Phase I Release 2 Awards by Topic

SBIR/STTR Fiscal Year 2012 Release 2 Phase I Awards
Sorted by Topic

• Advanced Technologies for Nuclear Energy
• Advanced Turbine Technology for IGCC Power Plants
• Climate Control Technologies for Fossil Energy Applications
• Coal Gasification Technologies
• Crosscutting Fossil Energy Research
• Fuel Cell Technologies for Central Power Generation with Coal
• Global Safeguards
• High Voltage DC-Link Power Conversion System for Energy Storage Applications
• Oil and Gas Technologies
• Radiation Detection
• Remote Sensing
• Selected Energy Efficiency Technologies
• Selected Renewable Energy Technologies
• Technologies for Clean Fuels and Hydrogen from Coal
• Technology to Facilitate Monitoring for Nuclear Explosions
• Tools Techniques Infrastructure and Demonstrations

TOPIC: Advanced Technologies for Nuclear Energy

Project Summary:
Small modular reactors (SMRs) are slated for deployment in the United States and other countries for economical safe and secure power generation. This project will provide the SMR designers vendors and utilities with optimum instrumentation that is amenable to online condition monitoring for safer and more efficient operation.

Project Summary:
This project will enhance the reactor control system of existing and new nuclear reactors by developing diagnostic capabilities and improved condition monitoring for the control element drive mechanism system. This technology promotes superior safety reliability and economic performance for existing and next generation reactors.

Project Summary:
This project will develop a new affordable nuclear fuel cladding that promises major improvements in nuclear plant safety during accidents and also higher fuel burnup thereby reducing the volume of nuclear waste.

Project Summary:
This project will develop technology for making spent nuclear fuel reprocessing safe and economical. This technology will expand reprocessing of spent nuclear fuel into new fuel reducing the need for building and safeguarding storage sites for spent fuel as well as reducing the environmental impact of uranium mining.

Project Summary:
This project will develop silicon carbide materials for nuclear reactor components that will ensure America’s leadership in the development of safe next generation nuclear systems that will help the nation regain energy independence.

Project Summary:
This project will establish a national capability to rapidly produce higher burn-up coated and clad nuclear fuel particles to enable the experimental study of the life performance and metallurgical interactions in proliferation-resistant nuclear fuels.

Project Summary:
Helium-3 tubes have been the gold standard for detection of neutrons and worldwide shortage of Helium-3 supply severely limits nuclear material accounting capabilities in the domestic nuclear fuel cycle. A Helium-3 replacement detector will be developed to ensure proper nuclear material management and public safety to secure a clean energy.

Project Summary:
This project will develop large area neutron detectors that can be economically scaled for numerous DOE and homeland security applications. This technology will be commercially relevant to fill the void created by an inadequate 3He supply.

Project Summary:
A novel high temperature ceramic sensor is proposed to help ensure safe operation of existing and future nuclear power plants and nuclear power systems

Project Summary:
This project will develop a new nuclear fuel rod material and design to correct issues limiting the lifetime and safety margins of fuel cladding particularly during loss of coolant including poor corrosion resistance and failure due to excessive heat buildup.

Project Summary:
Development of a high temperature vented fuel form is required to enable deep burn reactor designs that reduce proliferation risk and minimize transuranic waste. The vented foam fuel is ideal for small modular reactors that fully utilize all the energy content require no refueling or spent fuel storage and may consume existing spent fuel stockpiles.

TOPIC: Advanced Turbine Technology for IGCC Power Plants

Project Summary:
This project will develop an innovative design approach to provide a highly durable “contactless” air riding rotating-to-static seal. Rotating-to-static seals are critical components of all gas turbine engines. The seals can significantly affect the efficiency operability and durability of a gas turbine engine.

Project Summary:
This project will develop ceramic filters that will optimize filtration performance while enabling directional flow of molten alloy during the SX casting process. These performance advantages will be enabled through the geometric design of the filter. Another anticipated benefit is the ability to design part-specific filtration schemes for advanced airfoil castings.

