Status: ACTIVE
State: TX
Project Term: 09/30/2022 - 09/29/2024
Program: HESTIA
Award: $3,742,496

Texas A&M University

Texas A&M will develop novel resilient net-carbon-negative building designs for residential and potentially commercial applications via large-scale 3D printing using hempcrete, a lightweight material made of the hemp plant’s woody core mixed with a lime-based binder. The team will devise (1) printable, sustainable, and durable hempcrete mix designs, (2) code-compliant building designs in terms of structural and energy performance, and (3) a novel, risk-based building-level life cycle analysis that will account for environmental impacts under service conditions and from hazard-induced…

Status: ACTIVE
State: TX
Project Term: 03/15/2024 - 03/14/2026
Program: ULTIMATE
Award: $1,075,813

Texas A&M University

More information on this project is coming soon!

Status: ALUMNI
State: TX
Project Term: 03/01/2012 - 06/30/2015
Program: GENI
Award: $4,878,173

Texas Engineering Experiment Station (TEES)

Texas Engineering Experiment Station (TEES) is using topology control as a mechanism to improve system operations and manage disruptions within the electric grid. The grid is subject to interruption from cascading faults caused by extreme operating conditions, malicious external attacks, and intermittent electricity generation from renewable energy sources. The Robust Adaptive Topology Control (RATC) system is capable of detecting, classifying, and responding to grid disturbances by reconfiguring the grid in order to maintain economically efficient operations while guaranteeing…

Status: ALUMNI
State: TX
Project Term: 02/01/2016 - 12/31/2018
Program: MOSAIC
Award: $991,898

Texas Engineering Experiment Station (TEES)

Texas Engineering Experiment Station (TEES) and their partners will build a micro-CPV system that incorporates waveguide technology. A waveguide concentrates and directs light to a specific point. TEES's system uses a grid of waveguides to concentrate sunlight onto a set of coupling elements which employ a 45 degree turning mirror to further concentrate the light and increase the efficiency of the system. Each coupling element is oriented to direct its specific beam of light towards high-efficiency, multi-junction solar cells. Further system efficiency is gained by capturing diffuse light…

Status: ALUMNI
State: TX
Project Term: 04/01/2013 - 09/30/2015
Program: OPEN 2012
Award: $1,244,006

Texas Engineering Experiment Station (TEES)

Texas Engineering Experiment Station (TEES) is developing a system to generate electricity from low-temperature waste heat streams. Conventional waste heat recovery technology is proficient at harnessing energy from waste heat streams that are at a much higher temperature than ambient air. However, existing technology has not been developed to address lower temperature differences. The proposed system cycles between heating and cooling a metal hydride to produce a flow of pressurized hydrogen. This hydrogen flow is then used to generate electricity via a turbine generator. TEES's system…

Status: ALUMNI
State: TX
Project Term: 06/18/2018 - 12/15/2019
Program: IDEAS
Award: $499,808

Texas Tech University

Texas Tech University will develop a new type of neutron detector for geothermal and well logging systems. The technology aims to efficiently expand exploration for oil, gas, and geothermal resources into areas with more extreme conditions. Texas Tech seeks to produce solid-state thermal neutron detectors based on 100% boron-10 enriched boron nitride wide bandgap semiconductors. The new product would replace the pressurized and cumbersome He-3 gas tube detectors. Texas Tech's project is enabled by their previous work developing epitaxial growth technology to produce low-cost, free-…

Status: ACTIVE
State: TX
Project Term: 04/19/2022 - 04/18/2025
Program: OPEN 2021
Award: $1,789,998

Texas Tech University

Texas Tech will develop boron nitride (BN) fast neutron detectors (FND) for energies up to tens of mega-electron volts based on their recent development of hexagonal BN semiconductor thermal neutron detectors with record efficiencies of >59%. BN FNDs have unique advantages, including compact size, high gamma rejection ratio, low voltage operation, and low fabrication and maintenance costs. These neutron detectors can operate in high temperatures and harsh environments and detect thermal and fast neutrons simultaneously. The BN FND could be installed on the perimeter or in the core of a…

Status: ACTIVE
State: TX
Project Term: 06/19/2023 - 12/18/2025
Program: Exploratory Topics
Award: $1,150,000

Texas Tech University

Texas Tech University will develop accurate materials fabrication, characterization, and analysis to attempt to resolve the physical understanding of Low-Energy Nuclear Reactions (LENR). Texas Tech will also provide advanced detection of nuclear reaction products as a resource for ARPA-E LENR Exploratory Topic teams.

