Status: ALUMNI
State: KY
Project Term: 09/30/2019 - 06/30/2022
Program: Exploratory Topics
Award: $1,399,966

University of Kentucky

Develop an extremely durable belite-based cement alternative to ordinary portland cement that is low-energy consuming and low-carbon releasing. The material would use less energy, release less CO2 and excel in performance and durability over time.

Status: SELECTED
State: KY
Project Term: TBD
Program: MINER
Award: $3,500,000

University of Kentucky

The University of Kentucky’s proposed technology will use CO₂ emitted at or near operating mines and processing operations to reduce the energy consumed during grinding by more than 50% while improving the recovery of critical energy relevant minerals by 20% or greater. In this approach, CO2 will be mixed with ore containing the valuable minerals, especially copper (Cu) and rare earth elements, to improve grinding and separation efficiency. Biological fixation of CO2 will also be studied and employed in producing acid to recover Cu from low grade feedstocks. If bench-scale tests…

Status: ACTIVE
State: LA
Project Term: 03/15/2021 - 03/14/2023
Program: REEACH
Award: $2,263,000

University of Louisiana at Lafayette

The University of Louisiana at Lafayette will design and optimize an energy storage and power generation (ESPG) system for aircraft propulsion. The proposed system will consist of optimally sized fuel-to-electric power conversion devices—metal-supported solid oxide fuel cells (MS-SOFCs) and turbogenerators—using carbon-neutral synfuel. Batteries will also be used to provide suitable electrical power to the aircraft through all phases of a flight. The design concept will ensure adequate propulsive thrust and system power for a future airplane configuration by optimizing the ESPG and component…

Status: ACTIVE
State: ME
Project Term: 04/21/2020 - 03/31/2023
Program: ATLANTIS
Award: $1,187,201

University of Maine (UMaine)

The University of Maine (UMaine) team will design an ultra-lightweight, corrosion-resistant, concrete FOWT equipped with NASA motion mitigation technology originally developed to reduce vibrations in rockets. UMaine proposes this technology to counteract FOWT motions, leading to lighter platforms, increased turbine performance, and a lower levelized cost of electricity (LCOE). The project will take a radical next step in the field of floating offshore wind while building upon UMaine’s 12 years of experience in successfully designing and deploying the first grid-connected FOWT in the U.S. The…

Status: ACTIVE
State: MD
Project Term: 07/07/2020 - 01/06/2024
Program: BETHE
Award: $4,178,020

University of Maryland, Baltimore County (UMBC)

The University of Maryland, Baltimore County, will advance the performance of the centrifugal-mirror (CM) fusion concept, which has previously demonstrated stable plasmas with temperatures above 100 eV. The CM has a simple, axisymmetric geometry and provides a potential low-cost pathway to a breakeven experiment. The team will azimuthally rotate a mirror-shaped magnetized plasma to supersonic speeds using high-voltage biasing between a central rod and outer electrode rings. The rotation will stabilize, heat, and centrifugally confine the plasma, potentially eliminating the need for costly…

Status: ALUMNI
State: MD
Project Term: 09/01/2015 - 09/30/2019
Program: ARID
Award: $2,213,493

University of Maryland (UMD)

The University of Maryland (UMD) and its partners will utilize UMD’s expertise in additive manufacturing (3D printing) and thermal engineering to develop novel, polymer-based, air-cooled heat exchangers for use in indirect dry-cooling systems. The innovation leverages UMD’s proprietary, cross media heat exchanger concept in which a low-cost, high-conductivity medium, such as aluminum, is encapsulated as a fiber in a polymeric material to facilitate more effective heat dissipation. To realize the innovative heat exchanger design, the team will develop an advanced, multi-head, composite 3D…

Status: CANCELLED
State: MD
Project Term: 09/01/2015 - 08/13/2018
Program: ARID
Award: $1,934,587

University of Maryland (UMD)

