Award Data

Fuel cells convert chemical energy in a fuel directly to electrical power. They have several advantages over other energy sources including: highly efficient energy conversion, fuel flexibility, reduced air pollution, reduced greenhouse gas emissions, reduced oil consumption, and expanded use of renewable power. State-of-the-art Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFC) use lanthanum strontium cobalt iron oxi ...

Opportunities exists to use high moment magnetic nanoparticles CoxFe100-x to replace annealing-stabilized high induction -FeCo phase as the primary phase in the currently used soft magnetic materials (e.g. HITPERM). The key to this development is to design advanced nanocomposites containing high moment nanoparticles for small, lightweight passive inductors, by using an innovative cost-effective ...

SiC power electronics are ideally suited for reducing the size and weight of power electronics systems that are used in wind power converters. Present power electronics systems require large transformers which operate a modest frequencies that prevents their use on top of the turbine tower. The electrical parasitics introduced by the interconnections between wind turbine and power conversion elect ...

Hyrax Energy, Inc. is the first company to spin-out of the DOEs Great Lakes Bioenergy Research Center (GLBRC) and is the exclusive owner of intellectual property that enables biorefineries based on ionic liquids that that operate at a fraction of the cost and carbon footprint of competing technologies. Ionic liquids are true solvents for cellulose, which promises amongst other things to greatly si ...

The Department of Energy (DOE) has identified the need for tools and technologies to ensure the safety of personnel who carry out decontamination and decommissioning work at unused nuclear facilities. Strippable, fixative coatings with a visual indication of contaminant (e.g., elemental mercury and its ions) capture would improve safety and minimize hazards and waste during the demolition process ...

The storage of industrially generated carbon dioxide (CO2) in deep geologic formations is being seriously evaluated as a method for reducing carbon dioxide emissions to the atmosphere, and CO2 injection is being used for enhanced oil recovery, leaving two thirds of the CO2 stored underground. Reliable and cost-effective monitoring is required to demonstrate that the geologic storage is safe and ...

Li-ion battery calendar and cycle life degrade at elevated temperatures due to processes involving the interaction of electrolyte salt, solvents and battery electrode materials. The major factor impacting automotive Li-Ion battery pack safety is the use of high vapor pressure and low flashpoint carbonate electrolyte solvents. Development of high voltage cathode materials requires new solvents and ...

Current commercial reactor fuel performance monitoring uses external power range monitors, and evaluates coolant water for contamination that would indicate failure of a fuel element. Estimates of the localized fission rates and temperature distributions within the reactor core are approximated using nuclear simulation codes. Real-time characterization of local in-core radiation field parameters w ...

Regular inspection of piping for corrosion damage is crucial in nuclear power plants to prevent leakage of radioactive material into the environment, and to allay concerns of residents living within the vicinity. However, currently used methods for detecting corrosion on interior surfaces of reactor components are difficult to apply in confined spaces and do not always provide enough information. ...

Mikro Systems, Inc (Mikro) has a breakthrough manufacturing technology that can dramatically reduce the time and cost of designing, prototyping, and testing advanced high-temperature turbine components. The gas turbine industry needs rapid and cost effective prototyping methods to produce advanced high- temperature parts from application specific materials that can be used in hot test rigs and tes ...