Status: ACTIVE
State: TX
Project Term: 10/01/2023 - 09/30/2025
Program: Exploratory Topics
Award: $500,000

Texas Tech University

Texas Tech University will develop a novel method for producing electronic grade cubic boron nitride semiconductor wafers that could equip electronic devices to operate in extreme temperatures and conditions. The wafers—formed from microwave plasma chemical vapor deposition—would enable power devices that handle higher voltages and currents, furthering advancements in power distributions, electric transportation, nuclear energy, national security, health care, and material sciences.

Status: Selected
State: TX
Project Term: TBD
Program: ULTRAFAST
Award: TBD

Texas Tech University

Texas Tech University is developing a photoconductive semiconductor switching device from ultrawide-bandgap materials that would enable improved control of the grid. The ultrawide-bandgap semiconductors used in the device—hexagonal boron nitride and aluminum nitride—support higher voltage and current than legacy semiconductor materials. Texas Tech’s device seeks to enable efficient high-power and high-speed power electronics converters for a smarter grid.

Status: Selected
State: TBD
Project Term: TBD
Program: Exploratory Topics
Award: TBD

Texas Tech University

Texas Tech University is characterizing rock samples from mining sites with diverse lithologies to develop the chemical, biological, and physical means to stimulate geologic hydrogen across different types of iron-containing rocks. Testing will include studying the effects of metal ion catalysts and the effectiveness of biological stimulation methods on increasing the reaction rates of hydrogen production. The team will optimize the chemical, biological, and physical stimulation of hydrogen-generating rocks to maximize geologic hydrogen stimulation.

Status: ALUMNI
State: PA
Project Term: 09/16/2019 - 12/15/2023
Program: HITEMMP
Award: $3,150,000

Thar Energy

Thar Energy will develop a next-generation metallic compact recuperator, a type of heat exchanger, capable of stable and cost effective operation at 800°C (1562°F) and above 80 bar (1160 psi). A metallic superalloy capable of withstanding high temperature and pressure will be employed to fabricate the heat exchanger using a novel stacked sheet manufacturing technique. The cost-effective heat exchanger design could enable design enhancement with improved structural integrity and thermal performances for high-efficiency, modular, and cost-competitive recuperated supercritical carbon dioxide (…

Status: ALUMNI
State: IL
Project Term: 03/17/2016 - 09/30/2020
Program: ARID
Award: $1,943,679

The Boeing Company

The Boeing Company is developing a next-generation air-cooled heat exchanger by leveraging technological advances in additive manufacturing (AM). The work builds on a previous ARPA-E IDEAS award to the University of Maryland that included the fabrication of geometrically complex heat exchanger coupons. Boeing subsequently demonstrated AM fabrication of thin-walled structures with a thickness of 125 to 150 microns, which represents a 50% reduction relative to then-state-of-the-art AM processes. The high temperature heat exchanger currently under development employs complex internal geometries…

Status: ALUMNI
State: IL
Project Term: 10/01/2010 - 09/30/2013
Program: GRIDS
Award: $2,228,786

The Boeing Company

The Boeing Company is developing a new material for use in the rotor of a low-cost, high-energy flywheel storage technology. Flywheels store energy by increasing the speed of an internal rotor—slowing the rotor releases the energy back to the grid when needed. The faster the rotor spins, the more energy it can store. Boeing's new material could drastically improve the energy stored in the rotor. The team will work to improve the storage capacity of their flywheels and increase the duration over which they store energy. The ultimate goal of this project is to create a flywheel system that…

Status: ACTIVE
State: IL
Project Term: 10/01/2020 - 05/30/2024
Program: HITEMMP
Award: $2,197,744

The Boeing Company

The Boeing Company will develop a compact, extreme environment heat exchanger (EEHX) for application in supercritical carbon dioxide electric power generation cycles for hypersonic aircraft and land-based distributed power generation. Their metallic heat exchanger will be capable of operation at temperatures and pressures in excess of 1000°C (1832°F) and 80 bar (1160 psi), respectively. The team will design topologically optimized geometries and develop multifunctional, complex concentrated alloys that are expected to offer superior high temperature durability and thermal conductivity,…

Status: ACTIVE
State: IL
Project Term: 05/24/2023 - 11/23/2024
Program: Exploratory Topics
Award: $833,244