The University of Maryland (UMD) and its partners will utilize a novel microemulsion absorbent, recently developed by UMD researchers, for use in an absorption cooling system that can provide supplemental dry cooling for power plants. These unique absorbents require much less heat to drive the process than conventional absorption materials. To remove heat and cool condenser water, microemulsion absorbents take in water vapor (refrigerant) and release the water as liquid during desorption without vaporization or boiling. UMD’s technology will use waste heat from the power plant’s flue gas to…

Status: ALUMNI
State: MD
Project Term: 10/01/2010 - 03/06/2017
Program: BEETIT
Award: $3,336,156

University of Maryland (UMD)

The University of Maryland (UMD) is developing an energy-efficient cooling system that eliminates the need for synthetic refrigerants that harm the environment. More than 90% of the cooling and refrigeration systems in the U.S. today use vapor compression systems which rely on liquid to vapor phase transformation of synthetic refrigerants to absorb or release heat. Thermoelastic cooling systems, however, use a solid-state material—an elastic shape memory metal alloy—as a refrigerant and a solid to solid phase transformation to absorb or release heat. UMD is developing and testing shape memory…

Status: ALUMNI
State: MD
Project Term: 04/15/2015 - 05/12/2018
Program: DELTA
Award: $2,590,788

University of Maryland (UMD)

The University of Maryland (UMD) will develop a robotic personal attendant providing improved comfort levels for individuals in inadequately heated/cooled environments. This mobile robotic platform will be fitted with a small, battery-powered, high-efficiency vapor compression heat pump and will be highly portable and able to follow an assigned person around during the course of the day, providing localized heating and/or cooling as needed while reducing the energy required to heat and cool buildings.

Status: ALUMNI
State: MD
Project Term: 05/01/2015 - 09/30/2018
Program: DELTA
Award: $3,082,002

University of Maryland (UMD)

Led by Dr. YuHuang Wang, the “Meta Cooling Textile (MCT)” project team at the University of Maryland (UMD) is developing a thermally responsive clothing fabric that extends the skin’s thermoregulation ability to maintain comfort in hotter or cooler office settings. Commercial wearable localized thermal management systems are bulky, heavy, and costly. MCT marks a potentially disruptive departure from current technologies by providing clothing with active control over the primary channels for energy exchange between the body and the environment. In hotter surroundings, the fabric’s pores open…

Status: ALUMNI
State: MD
Project Term: 05/20/2020 - 11/20/2022
Program: DIFFERENTIATE
Award: $1,356,300

University of Maryland (UMD)

The University of Maryland (UMD) will create inverse design tools for the development of enhanced heat transfer surfaces at reduced computational cost. Heat transfer surfaces are used to increase the efficiency of many energy conversion systems, but they are currently designed in a slow, iterative fashion. UMD will use a direct inverse design method map from given environments and performance metrics to design variables or materials. The project will make use of generative adversarial networks, statistical connections between optimization and dynamical systems, and active learning to achieve…

Status: ACTIVE
State: MD
Project Term: 08/15/2019 - 08/31/2023
Program: HITEMMP
Award: $1,728,532

University of Maryland (UMD)

The University of Maryland will design, manufacture, and test high-performance, compact heat exchangers for supercritical CO2 power cycles. Two innovative additive manufacturing processes will enable high performance. One facilitates up to 100 times higher deposition rate compared with regular laser powder additive manufacturing. The other enables crack-free additive manufacturing of an advanced nickel-based superalloy and has the potential to print features as fine as 20 micrometers. These developments could halve the fabrication cost and enable heat exchanger operations above 800°C (1472°F…

Status: ALUMNI
State: MD
Project Term: 07/25/2014 - 10/24/2015
Program: IDEAS
Award: $495,000

University of Maryland (UMD)

