Status:
ACTIVE
State:
IL
Project Term:
-
Program:
OPEN 2021
Award:
$5,754,096
Hinetics
Cryogen-Free Ultra-High Field Superconducting Electric MotorHinetics 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. This design could enable a 10 MW, 3000 RPM aircraft propulsion motor weighing less than 250 kilograms that rejects up to 10 times less total heat to the ambient…
Status:
ALUMNI
State:
VA
Project Term:
-
Program:
MEITNER
Award:
$2,773,305
HolosGen
Transportable Modular ReactorHolosGen is developing a transportable gas-cooled nuclear reactor with load following ability. The reactor concept is essentially a closed-loop jet engine (Brayton cycle) with the typical combustor replaced by a nuclear heat source. The nuclear heat source is comprised of multiple subcritical power modules (SPMs) that only produce power when they are positioned in close proximity, allowing sufficient neutron transfer to reach criticality (steady-state). The modules will be positioned using an exoskeletal structure with fast-actuation technologies currently employed by the aviation industry.…
Status:
ACTIVE
State:
AZ
Project Term:
-
Program:
ASCEND
Award:
$6,860,117
Honeywell International
Advanced Electric Propulsion System (AEPS)Honeywell Aerospace and the University of Maryland propose to develop a novel high-voltage 500 kW advanced electric propulsion system (AEPS) with a high efficiency and a high-power density. The system will provide direct drive to the propulsive device without using a torque amplifier for low weight, cost, and volume, and high reliability. The major components, the electric rotating machine (motor) and the motor drive (power and control electronics), will be heavily integrated for better performance, sharing a common chassis and cooling system. The AEPS will include a highly effective and…
Status:
Selected
State:
TBD
Project Term:
TBD
Program:
COOLERCHIPS
Award:
TBD
HP
Embedded Microfluidic Cooling for Nextgen High Power Server ArchitecturesAs part of their Category A effort, HP will work with partners to develop an aggressive liquid cooling solution that reduces the need for thermal interface material and the number of thermal interfaces between high-power CPUs/GPUs and the coolant, thereby dramatically lowering the package thermal resistance. The proposed approach leverages HP’s inkjet microfluidics platform and relies on first coupling silicon microchannels to a device’s surface, and then by embedding microfluidics deeper into the device as a future step. This design would reject server heat to 40°C and 60% relative humidity…
Status:
ALUMNI
State:
CA
Project Term:
-
Program:
ADEPT
Award:
$5,425,912
HRL Laboratories
Compact, Interactive Electric Vehicle ChargerHRL Laboratories is using gallium nitride (GaN) semiconductors to create battery chargers for electric vehicles (EVs) that are more compact and efficient than traditional EV chargers. Reducing the size and weight of the battery charger is important because it would help improve the overall performance of the EV. GaN semiconductors process electricity faster than the silicon semiconductors used in most conventional EV battery chargers. These high-speed semiconductors can be paired with lighter-weight electrical circuit components, which helps decrease the overall weight of the EV battery…
Status:
ALUMNI
State:
CA
Project Term:
-
Program:
SWITCHES
Award:
$3,510,986
HRL Laboratories
Vertical GaN TransistorHRL Laboratories will develop a high-performance, low-cost, vertical gallium nitride (GaN) transistor that could displace the silicon transistor technologies used in most high-power switching applications today. GaN transistors can operate at higher temperatures, voltages, and currents than their silicon counterparts, but they are expensive to manufacture. HRL will combine innovations in semiconductor material growth, device fabrication, and circuit design to create its high-performance GaN vertical transistor at a competitive manufacturing cost.
