researchers from more than 10 departments at Stanford University is collaborating to transform the way Americans interact with our energy-use data. The team built a web-based platform that collects historical electricity data, which it uses to perform a variety of experiments to learn what triggers people to respond. Experiments include new financial incentives, a calculator to understand the potential savings of efficient appliances, new Facebook interface designs, communication studies using Twitter, and educational programs with the Girl Scouts. Economic modeling is underway to…

Status: ALUMNI
State: CA
Project Term: 02/20/2013 - 03/19/2018
Program: OPEN 2012
Award: $2,943,851

Stanford University

Stanford University is developing a device for the rooftops of buildings and cars that will reflect sunlight and emit heat, enabling passive cooling, even when the sun is shining. This device requires no electricity or fuel and would reduce the need for air conditioning, leading to energy and cost savings. Stanford’s technology relies on recently developed state-of-the-art concepts and techniques to tailor the absorption and emission of light and heat in nanostructured materials. This project could enable buildings, cars, and electronics to cool without using electric power.

Status: ALUMNI
State: CA
Project Term: 06/01/2016 - 12/31/2018
Program: OPEN 2015
Award: $3,985,608

Stanford University

By leveraging advanced microfabrication processes, the team led by Stanford University will develop a scalable heat-to-electricity conversion device with higher performance at a lower manufacturing cost than is presently available to industry. The team’s solid-state conversion device is based on a 20th century thermionic converter design, where an electric current is produced by heating up an electrode to eject electrons across a vacuum gap for collection by a cooler electrode. Historically, thermionic energy converters are limited by heat losses and are costly to manufacture due to the high…

Status: ALUMNI
State: CA
Project Term: 09/13/2019 - 03/12/2023
Program: OPEN 2018
Award: $1,298,588

Stanford University

Stanford will develop an innovative cooling technology, the Extreme Heat Flux Micro- (EHFμ-) Cooler, to improve reliability and performance in power electronics by offering improved chip thermal management. The cooler employs a novel liquid wicking, thin-film evaporator, with microchannels to route liquid and the resulting vapor, with the net effect of improved heat removal rates at manageable pressure drops. This significantly increases heat flux thereby reducing the device (chip) temperature. The design could increase heat transfer rates by an order of magnitude compared with today’s…

Status: ALUMNI
State: CA
Project Term: 02/11/2014 - 09/30/2017
Program: RANGE
Award: $2,744,657

Stanford University

Stanford University is developing an EV battery that can be used as a structural component of the vehicle. Today’s EV battery packs only serve one purpose: electrical energy storage. They do not carry structural loads during operation or absorb impact energy in the event of a collision. Stanford’s new battery design would improve upon existing technologies in four key areas: 1) structural capabilities, 2) damage and state sensing systems, 3) novel battery management and thermal regulation, and 4) high-capacity battery cells. Stanford’s research will result in a multifunctional battery chassis…

Status: ALUMNI
State: CA
Project Term: 08/07/2017 - 12/31/2021
Program: ROOTS
Award: $2,234,970

Stanford University

Stanford University will develop a non-contact root imaging system that uses a hybrid of microwave excitation and ultrasound detection. Microwave excitation from the surface can penetrate the soil to the roots, and results in minor heating of the roots and soil at varying levels depending on their physical properties. This heating creates a thermoacoustic signal in the ultrasound domain that travels back out of the soil. The team’s advanced ultrasound detector has the ability to detect these signals and maintain sufficient signal-to-noise ratio for imaging and root biomass analysis. The team…

Status: ACTIVE
State: CA
Project Term: 04/13/2020 - 09/30/2024
Program: Exploratory Topics
Award: $1,877,548

Stanford University

Stanford University will design a process for catalytic pyrolysis of methane into high-value carbon nanotubes and hydrogen (H2) at the low cost of $1/kg, without any carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. This project will synthesize high-performance, nano-controlled pyrolysis catalysts with structural features that enable efficient catalyst regeneration and separation of solid crystalline carbon. The carbon nanotubes can be used in a wide range of applications from batteries to carbon-fiber composites. Low-cost, CO2-free hydrogen can be used to decarbonize multiple large industries such as refinery…

Status: ACTIVE
State: CA
Project Term: 09/01/2021 - 02/29/2024
Program: ECOSynBio
Award: $2,672,672