The University of Maryland (UMD) will leverage recent advances in additive manufacturing to develop a next-generation air-cooled heat exchanger. The UMD team will assess the performance and cost of current state-of-the-art technology, including innovative manufacturing processes. The team will then utilize computer models to simulate a wide-range of novel heat exchanger designs that can radically enhance air-side heat transfer performance. The team will then physically build and test two 1 kilowatt (kW) prototype devices. If successful, these heat exchangers would enable new, highly-…

Status: ALUMNI
State: MD
Project Term: 04/14/2016 - 04/13/2017
Program: IDEAS
Award: $500,000

University of Maryland (UMD)

The University of Maryland (UMD) will develop a new type of current collector using a film that is composed of functionalized few-walled carbon nanotubes (FWNTs) and polymers. The team seeks to develop a thin, low-cost current collector that displays high conductivity, excellent mechanical strength, flexibility, and manufacturing scalability. Carbon nanotubes have high conductivity, but in their pure state lack the needed mechanical strength. The FWNT concept will "functionalize" or bolster the outer walls by integrating polymers to increase the mechanical strength. This will give…

Status: ALUMNI
State: MD
Project Term: 02/13/2015 - 02/12/2016
Program: IDEAS
Award: $474,596

University of Maryland (UMD)

The University of Maryland (UMD) will develop a new method called "Melt Epitaxy of Carbon" for the production of lightweight, high-capacity carbon wires from carbon nanotubes. Metallic carbon nanotubes are lightweight, high-capacity conductors that exceed the current carrying capacity of metals like copper. The current density of carbon nanotubes is nearly 1,000 times greater than at the electromigration limit of copper. On a weight basis, carbon nanotubes have an additional 6-fold advantage over copper because of their reduced density. Carbon nanotubes can reduce the weight of…

Status: ALUMNI
State: MD
Project Term: 06/01/2018 - 12/31/2021
Program: IDEAS
Award: $550,000

University of Maryland (UMD)

The University of Maryland (UMD) will develop an electrochemical compression technology for ammonia. Electrochemical (an alternative to mechanical) compression has rarely been considered for ammonia, and the UMD team seeks to develop a new method to raise the compression efficiency from its current rate of 65% to the long term goal of up to 90%. If successful, replacing mechanical ammonia compression processes with electrochemical ones could save up to 10% of electricity consumed by commercial buildings while eliminating related carbon emissions and saving up to $3.5 billion annually for the…

Status: ALUMNI
State: MD
Project Term: 08/23/2019 - 02/22/2023
Program: OPEN 2018
Award: $3,589,882

University of Maryland (UMD)

The University of Maryland will further develop its “super wood” approach to replace steel in the automotive industry. Replacing cast iron and traditional steel components with lightweight materials, such as magnesium and aluminum alloys, and polymer composites can directly reduce a vehicle's body weight by up to 50%, and consequently its fuel consumption. But most of these materials either have a high cost or performance issues. Super wood is a composite of cellulose nanofibers, which are stronger than most metals and composites. The densified wood has a unique microstructure, in which…

Status: ALUMNI
State: MD
Project Term: 03/18/2014 - 05/31/2022
Program: RANGE
Award: $4,479,000

University of Maryland (UMD)

The University of Maryland (UMD) is using water-based magnesium and hydrogen chemistries to improve the energy density and reduce the cost of EV batteries. The lithium-ion batteries typically used in most EVs today require heavy components to protect the battery and ensure safety. Water-based batteries are an inherently safer alternative, but can be larger and heavier compared to lithium-ion batteries, making them inefficient for use in EVs. To address this, UMD’s water-based battery will use a magnesium hydrogen chemistry that would double energy storage capacity, for a much lighter energy…

Status: ALUMNI
State: MD
Project Term: 01/16/2017 - 05/31/2022
Program: RANGE
Award: $4,983,452

University of Maryland (UMD)