Status:
ACTIVE
State:
CA
Project Term:
-
Program:
OPEN 2021
Award:
$2,601,986
HRL Laboratories
Surface Laser Architected Magnets (SLAM)HRL Laboratories’ surface laser architected magnets (SLAM) approach can reduce the use of HRE by locally optimizing the crystallographic orientation of the microstructure on the magnet’s surface. Using laser-based post-processing methods, SLAM magnetically hardens the weakest points on a NdFeB magnet surface against demagnetization, which enables higher torque and more energy efficient motors. By increasing demagnetization resistance, the extent of usable magnetic energy produced at elevated operating temperatures can be increased up to 2X in permanent magnets. Magnet and motor size and mass…
Status:
Selected
State:
TBD
Project Term:
TBD
Program:
COOLERCHIPS
Award:
TBD
HRL Laboratories
Aligned Graphite Microchannel Cooling (AGMC) System with Additively Manufactured ManifoldsAs part of a Category A project, HRL Laboratories will develop a novel data center thermal management system with low thermal resistance and greater energy efficiency to reduce power consumption for the next generation of data center servers. HRL’s system utilizes aligned graphite micro-fins and additively manufactured flow manifolds to overcome performance limitations common to existing cooling blocks and provide unprecedented cooling for current and future processors.
Status:
ACTIVE
State:
OH
Project Term:
-
Program:
ASCEND
Award:
$2,910,479
Hyper Tech Research
Cryo Thermal Management of HIGH-POWER Density Motors and DrivesHyper Tech Research Inc., aims to design and demonstrate a multi-MW, high-efficiency, and high-power density integrated electric propulsion motor, drive, and thermal management system that meets the performance requirements of future hybrid electric, single-aisle passenger aircraft. The proposed technology incorporates an advanced and high-performance induction electric motor and drive system with novel advanced thermal management techniques for synergistic cooling that safely uses cryogenic bio-liquified natural gas (LNG) as the energy source for power generation and a large thermal-battery…
Status:
ACTIVE
State:
OH
Project Term:
-
Program:
Exploratory Topics
Award:
$1,600,000
Hyper Tech Research
Power Transmission Cable for Electric Aircraft using Bio LNG for Cooling and Thermal ManagementThere are two key engineering challenges in the development of 10 kV, 10 MW electric power distribution cables for double-aisle passenger aircraft. One is providing sufficient electrical insulation at high voltages and the second is transferring heat away from the conductors. Hyper Tech Research will decrease the resistivity of copper-clad aluminum conductors by a factor of three by maintaining the temperature of the conductors at around 120 Kelvin. The goal of the technology is to reduce the conductor size, cryostat size, and cable volume and weight to significantly lower the mass-…
Status:
ALUMNI
State:
VA
Project Term:
-
Program:
Exploratory Topics
Award:
$500,000
HyperJet Fusion
Plasma Guns for Magnetized Fuel Targets for PJMIFHyperJet Fusion is advancing a potentially faster and cheaper approach to fusion energy that would result in reduced energy emissions. In plasma jet driven magneto-inertial fusion (PJMIF), an array of discrete supersonic plasma jets is used to form a spherically imploding plasma liner, which then compresses a magnetized plasma target to fusion conditions. HyperJet Fusion has been developing the plasma guns required for an experimental demonstration of the plasma liner formation. The proposed project focuses on developing the magnetized plasma target. The concept could potentially introduce an…
Status:
ALUMNI
State:
NM
Project Term:
-
Program:
SWITCHES
Award:
$3,146,043
iBeam Materials
GaN LEDs on Flexible Metal FoilsiBeam Materials is developing a scalable manufacturing method to produce low-cost gallium nitride (GaN) LED devices for use in solid-state lighting. iBeam Materials uses an ion-beam crystal-aligning process to create single-crystal-like templates on arbitrary substrates thereby eliminating the need for small rigid single-crystal substrates. This process is inexpensive, high-output, and allows for large-area deposition in particular on flexible metal foils. In using flexible substrates, in contrast to rigid single-crystal wafers, the ion-aligning process also enables roll-to-roll (R2R)…
Status:
ALUMNI
State:
NY
Project Term:
-
Program:
DIFFERENTIATE
Award:
$1,386,001
IBM T.J. Watson Research Center