Stanford University

Stanford University is developing a commercially attractive, scalable, carbon-negative technology for producing commodity biochemicals. Glucose, carbon dioxide (CO2), and electricity will provide the required atoms and energy for carbon-negative, energy-positive production. Instead of releasing CO2 into the atmosphere, this new approach will enable use of atmospheric CO2 and glucose obtained from cornstarch to produce renewable fuels and chemicals. The benchmark product will be succinic acid, an established bioproduct with applications in alkyd resins, plasticizers, metal treatment chemicals…

Status: ACTIVE
State: CA
Project Term: 05/10/2022 - 05/09/2025
Program: OPEN 2021
Award: $1,900,000

Stanford University

The Stanford University team will additively manufacture amorphous metal SMCs with near-net shapes, reduced cost, reduced material waste, and tailored properties. SMCs are key to increasing energy density and efficiency of electric motors and enabling miniaturized electric vehicle chargers, transformers, and power generators. Scalable, solution-processed oxide-coated amorphous metal nanoparticles will be 3D-printed into rods and donut shapes (toroids) for magnetic measurements. SMC inductor performance will be tested within a calorimetric chamber for precise measurement of losses. If…

Status: ACTIVE
State: CA
Project Term: 07/28/2023 - 07/27/2026
Program: Exploratory Topics
Award: $1,499,783

Stanford University

Stanford University will explore a technical solution based on LENR-active nanoparticles and gaseous deuterium. The team seeks to alleviate critical impediments to test the hypothesis that LENR-active sites in metal nanoparticles can be created through exposure to deuterium gas.

Status: ALUMNI
State: CO
Project Term: 03/01/2016 - 08/31/2020
Program: OPEN 2015
Award: $2,729,691

Starfire Energy

The team led by Starfire Energy will develop a modular, small-scale, HB-type process for ammonia synthesis. The team’s innovative approach is less energy-intensive and more economical than conventional, large-scale HB because a novel electroactive catalyst allows operation at lower temperatures and pressures. Their approach combines a high-activity precious metal catalyst and an electroactive catalyst support to form ammonia molecules, while operating at moderate pressures and using localized high-temperature reaction zones. The extreme reaction conditions in conventional HB require that the…

Status: ACTIVE
State: IL
Project Term: 08/10/2022 - 08/09/2024
Program: Exploratory Topics
Award: $495,528

Stoicheia

Stoicheia aims to accelerate the discovery of proton exchange membrane electrolyzer (PEM) anode catalysts to reduce or eliminate the rare, expensive iridium oxide (IrOx) that is currently the industry standard. Stoicheia’s novel combinatorial process and Megalibrary platform enables the rapid synthesis and characterization of hundreds of thousands of unique materials in a single experiment. Stoicheia seeks to use this approach to accelerate the discovery of reduced IrOX options. PEMs enable both water and CO2 electrolysis to hydrogen and valuable hydrocarbons, respectively, at net-zero carbon…

Status: ALUMNI
State: NY
Project Term: 08/23/2015 - 04/22/2019
Program: ARID
Award: $2,500,000

Stony Brook University

Stony Brook University will work with Brookhaven National Laboratory, United Technologies Research Center, and the Gas Technology Institute to develop a thermosyphon system that condenses water vapor from power plant flue gas for evaporative cooling. The system could provide supplemental cooling for thermoelectric power plants in which the combustion process – burning fossil fuel to produce heat – results in a significant quantity of water vapor that is typically discharged to the atmosphere. In Stony Brook’s system, an advanced loop thermosyphon will allow the liquid and vapor phases to flow…

Status: ALUMNI
State: NY
Project Term: 05/05/2015 - 07/30/2018
Program: DELTA
Award: $1,360,630

Stony Brook University

Stony Brook University will develop eSAVER, an active air conditioning vent capable of modulating airflow distribution, velocity, and temperature to promote localized thermal envelopes around building occupants. Stony Brook’s smart vent modulates the airflow using an array of electro-active polymer tubes that are individually controlled to create a localized curtain of air to suit the occupant’s heating or cooling needs. The eSAVER can immediately be implemented by simply replacing an existing HVAC register with the new unit or can be installed in new constructions for significant reduction…

Status: ALUMNI
State: NY
Project Term: 09/05/2018 - 12/04/2020
Program: INTEGRATE
Award: $2,322,236