The University of Maryland (UMD) is developing ceramic materials and processing methods to enable high-power, solid-state, lithium-ion batteries for use in EVs. Conventional lithium-ion batteries used in most EVs contain liquids that necessitate the use of heavy, protective components. By contrast, UMD’s technology uses no liquids and offers greater abuse tolerance and reducing weight. This reduced weight leads to improved EV efficiency for greater driving range. UMD’s technology also has the potential to help reduce manufacturing costs using scalable, ceramic fabrication techniques that does…

Status: ALUMNI
State: MD
Project Term: 11/23/2015 - 08/30/2018
Program: TRANSNET
Award: $3,780,000

University of Maryland (UMD)

The National Transportation Center at the University of Maryland (UMD) and its partners will develop a technology capable of delivering personalized, real-time travel information to users and incentivizing travelers to adopt more energy-efficient travel plans. The project team will use data from UMD’s existing regional integrated transportation information system (RITIS) as well as other available resources to design its system model. This system model will integrate information on individual traveler behavior to simulate the effects of traffic and individual traveler choices on energy use in…

Status: ALUMNI
State: MD
Project Term: 12/07/2020 - 03/06/2022
Program: REPAIR
Award: $1,000,000

University of Maryland (UMD)

The team led by University of Maryland (UMD) will employ its patented high-temperature sintering process to rapidly sinter a steel coating layer in pipe-in-pipe configurations. This approach, which uses high temperature (1500-2000 ℃) Joule heating, includes the ability to rapidly sinter alloy powders in ~10 seconds, resulting in a material with high mechanical strength (~400-600 MPa), self-healing ability, and a long lifetime (50 years). If successful, UMD’s alloy coating approach will generate new steel pipe to replace the old steel pipe at a low cost for gas service and much improved…

Status: ACTIVE
State: MD
Project Term: 03/16/2021 - 03/15/2023
Program: REEACH
Award: $2,798,489

University of Maryland (UMD)

The University of Maryland is developing a highly efficient and cost-effective hybrid-electric turbogenerator suitable for powering narrow-body aircraft. A solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) with integrated autothermal reformer is incorporated directly into the flow path of a gas turbine engine that also drives an electrical generator. The engine moves air through the system while boosting efficiency by recovering waste heat and unused fuel from the fuel cell. The system operates on carbon-neutral, liquefied bio-methane. Phase 1 of this project will include development and testing of low…

Status: ACTIVE
State: MD
Project Term: 04/23/2021 - 03/31/2023
Program: ULTIMATE
Award: $600,000

University of Maryland (UMD)

The University of Maryland will leverage a newly invented, ultrafast high-temperature sintering (UHS) method to perform fast exploration of new environmental-thermal barrier coatings (ETBCs) for 1300°C-capable refractory alloys for harsh turbine environments. UHS enables ultrafast synthesis of high-melting oxide coatings, including multilayers, in less than a minute, enabling rapid evaluation of novel coating compositions. By using UHS with fast-fail tests and modeling and analytics tools, the team will be able to explore hundreds of compositions and coating architectures to design and…

Status: ACTIVE
State: MD
Project Term: 06/24/2022 - 06/23/2025
Program: OPEN 2021
Award: $2,600,000

University of Maryland (UMD)

The University of Maryland (UMD) recently invented an elegant and scalable molecular engineering technique for fabricating a cellulose nanofiber (CNF)-based SSE that could overcome many of these problems. Unlike current SSEs, the CNF-based SSE uses natural materials, is easy to process, and is compatible with conventional coating processes. It can also be inexpensively manufactured due to its low material cost and paper-like roll-to-roll manufacturing, both as standalone electrolyte films and the electrolyte portion of solid-state cathodes for lithium ion and metallic lithium cells. UMD’s CNF…

Status: SELECTED
State: MD
Project Term: TBD
Program: EVs4ALL
Award: $4,852,733

University of Maryland (UMD)

