Energy & Sustainability – TechConnect Briefs

Increasing Engine Efficiency with Friction Reducing-Oil Additives

Bailey C., Christensen G., Grablander T., Hong H., Lou D., Novum Nano, US

Typical engine oils used in internal combustion gas and diesel engines are not high in thermal conductivity and are limited in friction performance, which together limit engine efficiency and longevity. Carbon nanotubes and hexagonal boron [...]

Accurate Pole Testing Can Increase Resilience of Power Supply Grid and Save Billions of Dollars at the Same Time

Deuar K., Kris Deuar & Associates, Inc., US

Resilience of power supply grid can be increased substantially by more accurate pole inspection and testing. Electric utilities are unnecessarily replacing or re-enforcing electrical poles that still have many years of useful life. Our proof [...]

3D printed energy efficient magnetocaloric cooling devices with controlled microchannels, functional grading and magnetic anisotropy

Balderson L., Barua R., Hadimani R.L., Sharma V., Zhao H., Virginia Commonwealth University, US

Air conditioning and refrigeration are regarded as one of the most energy-intensive technologies in demand today. Currently, 15% of the world's electric power is devoted to cooling, with that value increasing to 20% in the [...]

Cost Effective Mitigation of Wildfire Risk Generated by Power Lines

Deuar K., Kris Deuar & Associates, Inc., US

The recently developed extremely accurate Micro- Stress Pole Testing (MSPT) technology can save a lot of money by elimination of costly replacements of poles which are prematurely rejected by presently used inaccurate pole inspection methods. [...]

Exploring the Role of Nanomaterials in Advancing Solar Thermal Technologies

Anderson M.G., Beachnau B., Bond A., Demirel O., Icarus RT, Inc., US

Photovoltaics (PV) are a viable renewable energy technology, yet inadequate conversion efficiency remains a steadfast problem. A heat extractor that will attach to the back of a PV panel will cool it and boost its [...]

Promoting Technology Transfer Of A Pumpless Solar Thermal Air Heater (Patent Number 10775058) Innovation Using The Customer Discovery Method In A Historically Black College And University (HBCU)

Addo S., Tyagi P., University of the District of Columbia, US

Prior research details the large gap that exists in the technologicaltransferofinnovationbetween HBCUs and non-HBCUs.ThisiscompoundedbyHBCUsbeingunder- resourced and having a reduced focus on research and innovation.Severalfederalandprivateorganizations are fundingHBCUinnovatorsaimedattransformingtheminto revenue-generatingentrepreneurs.Oneof such federally funded programs, the NSF-CREST Center for [...]

Using the Membrane Biofilm Reactor (MBfR) to Recover Platinum Group Metals (PGM), Rare Earth Elements (REE), and Valuable materials as Nanoparticles from Wastewater

Calvo D., Lusk B.G., Ray C., Rittmann B.E., Zhou C., Precient Technologies, US

Platinum group metal (PGM) miners and recycling facilities are losing ~$2 billion (~10% of the total market value) of PGM annually in wastewater and tailing. The membrane biofilm reactor (MBfR) is a modular biotechnology which [...]

Sector: Energy & Sustainability