Model-based Reinforcement Learning with Active Learning for Efficient Electrical Power Converter DesignIBM Research will develop a reinforcement learning (RL)-based electrical power converter design tool. Such converters are widely used and critically important in many applications. Designing a specific converter is a lengthy and expensive process that involves multiple manual steps—selecting and configuring the correct components and topologies; evaluating the design performance via simulations; and iteratively optimizing the design while satisfying resource, technology, and cost constraints. In this project, the design problem will be formulated as mixed integer optimization to be…
Status:
ALUMNI
State:
NY
Project Term:
-
Program:
ENLITENED
Award:
$2,424,000
IBM T.J. Watson Research Center
Optical Network using Photonic SwitchesThe IBM T.J. Watson Research Center will develop datacenter networking technology incorporating extremely fast switching devices that operate on the nanosecond scale. At the heart of the process is the development of a new type of photonic switch. The dominant switching technology today are electronic switches that toggle connections between two wires, each wire providing a different communication channel. A photonic switch toggles connections between two optical fibers, where each individual fiber themselves can carry many communication channels allowing immense numbers of data transfers.…
Status:
ACTIVE
State:
NY
Project Term:
-
Program:
ENLITENED
Award:
$10,059,406
IBM T.J. Watson Research Center
Multi-Wavelength Optical TransceiversIBM T.J. Watson Research Center will develop a two-pronged approach to improve future datacenter efficiency.. New optical interconnect solutions can provide a path to energy-efficient datacenters at higher bandwidth levels, but they must also meet key metrics including power density, cost, latency, reliability, and signal integrity. IBM's team will use their expertise with vertical-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VCSELs) to develop VCSEL-based optical interconnect technology capable of meeting the necessary future demands. VCSEL-based interconnects offer an appealing combination of low…
Status:
ALUMNI
State:
NY
Project Term:
-
Program:
MONITOR
Award:
$4,500,000
IBM T.J. Watson Research Center
Multi-Modal Methane Measurement SystemIBM’s T.J Watson Research Center is working in conjunction with Harvard University and Princeton University to develop an energy-efficient, self-organizing mesh network to gather data over a distributed methane measurement system. Data will be passed to a cloud-based analytics system using custom models to quantify the amount and rate of methane leakage. Additionally, IBM is developing new, low-cost optical sensors that will use tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (TDLAS) for methane detection. While today’s optical sensors offer excellent sensitivity and selectivity, their high cost…
Status:
ACTIVE
State:
NY
Project Term:
-
Program:
OPEN 2021
Award:
$2,629,666
IBM T.J. Watson Research Center
Systems Two Phase CoolingIBM will develop an energy-efficient two-phase cooling system for data center servers to significantly reduce energy and water usage. The system will improve data center energy efficiency over traditionally air-cooled data centers that consume 25-35% of the total data center energy usage. The proposed system will flow non-conductive, dielectric liquid coolant within a server by placing heat extracting cold plates in direct contact with high power components (CPUs, GPUs, etc.), reducing the thermal resistance between the chip and coolant and allowing above ambient coolant temperature. This can…
Status:
ALUMNI
State:
ID
Project Term:
-
Program:
Exploratory Topics
Award:
$1,659,014
Idaho National Laboratory (INL)
Next-Generation Metal FuelINL and its partners are proposing a next generation metal fuel in support of a megawatt-scale compact fast reactor – being developed by Oklo Inc – that is uniquely sized for off-grid applications. The team seeks to develop a fuel with a demonstrated production process and validated performance that incorporates engineered porosity to absorb and retain produced gasses, allowing for higher operating temperatures, as well as a diffusion barrier between the fuel alloy and the cladding to avoid material degradation, which removes the need for the complicated-to-manufacture sodium bond between…
Status:
ACTIVE
State:
ID
Project Term:
-
Program:
ONWARDS
Award:
$2,076,343
Idaho National Laboratory (INL)