The University of Maryland (UMD) will increase the charge/discharge-rate capability, energy density, and operating temperature window of solid-state lithium metal batteries. The team will use new mixed ionicelectronic conducting (MIEC) ceramics and processing techniques to fabricate thinner, higher porosity, and thus lower mass (porous/dense) “bilayers” and (porous/dense/porous) “trilayers.” The patented 3D ceramic architecture has shown the highest Li-metal cycling rate for solid-state technology (10 milliampere/cm2 ) and demonstrated multiple high-energy-density (~300Wh/kg) cells with…

Status: ALUMNI
State: MA
Project Term: 07/01/2010 - 06/30/2014
Program: Electrofuels
Award: $5,624,282

University of Massachusetts at Amherst (UMass Amherst)

The University of Massachusetts at Amherst (UMass Amherst) is feeding renewable electricity to bacteria to provide the microorganisms with the energy they need to turn carbon dioxide (CO2) directly into liquid fuels. UMass Amherst's energy-to-fuels conversion process is anticipated to be more efficient than current biofuels approaches in part because this process will leverage the high efficiency of photovoltaics to convert solar energy into electricity. UMass Amherst is using bacteria already known to produce biofuel from electric current and CO2 and working to increase the amount of…

Status: ALUMNI
State: MA
Project Term: 01/01/2012 - 12/31/2015
Program: PETRO
Award: $3,740,296

University of Massachusetts at Amherst (UMass Amherst)

The University of Massachusetts at Amherst (UMass Amherst) is developing an enhanced, biofuels-producing variant of Camelina, a drought-resistant, cold-tolerant oilseed crop that can be grown in many places other plants cannot. The team is working to incorporate several genetic traits into Camelina that increases its natural ability to produce oils and add the production of energy-dense terpene molecules that can be easily converted into liquid fuels. UMass Amherst is also experimenting with translating a component common in algae to Camelina that should allow the plants to absorb higher…

Status: ALUMNI
State: MI
Project Term: 05/27/2016 - 11/26/2018
Program: GRID DATA
Award: $1,418,845

University of Michigan

The University of Michigan, with partners from Los Alamos National Laboratory, the California Institute of Technology, and Columbia University, will develop a transmission system data set with greater reliability, size, and scope compared to current models. The project combines existing power systems data with advanced obfuscation techniques to anonymize the data while still creating realistic models. In addition, the project delivers year-long test cases that capture grid network behavior over time, enabling the analysis of optimization algorithms over different time scales. These realistic…

Status: ALUMNI
State: MI
Project Term: 01/01/2015 - 03/31/2016
Program: IDEAS
Award: $259,600

University of Michigan

The University of Michigan is investigating a new, hybrid thin-film PV production technology that combines two different semiconductor production techniques: electrodeposition (the deposition of a substance on an electrode by the action of electricity) and epitaxial crystal growth (the growth of crystals of one substance on the crystal face of another substance). If successful, the University of Michigan’s new hybrid approach would produce highly efficient (above 20%) gallium arsenide thin film solar cells using only simple process equipment, non-flammable precursor ingredients, and…

Status: ALUMNI
State: MI
Project Term: 03/17/2017 - 09/30/2020
Program: NEXTCAR
Award: $1,600,000

University of Michigan

The University of Michigan will develop an integrated power and thermal management system for connected and automated vehicles (iPTM-CAV), with the goal of achieving a 20% improvement in energy consumption. This increase will arise from predicting the traffic environment with transportation analytics, optimizing vehicle speed and load profiles with vehicle-to-everything (V2X) communication, coordinating power and thermal control systems with intelligent algorithms, and optimizing powertrain operation in real time. The additional information made available by V2X and new sensors provides a…

Status: ALUMNI
State: MI
Project Term: 07/14/2016 - 12/31/2019
Program: OPEN 2015
Award: $1,920,289

University of Michigan

The University of Michigan team will develop a compact micro-hybrid configuration that pairs an Electrically Assisted Variable Speed (EAVS) supercharger with an exhaust expander Waste Energy Recovery (WER) system. Together, the EAVS and WER can nearly eliminate the slow air-path dynamics associated with turbocharge inertia and high exhaust gas recirculation (EGR). The EAVS system compresses engine intake air to increase engine power and allows the engine to have valuable “breathing time.” This breathing time allows for a coordinated intake boosting and exhaust vacuum, so that the combustion…