The Boeing Company

Boeing Research & Technology (BR&T) will develop a multidisciplinary topology optimization (MDTO) algorithm that couples fluid dynamics, heat transfer, and structural analysis to design, manufacture via additive manufacturing techniques, and demonstrate a high-performance, extreme environment heat exchanger (EEHX) capable of operating at up to 900°C with a 17 MPa pressure differential with supercritical carbon dioxide. The key to delivering this EEHX technology is a revolutionary and computationally efficient MDTO capability that leverages a powerful open-source level-set topology…

Status: ACTIVE
State: IL
Project Term: 01/06/2023 - 07/05/2024
Program: ULTIMATE
Award: $790,253

The Boeing Company

Boeing Research & Technology aims to develop a comprehensive solution for ultra-high performance turbine blades and other extreme environment aerospace applications. The team will develop a series of novel refractory complex concentrated alloys (RCCA) and their processing parameters for both laser beam powder-bed-fusion/powder-feed-deposition additive manufacturing and advanced powder metallurgy manufacturing, as well as intermediate layer materials optimized for coating solutions. This comprehensive solution will demonstrate a base alloy capability up to 1300 °C, and a coating capable…

Status: Selected
State: TBD
Project Term: TBD
Program: Exploratory Topics
Award: TBD

The Boeing Company

The Boeing Company will develop a comprehensive approach for mitigating aircraft induced cirrus that would leverage satellite observations, deep learning, new developments in onboard humidity sensors, and a numerical weather prediction model. Useful for flight planning, Boeing’s approach could improve observational datasets, forward scientific understanding of humidity in the upper troposphere, and advance weather forecasting capabilities for the general public.

Status: ACTIVE
State: IL
Project Term: 03/27/2024 - 03/26/2026
Program: ULTIMATE
Award: $1,824,248

The Boeing Company

More information on this project is coming soon!

Status: ALUMNI
State: NY
Project Term: 07/09/2021 - 01/08/2024
Program: Exploratory Topics
Award: $1,000,000

The City College of New York

Currently spent fluid catalytic cracking catalysts are classified as non-hazardous. The quantity is significant at nearly 400,000 tons produced annually, which are sent to landfills. Gypsum waste is estimated at 13 million tons annually with only 2% recycled into new wallboard. If these materials can be profitably combined with the nearly 30 million tons of municipal solid waste (MSW) annually processed in waste-to-energy (WTE) facilities, it will increase the MSW going to thermal processing facilities and recover materials currently being landfilled. City College proposes to study the…

Status: ALUMNI
State: MI
Project Term: 04/01/2016 - 03/31/2018
Program: OPEN 2015
Award: $2,500,000

The Mackinac Technology Company

The Mackinac Technology Company will develop an innovative, cost effective, retrofit window insulation system that will significantly reduce heat losses. The insulation system will use a durable window film that is highly transparent to visible light (more than 90% of light can pass through), but reflects thermal radiation back into the room and reduces heat loss in winter. The film will be microporous and breathable to allow air pressures to balance across the window system. The film will be bonded to a rigid frame that can be retrofitted to an existing single-pane glass window. Mackinac’s…

Status: ALUMNI
State: OH
Project Term: 09/25/2019 - 03/24/2023
Program: BREAKERS
Award: $2,309,950

The Ohio State University

The Ohio State University (OSU) team will develop a MVDC circuit breaker prototype based on its novel “T-breaker” topology. OSU will leverage its unique high voltage and real-time simulation facilities, circuit prototyping experience with MV silicon carbide devices, and capability in developing protection strategies for faults in DC networks. The result will be a circuit breaker with reduced cost and weight, simplified manufacturing, and increased reliability, functionality, efficiency, and power density. The self-sustaining modular structure will allow for inherent scalability while…

Status: ALUMNI
State: OH
Project Term: 07/01/2010 - 06/30/2014
Program: Electrofuels
Award: $3,977,349

The Ohio State University

The Ohio State University is genetically modifying bacteria to efficiently convert carbon dioxide directly into butanol, an alcohol that can be used directly as a fuel blend or converted to a hydrocarbon, which closely resembles gasoline. Bacteria are typically capable of producing a certain amount of butanol before it becomes too toxic for the bacteria to survive. Ohio State is engineering a new strain of the bacteria that could produce up to 50% more butanol before it becomes too toxic for the bacteria to survive. Finding a way to produce more butanol more efficiently would significantly…