Traveling Molten Zone Refining Process Development for Innovative Fuel Cycle SolutionsIdaho National Laboratory (INL) will develop a thermal treatment process for extracting metallic actinides as a group and separating active fission products from used metal fuels. The INL team will leverage the anticipated formation of immiscible (unmixable) liquid layers and subsequent precipitation of solid phases upon cooling to improve the purity of resulting products at a potentially lower cost. A traveling molten zone system will rapidly extract actinides from used metallic fuels. One rapid pass of the molten zone from the bottom to the top of the metallic rod incorporating species of…
Status:
ACTIVE
State:
ID
Project Term:
-
Program:
MINER
Award:
$3,517,422
Idaho National Laboratory (INL)
Integrated Electro-Hydraulic Fracturing and Real-Time Monitoring for Carbon Negative In-Situ MiningIdaho National Laboratory (INL) will advance state-of-the-art of integrated reservoir stimulation and sensing technology for enhanced in-situ mining (ISM) and carbon mineralization. This project will use disruptive electro-hydraulic fracturing to increase permeability of intact ore bodies, expanding the accessibility of CO2-charged fluid to carbonation-target minerals and dispersed energy-relevant minerals. It will also use cost-effective distributed fiber-optic sensing for quantifying permeability enhancement, flow characterization, degree of carbonation, and detecting potential CO2 leakage…
Status:
ACTIVE
State:
ID
Project Term:
-
Program:
CURIE
Award:
$1,232,740
Idaho National Laboratory (INL)
Development of Robust Anode Materials for the Electrochemical Recovery of Actinide Elements from the Used Nuclear FuelIdaho National Laboratory (INL) will design, fabricate, and test robust anode materials for recovering actinide elements from used LWR fuels through a molten salt electrochemical process. Current anode materials, which are typically fabricated from either platinum or graphite, are expensive, degrade rapidly, contaminate the reduced actinide product, and generate greenhouse gases when used to manufacture metallic products. The proposed anode materials consist of monolithic ruthenium metal, alloys of ruthenium and iridium (with transition metals), and ruthenium- and iridium-coated electrodes.…
Status:
ALUMNI
State:
TX
Project Term:
-
Program:
Solar ADEPT
Award:
$2,499,787
Ideal Power
Lightweight PV InvertersPV inverters convert DC power generated by modules into usable AC power. Ideal Power's initial 30kW 94lb PV inverter reduces the weight of comparable 30kW PV inverters by 90%—reducing the cost of materials, manufacturing, shipping, and installation. With ARPA-E support, new bi-directional silicon power switches will be developed, commercialized, and utilized in Ideal Power's next-generation PV inverter. With these components, Ideal Power will produce 100kW inverters that weight less than 100lb., reducing the weight of conventional 3,000lb. 100kW inverters by more than 95%. The new…
Status:
ALUMNI
State:
IL
Project Term:
-
Program:
CIRCUITS
Award:
$2,011,800
Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT)
Solid State Circuit Breakers for MicrogridsIllinois Institute of Technology (IIT) will develop autonomously operated, programmable, and intelligent bidirectional solid-state circuit breakers (SSCB) using transistors based on gallium nitride (GaN). Renewable power sources and other distributed energy resources feed electricity to the utility grid through interfacing power electronic converters, but the power converters cannot withstand a fault condition (abnormal electric current) for more than a few microseconds. Circuit faults cause either catastrophic destruction or protective shutdown of the converters, resulting in loss of power…
Status:
CANCELLED
State:
IL
Project Term:
-
Program:
RANGE
Award:
$2,294,446
Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT)
Nanoelectrofuel Flow Battery for Electric VehiclesIllinois Institute of Technology (IIT) is collaborating with Argonne National Laboratory to develop a rechargeable flow battery for EVs that uses a nanotechnology-based electrochemical liquid fuel that offers over 30 times the energy density of traditional electrolytes. Flow batteries, which store chemical energy in external tanks instead of within the battery container, are typically low in energy density and therefore not well suited for transportation. However, IIT’s flow battery uses a liquid electrolyte containing a large portion of nanoparticles to carry its charge; increases its energy…
Status:
ACTIVE
State:
IL
Project Term:
-
Program:
Exploratory Topics
Award:
$779,374
Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT)