Stony Brook University

Stony Brook University will develop a hybrid distributed electricity generation system that combines a pressurized solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) with an advanced internal combustion engine (ICE). SOFCs and ICEs are complementary technologies whose integration can offer high efficiency, low emissions, long life, and durability. The team's innovation includes the use of a high power density, pressurized SOFC stack with anode recirculation with a spark ignition (SI) engine. The engine will be designed to use the cell’s leftover “tailgas” as the fuel to produce additional power, boosting…

Status: ALUMNI
State: NY
Project Term: 03/13/2019 - 03/12/2022
Program: MEITNER
Award: $2,832,020

Stony Brook University

Stony Brook University will develop advanced technologies for gas-cooled reactors to increase their power density, enabling them to be smaller. The team seeks to develop a high-performance moderator—which slows down neutrons so they can cause fission—to enable a compact reactor with enhanced safety features. Shrinking the reactor size enables greater versatility in deployment and reduced construction times and costs, both of which are especially important for smaller modular reactor systems that may be constructed wherever heat and power are needed.

Status: ACTIVE
State: NY
Project Term: 03/15/2021 - 03/14/2025
Program: GAMOW
Award: $2,550,000

Stony Brook University

With significant improvement in high-temperature superconductors (HTS), several fusion projects are adopting HTS for high-field magnets. As compact fusion devices have less space for radiation shielding, HTS degradation is a potential design-limiting issue. There are currently no high-performance, compact shielding materials to enable the HTS technology in compact fusion devices. Stony Brook University seeks to improve the effectiveness and longevity of shield materials for HTS magnets. The team will leverage innovative manufacturing methods to fabricate novel two-phase composites that…

Status: ACTIVE
State: NY
Project Term: 06/10/2022 - 06/09/2025
Program: ONWARDS
Award: $3,400,000

Stony Brook University

Stony Brook University aims to significantly reduce compact reactor waste via improved fuel utilization and reduced uranium loading. The team’s solution is a novel microencapsulated fuel form leveraging halide salt sintering of magnesium oxide (MgO), developed under ARPA-E’s MEITNER program to enable advanced moderator technologies with enhanced neutronic performance and temperature stability as a replacement for graphite. Stony Brook will extend the technology to further enhance fuel utilization while addressing the back-end of the fuel cycle by fabricating a low-waste and repository-ready…

Status: CANCELLED
State: UT
Project Term: 06/05/2017 - 04/30/2019
Program: REFUEL
Award: $2,523,547

Storagenergy Technologies

Storagenergy Technologies will develop a solid-state electrolyzer that uses nitrogen or air for high-rate ammonia production. Current electrolyzer systems for ammonia production have several challenges. Some use acidic membranes that can react with ammonia, resulting in lower conductivity and reduced membrane life. Operation at conventional low temperatures (<100°C) traditionally have low rates of reactions, while those that operate at high temperatures (>500°C) have long-heating processes that make them less practical for intermittent operation using renewable energy. The Storagenergy…

Status: ALUMNI
State: MA
Project Term: 07/19/2021 - 01/18/2023
Program: Exploratory Topics
Award: $498,254

Sublime Systems

Cement is responsible for 8% of global CO2 emissions. Currently, the only economical way to make Portland cement’s key ingredient, lime, is by thermally decomposing limestone. This reaction contributes ~75% of cement’s emissions. Sublime Systems (Sublime) will build an electrochemical system to produce lime using off-peak renewable electricity and calcium sources that do not release CO2. The lime produced may possess exceptional purity, consistency, and reactivity, enabling next-generation low-carbon cements. If successful and scaled, Sublime’s electrochemical synthesis of lime would reduce…

Status: ACTIVE
State: MA
Project Term: 07/28/2022 - 07/27/2025
Program: OPEN 2021
Award: $3,594,384

Sublime Systems

Sublime Systems will develop the first platform technology that uses electrochemistry to upcycle waste products and low-value minerals into valuable, CO2-neutral materials. The technology consists of an impurity-tolerant renewable electricity-powered electrochemical reactor. It generates strong acids and bases to separate, extract, and purify the elements contained in the input materials. The focus is on recovering magnesium, silica, and valuable metals from waste products (coal bottom ash and demolition waste concrete) and highly abundant but low-value mafic or ultramafic rocks. The process…

Status: ALUMNI
State: MA
Project Term: 12/31/2009 - 12/31/2012
Program: OPEN 2009
Award: $4,085,346

