US – Page 192 – TechConnect Briefs

Novel High Energy Density Supercapacitors

Risser S., Tan B., Castaneda H., Spahr K., Stasik M., Battelle Memorial Institute, US

Cost-effective electrical storage is a critical need for enhancing current devices and enabling new devices and technologies. One of the storage types Battelle has been actively investigating is hybrid supercapacitors. Achieving high energy density in [...]

Permanent Distributed Load Reduction — A low-cost grid capacity solution

Sandersen J., Orion Energy Systems, US

The wholesale changeover of inefficient lighting can have a dramatic and sustainable impact on the nation’s stressed electric grid through permanent distributed load reductions, or PDLR. PDLR requires the deployment of energy-efficient technology at the [...]

Location Based Environment Sensing and Information Report using Cognitive Radio for Smart Grid Security

Khairatkar M., Mangir T., California State University Long Beach, US

In this paper we present an approach to security through location based environment sensing and information report using cognitive radio. The term environment sensing is used to sense physical quantities in the surrounding area and [...]

Low-cost 3D Wind Anemometers for Architectural Wind Modeling and Prediction

Hirano J., Garmire D., University of Hawaii at Manoa, US

As wind power generation becomes more popular especially in urban areas, it becomes important to understand wind flow on a small scale accounting for the effects of building topology and neighboring buildings for wind-energy availability. [...]

Generation of Transportation Fuel from Solid Municipal Waste Plastics

Sarker M., Natural State Research, Inc., US

Transportation fuels derived from imported fossil fuels are subjected to the price fluctuations of the global marketplace, and constitute a major expense in the operation of a vehicle. Emissions from the evaporation and combustion of [...]

New Kalina Cycle Systems for Biomass Applications

Kalina A., KALEX LLC, US

Three new Kalina Cycle power systems have designed for the utilization of biomass fuel. These systems offer drastic improvements in efficiency, (on the order of 40% to 60%,) and reduction in cost over current conventional [...]

Electric Power Generation with Torrefied Biomass

Paoluccio J.A., Inventive Resources Inc., US

A new breakthrough has been made in converting biomass into a usable fuel. This new process uses liquid immersion heat treatment to make torrefied wood. Prior testing has shown that this system should prove to [...]

Process Modeling Results of Bio-Syntrolysis: Converting Biomass to Liquid Fuel with High Temperature Steam Electrolysis

Hawkes G.L., McKellar M.G., Wood R., Plum M., Idaho National Laboratory, US

A new process called Bio-Syntrolysis is being researched at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) investigating syngas production from renewable biomass that is assisted with high temperature steam electrolysis (HTSE). The INL is the world leader [...]

High-Yield Chemical Conversion of Biomass into Biofuels and Value-Added Products

Mascal M., Nikitin E.B., University of California Davis, US

We have developed a new method to efficiently convert waste biomass (agricultural, municipal forestry) into biofuels and value-added products. The process is completely chemical in nature, inexpensive, and produces no waste stream. The derived products [...]

Experimental study of solar spectrum impact on solar cells

Song X., Miller E.L., Garmire D., University of Hawaii at Manoa, US

Variations in solar spectrum can lead to changes in the performance and efficiency of solar cells, which operate at peak efficiency only over a relatively narrow band of the spectrum. Similarly heat absorbed by solar [...]