Superconducting Momentary Circuit Interrupter: Fault Protection with Ultralow Loss and Ultrafast Response for Future Electric AviationFault protection must be provided for future turboelectric aircraft’s medium-voltage direct current power systems, but not necessarily from conventional circuit breakers. Illinois Institute of Technology will develop a 10 kV/150A superconducting momentary circuit interrupter (SMCI) to provide fault protection with ultralow power loss (<1 W), ultrafast response (<10 μs or ten millionth of a second), and high-power density. The architecture comprises an SMCI with a fast mechanical disconnect switch. Under normal operation, the SMCI conducts a DC load current through a high-temperature…
Status:
ACTIVE
State:
IL
Project Term:
-
Program:
OPEN 2021
Award:
$1,885,932
Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT)
Direct Conversion of Flue Gas to Value-Added Chemicals Using a Carbon -Nuetral ProcessThe Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) will develop a novel electrochemical process for electrochemically synthesizing C2+ alcohols, i.e., ethanol and propanol from captured CO2, at high rates in a laboratory-scale zero-gap flow electrolyzer. The IIT team will study the effects of flue gas composition and operating conditions on the reaction kinetics parameters and mass transport rate of the flue-gas-based CO2 reduction reaction. Ultimately, an environmentally friendly, economically feasible, and energy efficient CCU process will be developed for large-scale carbon-neutral production of…
Status:
ALUMNI
State:
WI
Project Term:
-
Program:
CIRCUITS
Award:
$1,172,888
Imagen Energy
Inverter for High Speed PMSMImagen Energy will develop a silicon carbide (SiC)-based compact motor drive system to efficiently control high-power (greater than 500 kW) permanent magnet electric motors operating at extremely high speed (greater than 20,000 rpm). Imagen’s design will address a major roadblock in operating electric motors at high speed, namely overcoming large back electromotive forces (BEMF). Their solution hopes to maximize the capabilities of the SiC technology and associated digital control platform, thereby bringing the overall drive system performance parameters to levels unachievable by current Si-…
Status:
CANCELLED
State:
CA
Project Term:
-
Program:
METALS
Award:
$94,604
iMetalx Group
Scaling up Titanium ProductioniMetalx is scaling up an advanced electrochemical process to produce low-cost titanium from domestic ore. While titanium is a versatile and robust structural metal, its widespread adoption for consumer applications has been limited due to its high cost of production. iMetalx is developing an new electrochemical titanium production process that avoids the cyclical formation of undesired titanium ions, thus significantly increasing the electrical current efficiency. iMetalx will test different cell designs, reduce unwanted side reactions to increase energy efficiency, and minimize the heat…
Status:
ACTIVE
State:
AL
Project Term:
-
Program:
Exploratory Topics
Award:
$500,000
Impact Cooling
High Density Cooling System for Ultra-Low PUE Data CentersImpact Cooling will develop a novel data center cooling solution that can cool server equipment efficiently using only air. Data centers are predicted to consume 8% of global electricity by 2030; approximately one-third of that energy is used for cooling server equipment rather than actual computations. State-of-the-art data center cooling has come from better separation of hot and cold air. State-of-the-art air-cooled data centers use air at ambient atmospheric pressure to cool the server equipment. Impact Cooling’s patented air jet impingement cooling technology can achieve dramatically…
Status:
ALUMNI
State:
CA
Project Term:
-
Program:
CIRCUITS
Award:
$2,235,994
Infineon Technologies
GaN HEMT Gate Driver Integrated CircuitInfineon Technologies will develop a new, low-cost integrated circuit (IC) gate driver specifically for use with gallium nitride (GaN) high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) switches. The GaN HEMT switches would be used as a component for controlling variable speed electric motors in variable speed drives (VSDs). Electric motors, which account for about 40% of U.S. electricity consumption, can be made substantially more efficient by replacing constant speed motors with variable speed motors. Most VSDs today use silicon-based semiconductors, which are limited in performance compared to…
Status:
ALUMNI
State:
MA
Project Term:
-
Program:
METALS
Award:
$3,980,000
INFINIUM