Status: ACTIVE
State: OH
Project Term: 03/09/2017 - 12/31/2024
Program: NEXTCAR
Award: $9,933,144

The Ohio State University

The Ohio State University will develop and demonstrate a transformational powertrain control technology that uses vehicle connectivity and automated driving capabilities to enhance the energy consumption of a light duty passenger vehicle up-fitted with a mild hybrid system. At the core of the proposed powertrain control technology, is the use of a novel cylinder deactivation strategy called Dynamic Skip Fire which makes instantaneous decisions about which engine cylinders are fired or skipped thus significantly improving vehicle energy efficiency. Connected and automated vehicle technologies…

Status: ALUMNI
State: OH
Project Term: 04/01/2010 - 09/30/2014
Program: OPEN 2009
Award: $7,099,904

The Ohio State University

The Ohio State University has developed an iron-based material and process for converting syngas—a synthetic gas mixture—into electricity, H2, and/or liquid fuel with zero CO2 emissions. Traditional carbon capture methods use chemical solvents or special membranes to separate CO2 from the gas exhaust from coal-fired power plants. Ohio State's technology uses an iron-based oxygen carrier to generate CO2 and H2 from syngas in separate, pure product streams by means of a circulating bed reactor configuration. The end products of the system are H2, electricity, and/or liquid fuel, all of…

Status: ALUMNI
State: OH
Project Term: 09/16/2019 - 12/31/2022
Program: OPEN 2018
Award: $1,850,249

The Ohio State University

The Ohio State University will develop GaN semiconductor materials suitable for high voltage (15-20 kV) power control and conversion. The team will develop a unique photon-assisted metal organic chemical vapor deposition (PA-MOCVD) method to grow thick GaN films with low background impurity contamination, necessary to allow high-voltage operation with high efficiency. The thick GaN layers will be deposited by PA-MOCVD on high-quality bulk GaN base materials with reduced defects, critical to the growth of high-quality GaN films. High-voltage GaN devices will be designed, fabricated, and tested…

Status: ACTIVE
State: OH
Project Term: 08/05/2021 - 08/04/2024
Program: ECOSynBio
Award: $1,611,940

The Ohio State University

The Ohio State University is designing, modeling, and constructing synthetic microbial groups consisting of three bacterial species. Lactic acid bacterium, a carboxydotrophic acetogen, and a solventogenic clostridium are grown in a consortium that produces n-butanol, an advanced biofuel and industrial chemical used in plastics, polymers, lubricants, brake fluids, and synthetic rubber. The bacteria will react with lignocellulose sugars (mainly glucose and xylose) and formate (from CO2 produced by electrochemical reduction) in a biorefinery. This solution will maximize carbon…

Status: ACTIVE
State: OH
Project Term: 05/16/2022 - 05/15/2025
Program: OPEN 2021
Award: $2,405,076

The Ohio State University

The Ohio State University team will transform the design and manufacturing processes of electric machines for electrified vehicles (EVs) through innovative magnetic and insulation materials. First, the team will develop a novel composite magnetic powder material with high electrical resistivity, a strong magnetic field, and low resistance to magnetization changes and use it to build the electric machine cores, enabling a new class of power-dense and high-performance electric machines. Second, the machine stator material will be coated with ceramic electrophoretic deposition insulation, with…

Status: ACTIVE
State: OH
Project Term: 08/04/2023 - 08/03/2026
Program: EVs4ALL
Award: $2,976,210

The Ohio State University

The Ohio State University will develop a high-power battery technology featuring a high entropy oxide (HEO) anode that can tolerate rapid charging while demonstrating longevity far beyond the current state-of-the-art lithium-ion cells. Ohio State will (1) address manufacturing challenges in achieving large-format, commercial-quality cells, (2) enable drop-in compatibility with existing battery components, and (3) optimize battery performance for cold temperatures. When scaled, the technology can potentially double the usable battery lifetime, reduce pack size, reduce cell and battery cost,…

Status: ALUMNI
State: NY
Project Term: 09/13/2018 - 06/30/2022
Program: MEITNER
Award: $1,443,635

The Research Foundation for the State University of New York (SUNY)