Sun Catalytix

Sun Catalytix is developing wireless energy-storage devices that convert sunlight and water into renewable fuel. Learning from nature, one such device mimics the ability of a tree leaf to convert sunlight into storable energy. It is comprised of a silicon solar cell coated with catalytic materials, which help speed up the energy conversion process. When this cell is placed in a container of water and exposed to sunlight, it splits the water into bubbles of oxygen and hydrogen. The hydrogen and oxygen can later be recombined to create electricity, when the sun goes down for example. The Sun…

Status: ALUMNI
State: OH
Project Term: 12/01/2015 - 09/30/2021
Program: GENSETS
Award: $4,789,546

Sunpower

Sunpower, in partnership with Aerojet Rocketdyne and Precision Combustion Inc. (PCI), proposes a high-frequency, high efficiency 1 kW free-piston Stirling engine (FPSE). A Stirling engine uses a working gas such as helium, which is housed in a sealed environment. 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 process resets before repeating again. Advanced Stirling engines endeavor to carefully manage heat inside the system to make the most efficient use of…

Status: ACTIVE
State: CT
Project Term: 06/14/2019 - 03/13/2024
Program: OPEN 2018
Award: $3,323,256

Supercool Metals

Supercool Metals, LLC will explore manufacturing processes for high-strength, light-weight structural metal parts to enable more energy-efficient transportation. Lightweighting is a necessity for the automotive and aerospace industries, and increasingly important for the transition to hybrid and fully electric vehicles. Bulk metallic glasses (BMGs), which will be investigated in this project, are complex, light-weight alloys with significantly higher mechanical properties (e.g., strength, toughness, corrosion resistance) than conventional alloys. Supercool Metals will explore possibilities…

Status: ALUMNI
State: UT
Project Term: 07/14/2010 - 03/31/2015
Program: IMPACCT
Award: $5,297,254

Sustainable Energy Solutions (SES)

Sustainable Energy Solutions (SES) is developing a process to capture CO2 from the exhaust gas of coal-fired power plants by desublimation—the conversion of a gas to a solid. Capturing CO2 as a solid and delivering it as a liquid avoids the large energy cost of CO2 gas compression. SES' capture technology facilitates the prudent use of available energy resources; coal is our most abundant energy resource and is an excellent fuel for baseline power production. SES capture technology can capture 99% of the CO2 emissions in addition to a wide range of other pollutants more efficiently and at…

Status: ALUMNI
State: NC
Project Term: 11/01/2020 - 05/31/2022
Program: FLECCS
Award: $789,009

Susteon

Susteon will evaluate a CO2 capture technology using solid sorbents based on thermal swing adsorption that enables power generators to operate the power plant in a "load following" mode in response to grid conditions in a high VRE penetration environment. The proposed capture technology, based on novel structured adsorbents incorporating advanced nanomaterials, is currently being demonstrated with flue gas derived from natural gas combustion. Susteon plans to simulate the integration of this technology with an existing natural gas power plant in southern California, a region with a…

Status: ALUMNI
State: PA
Project Term: 09/28/2015 - 11/30/2019
Program: ALPHA
Award: $598,177

Swarthmore College

Swarthmore College, along with its partner Bryn Mawr College, will investigate a new kind of plasma fusion target that may offer improved stability at low cost and relatively low energy input. The research team will design and develop new modules that accelerate and evolve plasmas to create elongated structures known as Taylor states, which have helical magnetic field lines resembling a rope. These Taylor state structures exhibit interesting and potentially very beneficial properties upon compression, and could be used as a fusion target if they are able to maintain their temperatures and…

Status: ALUMNI
State: IL
Project Term: 09/29/2017 - 09/28/2021
Program: CIRCUITS
Award: $2,130,643

Switched Source

Switched Source will develop a power-electronics based hardware solution to fortify electric distribution systems, with the goal of delivering cost-effective infrastructure retrofits to match rapid advancements in energy generation and consumption. The company’s power flow controller will improve capabilities for routing electricity between neighboring distribution circuit feeders, so that grid operators can utilize the system as a more secure, reliable, and efficient networked platform. The topology the team is incorporating into its controller will eliminate the need for separate heavy and…

Status: ACTIVE
State: CA
Project Term: 08/08/2022 - 08/07/2024
Program: Exploratory Topics
Award: $500,000