TOPIC: Climate Control Technologies for Fossil Energy Applications

Project Summary:
This project will develop and build a system for long- term monitoring of CO2 reservoirs to confirm the integrity of the seal. The purpose of storing CO2 is to mitigate its effect on the atmosphere and climate.

Project Summary:
This project will support the DOE program objectives of lowering the cost of CO2 capture and ensure that this greenhouse gas can be stored in geologic formations safely and permanently.

Project Summary:
The use of advanced polymer membranes for CO2 capture at power plants can provide an economical and energy efficient means of drastically reducing emissions while continuing to utilize conventional fuel sources for electric power generation. This project will develop materials that can achieve this goal and accelerate the utilization of inexpensive clean energy.

Project Summary:
Capture and storage of CO2 is a key component of President’s vision for a cleaner more secure energy future. This project will focus on ionic liquid based flue gas purification for CO2 capture.

Project Summary:
This project will develop a high performance low cost and environmentally friendly bioasphalt technology for building applications which will bring significant energy and cost savings to the end-users protect the environment and improve human health and reduce the use of petroleum based fuel.

TOPIC: Coal Gasification Technologies

Project Summary:
The liquid fuels produced by FT synthesis using coal-derived syngas can provide an immediately viable alternative to crude oil required to help provide energy independence to the U.S. This project will develop a new catalyst that offers several key benefits that can increase the cost-effectiveness of the FT process.

Project Summary:
This project t will develop a low-cost combined thermal and CO2 storage system to enable power plants to increase electrical output during peak demand periods without increasing CO2 emission.

Project Summary:
The use environmentally responsible coal-based processes is hindered by the presence of a wide spectrum contaminants present in coal. This project will develop a clean-up technology to remove these contaminants in a cost-effective way to support the widespread utilization of coal in environmentally responsible power generation and production of transportation fuels.

TOPIC: Crosscutting Fossil Energy Research

Project Summary:
This project will develop high temperature optical based thermographic phosphor sensors for fossil fuel fired power plants.

Project Summary:
This project will result in a novel advanced process control architecture with Self-Organizing Sensing (SOS) and Self-Organizing Actuation (SOA) methods technologies and products. They can make a big impact on the industry and help the U.S. strengthen its energy security economic health and movement towards a cleaner environment.

Project Summary:
One of a kind low-cost sensors and associated instrumentation will be developed for advanced control and optimization of various energy systems to achieve greater efficiency and reduced emissions.

Project Summary:
This project will develop a novel technology based on advanced high temperature materials to support the implementation of new sensor technologies that can increase the fuel efficiency of fossil fuel energy generation systems.

TOPIC: Fuel Cell Technologies for Central Power Generation with Coal

Project Summary:
The project will develop a commercially viable aluminization process that is amenable to high volume SOFC manufacturing.

Project Summary:
Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFCs) represent a clean and efficient power generation method; however current technology is cost prohibitive. This project proposes the use of novel nano-coatings that will enable decreased manufacturing and operating cost increased reliability and increased lifetimes for SOFCs.

Project Summary:
This project will apply a computational alloy design methodology and experience with high-Cr stainless ferritic alloy and oxidation modeling to create a novel low-cost alloy for SOFC with low Cr volatility and high oxidation resistance that is also weldable to resolve a major technical challenge in SOFC commercialization.

TOPIC: Global Safeguards

Project Summary:
This project will synthesize new patentable composite materials for advanced tamper-indicating coatings for the seals used in verification and authentication of highly sensitive materials to support the nuclear Global Safeguards effort.

TOPIC: High Voltage DC-Link Power Conversion System for Energy Storage Applications

Project Summary:
This project will design and develop a high performance high voltage SiC MCPM that is low cost manufacturable reliable and reworkable. The target utility scale energy storage applications include power conversion systems for grid-tie solar array wind turbine and vehicle-to-grid to aid in load leveling frequency control voltage fluctuations in order to improve the overall power quality and reliability

Project Summary:
This project will develop novel silicon carbide based high-efficiency power modules for power conversion at 12.47 kilo Volt line voltages. This breakthrough technology will significantly enhance the grid-connected energy storage and distributed solar/wind farms.