The University at Buffalo, the State University of New York (SUNY) will develop seismic protective systems to safeguard essential and safety-class components inside nuclear power plants. Currently, these systems and components are custom-produced for each new plant, with multiple designs often needed for a given plant. Earthquake considerations may add up to 35% to the overnight capital cost for new plant designs in regions of moderate to high seismic hazard. This project will develop and implement modular systems to protect individual components from earthquake shaking effects. Because the…

Status: ALUMNI
State: NY
Project Term: 09/13/2017 - 12/12/2021
Program: PNDIODES
Award: $1,280,000

The Research Foundation for The State University of New York (SUNY)

The Research Foundation for the State University of New York (SUNY), on behalf of SUNY Polytechnic University, will develop innovative doping process technologies for gallium nitride (GaN) vertical power devices to realize the potential of GaN-based devices for future high efficiency, high power applications. SUNY Polytechnic's proposed research will focus on ion implantation to enable the creation of localized doping that is necessary for fabricating GaN vertical power devices. Ion implantation is a doping process used in other semiconductor materials such as Si and GaAs but has been…

Status: ACTIVE
State: NY
Project Term: 09/01/2019 - 08/31/2024
Program: OPEN 2018
Award: $3,053,459

The State University of New York Polytechnic Institute (SUNY Polytechnic)

The State University of New York Polytechnic Institute will develop a scalable, manufacturable, and robust technology platform for silicon carbide (SiC) power integrated circuits. The team will leverage the relatively high maturity of SiC technology to develop highly scalable SiC integrated circuits and support devices and establish a manufacturable process baseline in a state-of-the-art, 6-inch fabrication facility. This allows for much higher power (as compared to silicon) integrated circuits in future. The technology platform opens the door to a myriad of high-performance energy…

Status: CANCELLED
State: NM
Project Term: 05/02/2016 - 08/29/2017
Program: OPEN 2015
Award: $3,495,175

Tibbar Technologies

Tibbar Technologies will develop plasma-based AC to DC converters for a variety of applications, including DC power for commercial buildings and for High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) electrical transmission. A plasma is created when a gas absorbs enough energy to separate the electrons from the nuclei, making it susceptible to electric and magnetic fields. In this project the team will develop a converter based principally on a single plasma component, rather than a system of capacitors and semiconductor switches. The concept is based on a recently discovered plasma configuration that…

Status: CANCELLED
State: PA
Project Term: 01/13/2014 - 04/30/2016
Program: METALS
Award: $1,040,705

Titanium Metals Corporation (TIMET)

Titanium Metals Corporation (TIMET) is developing an electrochemical process for producing pure titanium powder. Incumbent titanium production processes require the importation of high-grade titanium ores. TIMET’s groundbreaking design will enable the use of abundant, low-cost, domestic ore to produce titanium powder electrolytically. By totally revolutionizing the electrolysis process, TIMET can fully optimize the process more effectively using a unique approach. TIMET’s electrochemical methods could produce higher quality titanium powder at lower cost and reduced energy consumption compared…

Status: ALUMNI
State: CA
Project Term: 11/24/2015 - 07/31/2023
Program: GENSETS
Award: $5,819,406

Tour Engine

Tour Engine, in collaboration with Wisconsin Engine Research Consultants (WERC) will develop a miniature internal combustion engine (ICE) based on Tour's existing split-cycle engine technology. Traditional ICEs use the force generated by the combustion of a fuel (e.g. natural gas (NG)) to move a piston, transferring chemical energy to mechanical energy. This can then be used in conjunction with a generator to create electricity. Unlike a normal combustion engine, a split-cycle engine divides the process into a cold cylinder (intake and compression) and a hot cylinder (expansion and…

Status: ALUMNI
State: CA
Project Term: 09/01/2010 - 05/28/2013
Program: ADEPT
Award: $2,947,805

Transphorm

Transphorm is developing transistors with gallium nitride (GaN) semiconductors that could be used to make cost-effective, high-performance power converters for a variety of applications, including electric motor drives which transmit power to a motor. A transistor acts like a switch, controlling the electrical energy that flows around an electrical circuit. Most transistors today use low-cost silicon semiconductors to conduct electrical energy, but silicon transistors don’t operate efficiently at high speeds and voltage levels. Transphorm is using GaN as a semiconductor material in its…

Status: ALUMNI
State: CA
Project Term: 02/13/2012 - 03/31/2015
Program: Solar ADEPT
Award: $2,446,140