Status: ALUMNI
State: MI
Project Term: 06/12/2019 - 03/10/2023
Program: OPEN 2018
Award: $2,900,000

University of Michigan

The University of Michigan will develop load-control strategies to improve grid reliability in the face of increased penetration of DERs and low-cost renewable generation. As the electricity generation mix changes to include more renewables and DERs, load shifting is essential. Today, there are few load-shifting strategies in use at grid scale that are capable of balancing current levels of intermittent energy production. The team will develop three testing environments to identify issues the grid faces with increased levels of energy from distributed and renewable generation. Their method…

Status: ALUMNI
State: MI
Project Term: 01/23/2014 - 03/06/2017
Program: REMOTE
Award: $2,999,999

University of Michigan

The University of Michigan team will develop a biological approach to activate methane, the first step in creating a liquid fuel from natural gas. Current approaches to methane activation require the addition of oxygen and energy in the form of heat, which is inefficient and costly. The University of Michigan’s multidisciplinary team will engineer a methane-generating microorganism that can activate methane without the need for these additional inputs. The University of Michigan will use computer models to understand the processes on a molecular level and predict the structure of new enzymes…

Status: ALUMNI
State: MI
Project Term: 09/26/2019 - 09/25/2022
Program: Exploratory Topics
Award: $1,377,649

University of Michigan

Develop a novel ductile EDC that is resistant to chemical attacks and possesses built-in crack width control not feasible with current concrete. This new concrete is targeted to meet everyday construction requirements and have tensile resistance that dramatically enables efficient additive manufacturing and the construction of resilient energy facilities.

Status: ACTIVE
State: MI
Project Term: 02/17/2021 - 02/16/2023
Program: Exploratory Topics
Award: $431,915

University of Michigan

The University of Michigan, in collaboration with the University of Massachusetts Amherst, will develop a technology that captures CO2 from the atmosphere using an electrochemical approach, rather than the temperature swing cycle which is typically powered by fossil fuel combustion. The team’s concept is a pH swing cycle that changes conditions between basic and acidic to capture and release CO2, respectively. Direct air capture (DAC) of CO2 by inexpensive renewable electricity could reduce the cost and improve the efficiency of DAC. The team aims to optimize the design of the cycle to…

Status: ACTIVE
State: MI
Project Term: 03/15/2021 - 03/14/2024
Program: GEMINA
Award: $5,194,982

University of Michigan

The University of Michigan will develop physics-based, model-centric, and scalable capabilities, data-enabled via AI-enhanced algorithms, to achieve unprecedented integrated state awareness for advanced reactor power plants. Individual modules include (1) a scalable digital twin that combines different scales and different fidelities as needed; (2) a maintenance proactive evaluator to monitor usage and assess the health conditions and maintenance needs of advanced reactors; (3) an operations intelligent controller to achieve autonomous control during normal and accident conditions; and (4) an…

Status: ACTIVE
State: MI
Project Term: 09/20/2021 - 09/19/2024
Program: SHARKS
Award: $3,900,000

University of Michigan

The project team, led by the University of Michigan, proposes the RAFT concept as a solution for hydrokinetic energy harvesting. The project aims to develop multi-physics models, design processes, and optimization tools; augment control and system health monitoring algorithms; demonstrate novel RAFT concepts; and deliver an integrated solution for riverine and tidal applications. The project team brings expertise in hydrodynamics, structures, electrical systems, iterative optimization, and control co-design. The proposed RAFT, made up of multiple micro-turbines, has a modularized architecture…

Status: ACTIVE
State: MI
Project Term: 03/04/2022 - 03/03/2025
Program: OPEN 2021
Award: $950,000