Aluminum Production Using Zirconia Solid ElectrolyteINFINIUM is developing a technology to produce light metals such as aluminum and titanium using an electrochemical cell design that could reduce energy consumption associated with these processes by over 50%. The key component of this innovation lies within the anode assembly used to electrochemically refine these light metals from their ores. While traditional processes use costly graphite anodes that are reacted to produce CO2 during refining, INFINIUM’s anode can use much cheaper fuels such as natural gas, and produce a high-purity oxygen by-product. Revenue from this by-product could…
Status:
CANCELLED
State:
MA
Project Term:
-
Program:
OPEN 2015
Award:
$2,022,919
INFINIUM
Low-Energy Magnesium RecyclingINFINIUM will convert low-grade magnesium scrap into material of sufficient purity for motor vehicle components by a novel high-efficiency process using less than 1 kWh/kg magnesium product. Other magnesium purification technologies such as distillation and electrorefining use 5-10 kWh/kg, and primary production uses 40-100 kWh/kg. This is also a high-speed continuous process, with much lower labor and capital costs than other batch purification technologies. This technology could enable cost-effective recycling of magnesium, converting low-grade scrap metal into high-purity magnesium at low…
Status:
ACTIVE
State:
CA
Project Term:
-
Program:
Exploratory Topics
Award:
$500,000
Inlyte Energy
The Salt and Iron Path to Renewables IntegrationInlyte Energy will engineer robust cyclability of the sodium metal halide (NaMx) battery’s iron chemistry for next-generation grid storage. The NaMx iron chemistry’s raw storage materials are table salt and iron, two of Earth’s most abundant and low-cost materials. The NaMx battery displays excellent safety, high efficiency, and a long life. Limited research on the sodium/iron chloride battery chemistry has shown variable cycling performance, the number of charge/discharge cycles it can complete before losing performance. Inlyte Energy will perform a systematic study, using a sodium/iron…
Status:
ACTIVE
State:
WI
Project Term:
-
Program:
REMEDY
Award:
$2,230,693
INNIO Waukesha Gas Engines
Ultra Low Methane Slip Reciprocating EngineINNIO’s Waukesha Gas Engines will develop a new piston, liner, and head gasket design that dramatically reduces crevice volumes, the largest source of unburned fuel, in engine combustion chambers. The team will optimize a large-bore steel piston to achieve the same reciprocating mass as current aluminum pistons. The new technology will broadly apply to all natural-gas-fueled lean-burn engines and can be used to retrofit a fleet of existing engines with little-to-no increase in budgeted costs. The technology will reduce emissions of regulated pollutants such as carbon monoxide, volatile…
Status:
CANCELLED
State:
OH
Project Term:
-
Program:
OPEN 2009
Award:
$1,640,916
Inorganic Specialists
Long-Range Li-Ion Batteries for Electric VehiclesInorganic Specialists’ project consists of material and manufacturing development for a new type of Li-Ion battery material, a silicon-coated paper. Silicon-based batteries are advantageous due to silicon’s ability to store large amounts of energy. Yet, the technology has not been able to withstand multiple charge/discharge cycles. The thinner the silicon-based material, the better it can handle multiple charge/discharge cycles. Inorganic Specialists’ extremely thin silicon-coated paper can store 4 times more energy than existing Li-Ion batteries. The team is improving manufacturing…
Status:
ALUMNI
State:
WA
Project Term:
-
Program:
OPEN 2012
Award:
$2,339,676
Integral Consulting
Measuring Real-Time Wave Data with Ocean Wave BuoyIntegral Consulting is developing a cost-effective ocean wave buoy system that will accurately measure its own movements as it follows the surface wave motions of the ocean and relay this real-time wave data. Conventional real-time wave measurement buoys are expensive, which limits the ability to deploy large networks of buoys. Data from Integral Consulting’s buoys can be used as input to control strategies of wave energy conversion (WEC) devices and allow these controlled WECs to capture significantly more energy than systems that do not employ control strategies. Integral Consulting’s…
Status:
Selected
State:
TBD
Project Term:
TBD
Program:
COOLERCHIPS
Award:
TBD
Intel Federal
Enabling Two-Phase Immersion Cooling to Support High TDPIntel Federal will develop ultra-low-thermal resistance, coral-shaped immersion cooling heat sinks integrated with a 3D vapor chamber cavity for high-power devices. Intel’s design would address the challenge of adapting two-phase immersion cooling by optimizing 3D vapor chambers to spread the heat more effectively. This is paired with innovative boiling enhancement coatings to reduce thermal resistance by promoting high nucleation site density.