Transphorm

Transphorm is developing power switches for new types of inverters that improve the efficiency and reliability of converting energy from solar panels into useable electricity for the grid. Transistors act as fast switches and control the electrical energy that flows in an electrical circuit. Turning a transistor off opens the circuit and stops the flow of electrical current; turning it on closes the circuit and allows electrical current to flow. In this way a transistor can be used to convert DC from a solar panel into AC for use in a home. Transphorm's transistors will enable a single…

Status: ACTIVE
State: CO
Project Term: 03/20/2023 - 09/19/2024
Program: MINER
Award: $1,993,226

Travertine Technologies

Travertine will develop an innovative process that combines strong acid-enhanced weathering and critical metal concentration and recovery in ultramafic mine tailings with an electrolytic process for sulfuric acid recycling and base production. The process will maximize the release of carbon dioxide (CO2) reactive minerals and residual critical elements from mine tailings, while minimizing waste. Carbon dioxide will be captured from air and permanently sequestered as inert carbonate minerals. Leached critical elements will be recovered as oxides. Travertine will develop the design basis for a…

Status: CANCELLED
State: MA
Project Term: 02/06/2017 - 03/13/2018
Program: SHIELD
Award: $3,224,500

Triton Systems

Triton Systems will develop and demonstrate a high efficiency windowpane system that will encourage retrofitting of single-pane windows. Triton's Multifunctional Glazing System (MGS) will potentially provide a better balance of performance with cost and weight versus double-pane insulated glass units. The system combines a nanoparticle-polymer composite film with an insulating layer of a porous material filled with air, to provide thermal insulation. The team will enhance the pane’s durability by incorporating a nanocomposite edge seal. The thickness of the MGS will be less than ¼ inch,…

Status: ALUMNI
State: MA
Project Term: 01/01/2021 - 12/31/2022
Program: Exploratory Topics
Award: $600,000

Tufts University

Tufts University will develop “living filter” technology to continuously recover and sort critical materials from electronic waste (E-waste) streams. The goal is improved throughput, specificity, facile recovery/re-utilization, and reduced material/energy consumption. The team aims to develop genetically-encoded bio-membranes capable of specific material enrichment that is environmentally safe. In addition, it will develop microorganism-encapsulated 3D matrices to continuously reduce and collect noble metals. The technology is expected to accelerate the application of biologically enabled…

Status: Selected
State: TBD
Project Term: TBD
Program: ROSIE
Award: TBD

Tufts University

Tufts University is developing a method to directly reduce iron ore concentrates with ammonia, eliminating all direct process emissions from the ironmaking step, as well as emissions that result from baking iron ore with clay to make hard pellets. The proposed approach would use ammonia to enable reduction of high-gangue ores as well as decrease melting costs of the reduced iron product. By bypassing the pellet-hardening step, using low-grade ores, and lowering melting costs, this new approach to ammonia-based reduction would reduce the cost of domestic steel while decreasing total steel…

Status: ALUMNI
State: LA
Project Term: 08/01/2014 - 09/30/2018
Program: FOCUS
Award: $3,299,936

Tulane University

Tulane University and its partners are developing a hybrid solar energy system capable of capturing, storing, and dispatching solar energy. The system will collect sunlight using a dual-axis tracker with concentrator dish that focuses sunlight onto a hybrid solar energy receiver. Ultraviolet and visible light is collected in very high efficiency solar cells with approximately half of this part of the spectrum converted to electricity. The infrared part of the spectrum passes through the cells and is captured by a thermal receiver that converts this part of the spectrum into heat with nearly…

Status: ALUMNI
State: KS
Project Term: 10/01/2012 - 06/30/2015
Program: GRIDS
Award: $1,719,335

TVN Systems

TVN Systems is developing an advanced hydrogen-bromine flow battery that incorporates a low-cost membrane and durable catalyst materials. A flow battery’s membrane separates its active materials and keeps them from mixing, while the catalyst serves to speed up the chemical reactions that generate electricity. Today’s hydrogen-bromine batteries use very expensive membrane material and catalysts that can degrade as the battery is used. TVN is exploring new catalysts that will last longer than today’s catalysts, and developing new membranes at a fraction of the cost of today’s membranes.…

Status: ACTIVE
State: CA
Project Term: 07/20/2023 - 07/19/2026
Program: EVs4ALL
Award: $2,823,199