University of Michigan

The University of Michigan aims to develop a new type of battery separator that can completely stop dendrite formation. The key innovation is a special mechanism that suppresses dendrite growth with the University of Michigan’s wet-process-synthesized film as a separator or coating. When an electrode surface starts to lose stability upon lithium deposition, any protrusion will cause deformation of the film, generating a local shielding effect that deflects lithium ions away from the tip of the protrusion. This slows down the tip growth and makes the lithium metal surface flat. Lithium ions…

Status: ACTIVE
State: MI
Project Term: 11/01/2022 - 10/31/2025
Program: REMEDY
Award: $2,278,401

University of Michigan

The University of Michigan and Southwest Research Institute will use state-of-the-art methods to eliminate methane emissions from oil and gas (O&G) flares, vents, and other equipment. The approach will quantitatively characterize high- and low-volume methane sources at an actual O&G field site and demonstrate Systems of Advanced Burners for Reduction of Emissions (SABRE) technology for high-efficiency (> 99.5%) methane conversion of the high- and low-volume sources of methane. The SABRE approach leverages site resources and customizes flare technology to local equipment needs. The…

Status: SELECTED
State: MI
Project Term: TBD
Program: Exploratory Topics
Award: $1,108,412

University of Michigan

The University of Michigan proposes to systematically evaluate claims of excess heat generation during deuteration and correlate it to nuclear and chemical reaction products. The team plans to combine scintillation-based neutron and gamma ray detectors, mass spectrometers, a calorimeter capable of performing microwatt-resolution measurements of heat generation, and ab-initio computational approaches. The proposed research will experimentally and theoretically explore the origin and mechanisms of excess heat generation and LENR.

Status: SELECTED
State: MI
Project Term: TBD
Program: Exploratory Topics
Award: $902,213

University of Michigan

University of Michigan will provide capability to measure hypothetical neutron, gamma, and ion emissions from LENR experiments. Modern instrumentation will be coupled with best practices in data acquisition, analysis, and understanding of backgrounds to interpret collected data and evaluate the proposed signal.

Status: ALUMNI
State: MI
Project Term: 06/17/2020 - 12/31/2022
Program: DIFFERENTIATE
Award: $1,923,957

University of Michigan, Dearborn

The University of Michigan-Dearborn will develop a machine learning-enhanced design tool for the automated architectural configuration and performance evaluation of electrical power converters. This tool will help engineers consider a wider range of innovative concepts when developing new converters than would be possible via traditional approaches. This tool is expected to leverage a number of ML techniques—including decision trees, supervised learning and reinforcement learning—and is expected to reduce the cost and time required to develop new ultra-efficient power-converter designs.

Status: ALUMNI
State: MN
Project Term: 12/19/2011 - 06/18/2015
Program: HEATS
Award: $3,598,892

University of Minnesota (UMN)

The University of Minnesota (UMN) is developing a solar thermochemical reactor that will efficiently produce fuel from sunlight, using solar energy to produce heat to break chemical bonds. UMN envisions producing the fuel by using partial redox cycles and ceria-based reactive materials. The team will achieve unprecedented solar-to-fuel conversion efficiencies of more than 10% (where current state-of-the-art efficiency is 1%) by combined efforts and innovations in material development, and reactor design with effective heat recovery mechanisms and demonstration. This new technology will allow…

Status: ALUMNI
State: MN
Project Term: 03/01/2017 - 06/29/2020
Program: NEXTCAR
Award: $1,399,999

University of Minnesota (UMN)

The University of Minnesota (UMN) will lead a team to develop technology to improve the fuel efficiency of delivery vehicles through real-time vehicle dynamic and powertrain control optimization using two-way vehicle-to-cloud (V2C) connectivity. The effort will lead to greater than 20% fuel economy improvement of a baseline 2016 E-GEN series hybrid delivery vehicle operating as part of the United Parcel Service (UPS) fleet. Large delivery vehicle fleet operators such as UPS currently use analytics to assign routes in such a way to minimize fuel consumption. Algorithms mine historical data…