Project Summary:
This project will develop SiC switch technology to address the need for cheaper power conversion and energy storage management which further enable reliable penetration of renewable resources such as wind and solar power.

TOPIC: Oil and Gas Technologies

Project Summary:

High‐resolution fiber optic based distributed acoustic sensing is applied to the enhancement of oil and gas reservoir imaging with the prospect to increase the recovery rate of performing wells. Increases in the oil recovery rate will have a considerable positive effect on the environment, as the remaining oil from marginal fields can be extracted with the existing infrastructure.

TOPIC: Radiation Detection

Project Summary:
This project will develop a key component that will enable the construction of high intensity portable gamma ray sources to be used for detection of smuggled nuclear materials.

Project Summary:
This project will develop growth and fabrication techniques for mixed diphenylacetylene (DPAC)-stilbene crystals and evaluate the potential for commercialization of this new fast neutron detection material.

Project Summary:
This project will investigate a novel detector technology that will be very useful for nuclear non-proliferation. It will also be very beneficial for scientific studies (such as space research) as well as commercial applications (such as oil exploration medical imaging and non-destructive testing).

TOPIC: Remote Sensing

Project Summary:

III‐V superlattice‐based detectors incorporating antimony allow high‐performance infrared detection in key midwave (5μm) to beyond longwave (10μm) wavelengths. Overcoming technical challenges related to the epitaxial growth will enable a large cost reduction and performance boost to remote sensing in the infrared. This effort will focus on defect reduction in strained‐layer superlattice (SLS) detectors to improve focal‐plane array (FPA) pixel operability imaging performance.

Project Summary:
This project endeavors to remotely identify unknown powders using a light scattering measurement in combination with an advanced light scattering theory. The technique will measure the powder’s unique complex refractive index from which the powder may be identified.

Project Summary:
This project will develop a high performance full spectrum Airborne imaging system suitable for a wide variety of applications of interest to the Department of Energy Remote Sensing community.

TOPIC: Selected Energy Efficiency Technologies

Project Summary:
The proposed packaging and heat sink technology will support increased heat dissipation that will lead to improved efficiency and reliability for HEV power conversion systems as well as a range of other industrial and commercial power electronics systems. The technology will support enabling packaging solutions for more efficient next generation semiconductor materials that will provide benefits to society in the form of more efficient products that consume less energy and contribute to improved environmental quality by reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

Project Summary:
Thermal management is a critical part of hybrid electric vehicle technology and in particular represent a difficult and costly area for power electronics production. The proposed research will exploit recent advances in nanotechnology to provide increased thermal and electrical conductivity for power electronic materials by develop CarbA1™-based advanced dielectric thermal management materials. The proposed solution has application for increasing lifetime and reliability in all power electronic devices including solid-state lighting (LEDs) and displays.

Project Summary:
This projec will develop a benchtop optical sensor for direct real-time measurements of the chemical composition of battery materials and electrode/electrolyte interfaces with depth resolution down to the nanometer range.

Project Summary:
Food and beverage processors are burdened with huge costs managing wastewater totaling six or seven figures per year just in operations. This project will cut this cost in half by supplying low-energy high quality wastewater treatment for customers and can deliver a two year payback period.

Development of High Charge Acceptance PbC® Batteries for Low Cost, High Efficiency Micro Hybrid Vehicles

Project Summary:
This project will investigate the potential for high efficiency low-cost micro-hybrids by combining the features of their patented lead-carbon PbCÒ battery with a standard lead–acid battery. This dual-mode approach to micro-hybrid vehicle architecture has the potential to significantly increase the fuel efficiency and lower CO2 emissions without significantly increasing costs.