Tyfast Energy

Tyfast Energy will develop a High sYmmetric PowER (HYPER) Battery that leverages a novel oxide-based anode and high conductivity electrolyte that has been demonstrated to perform well over a wide temperature range. This new HYPER combination of electrode material and electrolyte chemistry will enable a high-energy density, < 6 minutes ultrafast-charging battery with > 3,000 cycle life. Tyfast Energy’s novel anode, made with earth abundant metals with stable domestic supply chain, has fast lithium transport and has demonstrated 15,000 stable cycles operating under <3 mins ultrafast…

Status: ALUMNI
State: WI
Project Term: 09/08/2020 - 03/31/2023
Program: BETHE
Award: $2,472,145

Type One Energy Group

A stellarator is a fusion energy concept that uses magnetic fields to confine fusion fuel in the form of a plasma. International R&D is underway with a new class of stellarators setting performance records with the goal of generating stable and disruption-free power. Stellarators have been expensive and time consuming to build. Their large and complex electromagnets need to be shaped, supported, and positioned with precision. To overcome these challenges, two game-changing technologies hold great promise: advanced manufacturing (AM) to enable the complex shapes to be built accurately,…

Status: ACTIVE
State: DC
Project Term: 09/10/2020 - 09/09/2023
Program: BETHE
Award: $1,750,000

U.S. Naval Research Laboratory

The U.S. Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) will advance the science and technologies of the electron-beam-pumped argon fluoride (ArF) laser as a potential method of improving laser-target coupling, a necessary (but not sufficient) condition for advancing low-cost inertial fusion energy (IFE). ArF’s deep UV light and capability to provide a wider bandwidth than other laser drivers improves the laser-target coupling efficiency and enables high gain at driver energies below 1 MJ. The ArF technology will use solid-state pulsed power and similar electron-beam pumping used by krypton fluoride lasers…

Status: ALUMNI
State: KY
Project Term: 01/01/2014 - 10/15/2020
Program: METALS
Award: $3,521,189

UHV Technologies

UHV Technologies is developing a sorting technology that uses X-rays to distinguish between high-value metal alloys found in scrap of many shapes and sizes. Existing identification technologies rely on manual sorting of light metals, which can be inaccurate and slow. UHV’s system will rapidly sort scrap metal passed over a conveyer belt, making it possible to lower metals waste while simultaneously increasing the quality of recycled metal alloys. By analyzing the light emitted from X-rayed metal pieces, UHV’s probe is able to identify alloy compositions for automated sorting. By automating…

Status: ALUMNI
State: KY
Project Term: 06/23/2017 - 06/22/2022
Program: ROOTS
Award: $2,500,000

UHV Technologies

UHV Technologies will develop and demonstrate a low cost, field deployable 3D x-ray computed tomography system that will image total root systems in the field with micron-size resolution and can sample hundreds of plants per cycle. This system is based on UHV's low cost linear x-ray tube technology and sophisticated reconstruction and image segmentation algorithms. The linear x-ray tube technology was originally designed for extremely high throughput scrap aluminum sorting, and when used with an array x-ray detector the system can also produce 2D and 3D imaging of plant roots in the field…

Status: ALUMNI
State: KY
Project Term: 04/15/2020 - 04/14/2022
Program: Exploratory Topics
Award: $500,000

UHV Technologies

UHV Technologies will develop and demonstrate an innovative aluminum smelting technology that will significantly increase the range of aluminum alloys that can be manufactured from recycled scrap aluminum. This will reduce the need for primary aluminum with corresponding energy and environmental benefits. Using UHV’s patented high-throughput sorter, aluminum alloys will be pre-sorted, then melted in an energy-efficient vacuum furnace to avoid the typical 5% metal loss from molten metal oxidation, allowing for lower-cost production of high-value aluminum alloys. Currently ~60% of total U.S.…

Status: ALUMNI
State: NY
Project Term: 03/15/2021 - 11/06/2022
Program: REPAIR
Award: $999,999

ULC Technologies

ULC Technologies and its partners, PSU Applied Research Lab (PSU ARL) and Brookhaven National Lab (BNL), will develop a novel Cold Spray Additive Manufacturing (CSAM) process for fabricating stainless-steel pipes inside aging gas distribution pipelines. Using methane as the carrier gas, the operation can be performed in a live, natural gas pipeline resulting in zero service disruptions. Stainless steel offers high resistance to corrosion, compatibility with standard pipe fittings, and low permeability to hydrogen for future hydrogen transport. By minimizing reliance on the aging host pipe…