Status:
ACTIVE
State:
LA
Project Term:
-
Program:
HITEMMP
Award:
$1,419,417
International Mezzo Technologies
A 2-5 MW Supercritical CO2 Micro Tube Recuperator: Manufacturing, Testing, and Laser Weld QualificationInternational Mezzo Technologies will design, manufacture, and test a compact, nickel-based superalloy supercritical carbon dioxide (sCO2) recuperator (a type of heat exchanger). The recuperator will incorporate laser-welded micro tubes and function at 800°C (1,472°F) and 275 bar (3,989 psi). Currently, the cost of recuperators for power systems operating in these conditions is prohibitive. Laser welding micro tubes offers a low-cost approach to fabricating heat exchangers, which could increase the economic competitiveness of sCO2 power cycles. Mezzo’s program could provide a pathway to…
Status:
ALUMNI
State:
MI
Project Term:
-
Program:
IDEAS
Award:
$499,999
Inventev
Transmission-Based Power GeneratorInventev is developing a proof-of-concept for a commercially viable generator system that is integrated with a truck transmission. The project will involve the design and fabrication of transmission and power electronics subsystems, integration of those systems into a Ford F550 chassis-cab truck, and conversion of the standard gasoline engine to a low-pressure natural gas engine. The project aims to create a 120kW low-cost, low-emission mobile power generator using natural gas with a cost target of 6-to-7 cents per kilowatt-hour. Of particular significance is the ability to use the same…
Status:
ACTIVE
State:
MD
Project Term:
-
Program:
Exploratory Topics
Award:
$500,000
InventWood
Wood Honeycombs for Lightweight, Energy Efficient Structural ApplicationsInventWood proposes to develop and manufacture lightweight 3D wood corrugated honeycomb structures to replace metal counterparts. Compared with widely used aluminum, 3D wood has similar mechanical strength, possesses one-third the density and one-fourteenth the cost, and reduces CO2 emissions by 90% in its manufacture. Project goals include: (1) improving 3D corrugated wood performance to achieve a mechanical strength of up to 500 MPa; (2) improving 3D wood performance to meet structural material requirements, including bending, compression, fatigue resistance, and thermal-cycling and water…
Status:
ACTIVE
State:
CA
Project Term:
-
Program:
ECOSynBio
Award:
$1,657,763
Invizyne Technologies
Carbon Negative Chemical with Synthetic BiochemistryInvizyne Technologies proposes an electrically powered cell-free enzymatic approach for upgrading ethanol into more useful chemicals. Because carbon for 99% of organic chemicals is petroleum-derived, replacing petroleum carbon with carbon captured from the atmosphere could greatly mitigate carbon emissions. Atmospheric CO2 represents a potentially limitless source of inexpensive carbon, but there are significant challenges to converting captured CO2 into useful chemicals and fuels. While recent technologies can capture CO2 by converting it into simple chemicals such as formate or ethanol,…
Status:
ACTIVE
State:
CA
Project Term:
-
Program:
Exploratory Topics
Award:
$496,177
Invizyne Technologies
Simplifying Reactor Setup for Cell-Free Biofuel ProductionInvizyne will develop efficient cell-free enzyme cascade reactions as an alternative, more commercially competitive approach to microbe-produced biofuels. Cell-free technology is still relatively new. However, Invizyne has already been successful in improving enzyme stability and process optimization to push down the cost curve of biofuels. The team seeks to address a barrier to market penetration for cell-free technologies by simplifying and reducing the cost of enzyme production. If successful, this approach could enable a cell-free enzyme system that produces isobutanol at below $3 per…
Status:
ALUMNI
State:
MA
Project Term:
-
Program:
IONICS
Award:
$6,761,565
Ionic Materials
Novel Polymer ElectrolyteIonic Materials will develop a lithium metal (not lithium ion) rechargeable battery cell that employs a novel solid polymer electrolyte that enables the world’s first truly safe lithium metal rechargeable battery cell. Scientists at the City University of New York have found that Ionic Material’s proprietary ionic conducting polymer is the most highly lithium conducting solid state polymer material ever measured (at room temperature). This polymer has high ionic conductivity across a range of temperatures, can be reliably extruded into very thin films, is non-flammable, has attractive…
Status:
ALUMNI
State:
MA
Project Term:
-
Program:
OPEN 2018
Award:
$2,061,799
Ionic Materials
Novel Polymer-Enabled Rechargeable Aluminum-Alkaline Battery TechnologyIonic Materials will develop a more energy dense (by volume and mass) rechargeable battery based on an aluminum-alkaline chemistry. At the center of Ionic Materials’ innovation is a new polymer-based material that suppresses the formation of undesired chemical products that prevent aluminum-alkaline batteries from recharging. Aluminum is a highly abundant natural resource and costs much less than cobalt, nickel, and lithium, key elements in today’s state-of-the-art batteries. Aluminum-alkaline chemistries are also inherently safer than LIBs, making them more appropriate for use in electric…
Status:
ALUMNI
State:
IA
Project Term:
-
Program:
DIFFERENTIATE
Award:
$1,979,995
Iowa State University (ISU)
Context-Aware Learning for Inverse Design in PhotovoltaicsIowa State University will develop novel machine learning tools to accelerate the inverse design of new microstructures in photovoltaics. The team will create a new deep generative model called bi-directional inverse design networks to combat challenges in real-world inverse design problems. The proposed inverse design tools, if successful, will produce novel, manufacturable material microstructures with improved electromagnetic properties relative to existing technology for better, more efficient solar energy.