Project Summary:
Electric Vehicles (EVs) and Hybrid Electric Vehicles (HEVs) provide substantial environmental benefits though markets are currently limited due to high cost poor energy density and safety concerns as evidenced by recent HEV fires. The thermal management system resulting from this research will reduce vehicle cost while increasing safety and energy density. This project will greatly improve the overall outlook for HE.

Project Summary:
This project t will study the use of nanofiber-nonwovens to lower the cost of batteries for electric and hybrid vehicles by replacing expensive membranes with nanofiber-based papers.

Project Summary:
This project will develop a novel approach to recycling Li-ion cells. Use of the technology could lower the cost of Li-ion cells and decrease the environmental impact of batteries from electric and hybrid electric vehicles.

Project Summary:
In order to replace liquid electrolyes in lithium batteries for hybrid electric power train systems solid polymer electrolytes which have the advantages of safety and flexibility must attain conductivities of > 10-3 S/cm. Using newly developed multi-ionic POSS-based lithium salts in which the Si-O-Li are replaced with Si-O-BF3Li groups solid polymer electrolytes with ionic conductivities > 10-3 S/cm will be prepared.

Project Summary:
This project will use a core shell catalyst to significantly improve the formation of dimethyl carbonate and help inject vitality and new technology to a emerging market for batteries that are planned for use in numerous industrial applications.

Project Summary:
This project will provide a low cost high performance power module packaging solution for advanced HEVs/EVs “green” automobiles buses trucks construction mining traction vehicles and military armored vehicles and trucks. Enhanced power module technologies will increase fuel efficiency and reduce the cost of HEV/EV for the consumer.

Project Summary:
This project will adapt the technology for primary rare earth production using a clean western-compatible processing capability unique to MOxST.

Project Summary:
Monitoring the quality and condition of indoor environments in commercial buildings is essential for optimizing energy efficiency energy cost-savings worker health and worker productivity. This project will develop a calable low-cost self-powered wireless sensing network which couples miniature environmental monitoring with novel occupant comfort feedback sensors for enhanced HVAC understanding and control.

Project Summary:
Proton OnSite manufactures hydrogen generation systems which can be integrated with renewable energy sources to generate hydrogen fuel while producing minimal carbon footprint. This project aims to reduce the cost of this technology through development of improved electrode materials designed to reduce use of expensive raw materials and overall system capital cost.

Project Summary:
This project will develop high performance carbon additives for the lead-acid batteries used in start/stop HEVs. Start/stop HEVs get 5 – 8% higher gas mileage than conventional cars with additional cost less than $1000.

TOPIC: Selected Renewable Energy Technologies

Project Summary:
This project will develop and demonstrate an innovative magnetocaloric generator for production of electric power from geothermal heat at high thermodynamic efficiency. Projected benefits to the public include US dependence on fossil fuels (especially foreign oil) the cost of electric power and GHG emissions.

Project Summary:
ASAT Inc. is helping to usher in a new generation of clean burning biomass cookstoves that will help protect the health of the world’s most vulnerable populations and reduce climate change. In addition ASAT’s next generation emission testing equipment will revolutionize how biomass cooking stoves are monitored and improved in field operations around the globe.

Project Summary:
The Platform for Integrated Cookstove Assessment (PICA) project will create an integrated software platform for collection management analysis and reporting of in-field cookstove performance data update the current sensors for measurement of stove usage indoor air pollution and emissions and integrate these and other sensors into the PICA system.

Project Summary:
This project will demonstrate the feasibility of creating an affordable long- lasting clean cook stove solution that delivers at least 90% emissions reduction and 50% lower fuel usage than traditional biomass stoves.

Project Summary:
This project will develop a breakthrough technology to increase the process efficiency for converting cellulosic biomass to fuels and chemicals.

Project Summary:
This project will develop a low-cost geotemporally referenced sensor for monitoring and reporting cookstove usage and black carbon emissions generated by biomass burning.