Status: ALUMNI
State: MN
Project Term: 07/15/2016 - 09/30/2019
Program: NODES
Award: $3,150,000

University of Minnesota (UMN)

The University of Minnesota (UMN) will develop a comprehensive approach that addresses the challenges to system reliability and power quality presented by widespread renewable power generation. By developing techniques for both centralized cloud-based and distributed peer-to-peer networks, the proposed system will enable coordinated response of many local units to adjust consumption and generation of energy, satisfy physical constraints, and provide ancillary services requested by a grid operator. The project will apply concepts from nonlinear and robust control theory to design self-…

Status: ALUMNI
State: MN
Project Term: 01/01/2010 - 08/31/2012
Program: OPEN 2009
Award: $2,200,000

University of Minnesota (UMN)

The University of Minnesota (UMN) is developing clean-burning, liquid hydrocarbon fuels from bacteria. UMN is finding ways to continuously harvest hydrocarbons from a type of bacteria called Shewanella by using a photosynthetic organism to constantly feed Shewanella the sugar it needs for energy and hydrocarbon production. The two organisms live and work together as a system. Using Shewanella to produce hydrocarbon fuels offers several advantages over traditional biofuel production methods. First, it eliminates many of the time-consuming and costly steps involved in growing plants and…

Status: ALUMNI
State: MN
Project Term: 03/22/2013 - 09/21/2016
Program: OPEN 2012
Award: $1,765,334

University of Minnesota (UMN)

The University of Minnesota (UMN) is developing an ultra-thin separation membrane to decrease the cost of producing biofuels, plastics, and other industrial materials. Nearly 6% of total U.S. energy consumption comes from the energy used in separation and purification processes. Today’s separation methods used in biofuels production are not only energy intensive, but also very expensive. UMN is developing a revolutionary membrane technology based on a recently discovered class of ultra-thin, porous, materials that will enable energy efficient separations necessary to prepare biofuels that…

Status: ACTIVE
State: MN
Project Term: 07/01/2019 - 05/31/2023
Program: OPEN 2018
Award: $3,864,840

University of Minnesota (UMN)

The University of Minnesota (UMN) will develop a net-load management framework that rapidly identifies neighborhood-units to support grid infrastructure and enable ultrafast coordinated management. UMN’s project will rethink power recovery from near blackout conditions with a focus on rapid energization and maximizing power duration. This project’s approach could fundamentally change the way large contingencies are managed. It would transition power systems and critical infrastructure from fragile to robust using intelligent, self-organizing control for coordinating resources, enhancing…

Status: ALUMNI
State: MN
Project Term: 01/01/2012 - 09/30/2015
Program: REACT
Award: $4,250,931

University of Minnesota (UMN)

The University of Minnesota (UMN) is developing an early stage prototype of an iron-nitride permanent magnet material for EVs and renewable power generators. This new material, comprised entirely of low-cost and abundant resources, has the potential to demonstrate the highest energy potential of any magnet to date. This project will provide the basis for an entirely new class of rare-earth-free magnets capable of generating power without costly and scarce rare earth materials. The ultimate goal of this project is to demonstrate a prototype with magnetic properties exceeding state-of-the-art…

Status: ALUMNI
State: MN
Project Term: 07/10/2017 - 07/09/2021
Program: REFUEL
Award: $3,098,000

University of Minnesota (UMN)

The University of Minnesota (UMN) will develop a small-scale ammonia synthesis system using water and air, powered by wind energy. Instead of developing a new catalyst, this team is looking to increase process efficiency by absorbing ammonia at modest pressures as soon as it is formed. The reactor partially converts a feed of nitrogen and hydrogen into ammonia, after which the gases leaving the reactor go into a separator, where the ammonia is removed and the unreacted hydrogen and nitrogen are recycled. The ammonia is removed completely by selective absorption, which allows the synthesis to…