Status:
ALUMNI
State:
IA
Project Term:
-
Program:
IDEAS
Award:
$371,726
Iowa State University (ISU)
Catalytic Autothermal PyrolysisIowa State University (ISU) will develop a catalytic autothermal pyrolysis (CAP) process for the production of aromatics and olefins that refiners blend into transportation fuels. Pyrolysis is the decomposition of substances by heating - the same process used to render wood into charcoal, caramelize sugar, and dry roast coffee beans. Traditionally, energy for pyrolysis is provided through indirect heat exchange, employing high temperature heat exchangers within reactors or conveying hot solids into reactors with the feedstock. This approach complicates the design and operation of reactors…
Status:
ALUMNI
State:
IA
Project Term:
-
Program:
IONICS
Award:
$1,631,957
Iowa State University (ISU)
Glassy Solid ElectrolytesIowa State University (ISU) will develop new lithium-ion-conducting glassy solid electrolytes to address the shortcomings of present-day lithium batteries. The electrolytes will have high ionic conductivities and excellent mechanical, thermal, chemical, and electrochemical properties. Because glasses lack grain boundaries, they will also be impermeable to lithium dendrites, branchlike metal fibers that can short-circuit battery cells. These glassy solid electrolytes can enhance the safety, performance, manufacturability, and cost of lithium batteries. In addition to the electrolyte…
Status:
CANCELLED
State:
IA
Project Term:
-
Program:
OPEN 2009
Award:
$2,490,248
Iowa State University (ISU)
Optimized Breeding of Microalgae for BiofuelsIowa State University (ISU) is genetically engineering a species of aquatic microalgae called Chlamydomonas for more energy efficient conversion of sunlight and carbon dioxide to biofuels. Current microalgae genetic technologies are imprecise and hinder the rapid engineering of a variety of desirable traits into Chlamydomonas. In the absence of genetic engineering, it remains unlikely that current microalgae technologies for biofuel production will be able to economically compete with traditional fossil fuels. ISU is developing a portfolio of technologies for rapid genetic modification and…
Status:
CANCELLED
State:
IA
Project Term:
-
Program:
OPEN 2015
Award:
$2,274,303
Iowa State University (ISU)
Low-Cost, Robust BatteryThe team led by Iowa State University (ISU) will develop an All Solid-State Sodium Battery (ASSSB) that will have a high energy content, can easily be recycled, and rely on highly abundant and extremely low cost starting materials. Commercially available sodium-based batteries operate at elevated temperatures, which decreases the efficiency and safety of the system. The team seeks to improve all three of the main components of a sodium-based battery: the anode, cathode, and electrolyte separator. The team’s anode is a porous carbon nanotube layer that will serve as a framework on which sodium…
Status:
ALUMNI
State:
IA
Project Term:
-
Program:
ROOTS
Award:
$1,099,513
Iowa State University (ISU)
Soil Sensors for Nitrogen Use EfficiencyIowa State University (ISU) will develop new sensors that measure the amount of nitrogen in soils and plants multiple times per day throughout the growing season. Nitrogen fertilizer is the largest energy input to U.S. corn production. However, its use is inefficient due to a lack of low-cost, effective nitrogen sensors. Year-to-year variation in nitrogen mineralization, due to differences in soil water and temperature, creates tremendous uncertainty about the proper fertilizer input and can cause farmers to over-apply. As a result, nitrogen fertilizer is lost from croplands to the…