Sylvatex

Sylvatex will use a low-cost, high-yield, and simplified continuous approach to synthesize lithium iron phosphate iron (LFP) based cathode materials for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) where the reactants flow and mix continuously. Sylvatex’s proprietary nanomaterial platform has already demonstrated a significant breakthrough in synthesizing cathode materials for LIBs. This project will demonstrate the feasibility of producing LFP-based materials with a controlled continuous approach which could reduce energy consumption by 80%, waste by 60%, and cost by 60% relative to the incumbent commercial…

Status: ACTIVE
State: MD
Project Term: 05/09/2022 - 05/08/2025
Program: OPEN 2021
Award: $2,733,031

Synteris

Synteris will use additive manufacturing to print transformative 3D ceramic packaging for power electronic modules. Existing power modules contain flat ceramic substrates that serve as the electrically insulating component and thermal conductor that transfer the large heat outputs of these devices. Synteris will replace the traditional insulating metalized substrate, substrate attach, and baseplate/heat exchanger with a ceramic component that acts an electrical insulator and heat exchanger for a dielectric fluid. This innovation in the design, manufacturability, and function of a power module…

Status: ALUMNI
State: NY
Project Term: 05/01/2015 - 10/31/2021
Program: DELTA
Award: $3,449,963

Syracuse University

Syracuse University will develop a near-range micro-environmental control system transforming the way office buildings are thermally conditioned to improve occupant comfort. The system leverages a high-performance micro-scroll compressor coupled to a phase-change material, which is a substance with a high latent heat of fusion and the capability to store and release large amounts of heat at a constant temperature. This material will store the cooling produced by the compression system at night, releasing it as a cool breeze of air to make occupants more comfortable during the day. When…

Status: ALUMNI
State: NY
Project Term: 05/15/2018 - 05/31/2022
Program: SENSOR
Award: $1,200,000

Syracuse University

Syracuse University will develop a sensor unit to detect occupancy in residential homes called MicroCam. The MicroCam system will be equipped with a very low-resolution camera sensor, a low-resolution infrared array sensor, a microphone, and a low-power embedded processor. These tools allow the system to measure shape/texture from static images, motion from video, and audio changes from the microphone input. The combination of these modalities can reduce error, since any one modality in isolation may be prone to missed detections or high false alarm rates. Advanced algorithms will translate…

Status: ALUMNI
State: TX
Project Term: 02/11/2019 - 09/10/2020
Program: OPEN 2018
Award: $750,000

Syzygy Plasmonics

Syzygy Plasmonics will develop a system that uses light to catalyze reactions inside a traditional chemical reactor. The team will construct a reactor that can be used for small-to-medium-scale generation of fuel cell quality hydrogen from ammonia, to be incorporated into existing infrastructures like hydrogen refueling stations for fuel cell vehicles. By using light instead of heat to drive the ammonia decomposition, the reactor can keep temperatures much lower, which reduces energy consumption, carbon emissions, and operational and capital costs while enhancing flexibility.

Status: ACTIVE
State: MA
Project Term: 09/24/2020 - 03/23/2024
Program: PERFORM
Award: $2,200,000

Tabors Caramanis Rudkevich (TCR)

Tabors Caramanis Rudkevich’s (TCR) Stochastic Nodal Adequacy Platform (SNAP) will determine the value of resource adequacy for the electric power industry given significant penetration of intermittent and distributed generation. TCR and IBM’s The Weather Company are developing algorithms and software to stochastically value system adequacy by taking into account the weather-driven stochasticity of intermittent solar (utility and residential) and wind generation and weather-dependent variation in demand. SNAP is based on the premise that uncertainty in resource availability characterizes real-…

Status: ALUMNI
State: TN
Project Term: 02/15/2013 - 03/06/2017
Program: OPEN 2012
Award: $2,150,081

Tai-Yang Research Company (TYRC)

Tai-Yang Research Company (TYRC) is developing a superconducting cable, which is a key enabling component for a grid-scale magnetic energy storage device. Superconducting magnetic energy storage systems have not established a commercial foothold because of their relatively low energy density and the high cost of the superconducting material. TYRC is coating their cable in yttrium barium copper oxide (YBCO) to increase its energy density. This unique, proprietary cable could be manufactured at low cost because it requires less superconducting material to produce the same level of energy…