Project Summary:
A novel power system will be designed for geothermal wells and oil and gas wells. If widely deployed this approach could replace up to 100 fossil fuel power plants.

Project Summary:
Bio-based “green” chemicals are emerging replacements for petroleum derived plasticizers and solvents for which strong global competition is expected. Therefore strong public-private partnerships are required to develop advanced synthesis processes and thereby keeping the U. S. chemical industry competitive to global competition.

Project Summary:
A new process to make renewable jet fuel from vegetable oil is being developed. The new process can cost-effectively produce drop-in renewable Jet A-1 grade fuel using an advanced chemistry to maximize the yield of fuel from each gallon of vegetable oil.

Project Summary:
New biomass feedstock comminution and drying technologies being developed will reduce capital and operating costs of biofuels facilities while increasing the profitability and sustainability of advanced biofuels conversion from woody and herbaceous biomass.

Project Summary:
This project will improve the economics of biofuel production by developing catalysts enzymatic extraction and micro structured processing technology. Wheat straw a predominant agricultural waste in the Pacific Northwest will be used as the biomass feedstock in this project.

Project Summary:
Terephthalic acid is large volume global commodity chemical used in the production of polyester fibers beverage bottles and a variety of other commercial products.
Current technologies are complex energy intensive and based on hydrocarbon feedstocks resulting in inefficient use of hydrocarbon resources and excessive greenhouse gas emissions. The novel technology will provide a commercially viable route for the production of commodity polyester polymers from biomass-based carbohydrate feedstocks.

Project Summary:
This research will lead to cost reductions in PV module manufacturing processes by defining semiconducting materials with fewer variations in defects and impurities, which typically reduce solar cell device efficiency and lead to rejected material in the manufacturing process.

Project Summary:
An enabling technique for in-line PV manufacturing diagnostics is proposed to increase the productivity of PV manufacturing lines and reduce the cost of solar energy thus reducing the US dependency on foreign oil while simultaneously reducing emission of greenhouse gasses

Project Summary:
America’s geothermal resources are largely untapped because existing technologies require significant temperatures to run traditional power plants on the surface. To recover unutilized geothermal energy potential POC proposes a new and unique downhole thermoelectric energy extraction technology based on nanoporous materials developed for fuel cells.

Project Summary:
This project will determine optimal conditions for a direct thermochemical conversion of biomass into drop-in transportation fuels.
“Thermal Deoxygenation” will be readily incorporated into existing biomass processing and fuel distribution infrastructures. The commercial potential is large and economic benefit will be centered in traditionally under-developed rural communities.

Project Summary:
This project will develop validate and commercialize a proprietary membrane-reactor technology that—for the first time—could enable cost-competitive production of sugars from cellulosic biomass feedstocks for making cellulosic ethanol and related biofuels and other high-value bioproducts allowing the U.S. to meet federal mandates/goals for alternative fuels production.

Project Summary:
This project will develop a non-contact spectral response (Quantum Efficiency) system capable of monitoring critical process parameters in the solar manufacturing line.

TOPIC: Technologies for Clean Fuels and Hydrogen from Coal

Project Summary:
The liquid fuels produced by FT synthesis using coal-derived syngas can provide an immediately viable alternative to crude oil required to help provide energy independence to the U.S. TDA’s new catalyst offers several key benefits that can increase the cost-effectiveness of the FT process.

TOPIC: Technology to Facilitate Monitoring for Nuclear Explosions

Project Summary:
This project will develop accurate and automated software to extract digital X-Y trace information from historical analog seismograph data.

TOPIC: Tools Techniques Infrastructure and Demonstrations

Project Summary:
Nuclear forensics is a rapidly advancing branch of analytical science that has proven to be enormously beneficial in efforts to curtail nuclear proliferation amongst rogue nations and terrorist organizations. This project aims to dramatically enhance the precision and speed of analysis when characterizing nuclear material recovered from suspicious facilities.