U.S. Department of Energy Projects Win 32 R&D 100 Awards for 2016
WASHINGTON – U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) researchers have won 32 of the 100 awards given out this year by R&D Magazine and received a special recognition award for the most outstanding technology developments with promising commercial potential. The R&D 100 Awards, sometimes called the “Oscars of Innovation,” are given annually in recognition of exceptional new products or processes that were developed and introduced into the marketplace during the previous year. The awards were presented at a special event in the Washington D.C. area’s National Harbor on the evening of Thursday, November 3rd.
“The Department of Energy’s National Laboratories are a global technology powerhouse that harness innovation to create jobs, support new industries and help ensure America’s competitive edge in areas of national security and science,” said Secretary of Energy Ernest Moniz. “These awards demonstrate the incredible value that our National Laboratories continue to provide by using basic science to address tough challenges, from cryptography to clean energy, X-ray imaging to environmental remediation.”
To be eligible for an award, the technology or process has to be in working and marketable condition – no proof-of-concept prototypes are allowed – and had to be first available for purchase or licensing between January 1, 2015, and March 31, 2016.
Since 1962, when the annual competition began, the Energy Department’s National Laboratories have received more than 800 R&D 100 awards. The awards are selected by an independent panel of judges based on the technical significance, uniqueness, and usefulness of projects and technologies from across industry, government, and academia.
The list of corresponding technologies and National Labs follows with many of these projects developed in collaboration with private companies or academic institutions:
ARGONNE NATIONAL LABORATORY
- Nek5000/NekCEM: A high-performance software package allowing accurate simulation.
- Porous Nano-Network Catalyst: An efficient non-precious metal catalyst for fuel cell vehicular applications.
BROOKHAVEN NATIONAL LABORATORY
- Hard X-Ray Scanning Microscope: High-throughput microscope with specialized lenses.
- MoSoy Catalyst: Low-cost electrocatalyst derived from biomass for hydrogen production.
- Nanostructured Surface Coatings: Anti-reflecting water-repellent coatings potentially useful in solar cells.
IDAHO NATIONAL LABORATORY
- Virtual Environment for Reactor Applications (VERA): Developed with Oak Ridge leading.
LAWRENCE BERKELEY NATIONAL LABORATORY
- Cool Roof Time Machine: Method simulating three years’ weathering.
- PIM Membranes: Enabling next-generation lithium-sulfur batteries.
- SAFR Process: Ultra-low-cost fluoride remediation approach using bauxite.
LAWRENCE LIVERMORE NATIONAL LABORATORY
- GLO Transparent Ceramic Scintillator: Increases radiography throughput significantly.
- Polyelectrolyte Enabled Liftoff (PEEL): Fabricates larger polymer films efficiently.
LOS ALAMOS NATIONAL LABORATORY
- Entropy Engine: Random number generator addressing predictability issues in modern crypto systems.
- PathScan: Security analytics tool detecting anomalous network communications behavior.
- Pulmonary Lung Model (PulMo): Miniature lung model improving drug screening reliability.
NATIONAL ENERGY TECHNOLOGY LABORATORY (NETL)
- CCSI Toolset: Suite aiding carbon-capture technologies' scale-up process.
- Optimized Heat Treatment Process: Enhances alloy performance exposed to extreme environments.
- HVAC Load Reduction Technology: Reduces energy use by scrubbing air contaminants.
NATIONAL RENEWABLE ENERGY LABORATORY (NREL)
- Battery Internal Short-Circuit Device: Simulates internal short circuits within battery cells accurately.
- EcoSnap AC Heat Pump System: New class residential air conditioner improving efficiency.
- Wolfspeed Wide Bandgap Automotive Traction Inverter: Enables hybrid/electric vehicles optimization.
OAK RIDGE NATIONAL LABORATORY (ORNL)
- G-mode Microscopy & Spectroscopy collects comprehensive data from scanning probe microscopes.
- Open Port Sampling Interfaces ease mass spectrometry usability barriers producing quick results.
- ORiGAMI AI system improves medical research discovery via literature resources search/connection tools.
- Roof Savings Calculator Suite predicts cool roofing cost-effectiveness accurately online based on location/building type.
- U-grabber extracts uranium/metals efficiently from water offering an eco-friendly cleaning method like mines/fly ash ponds .
- VERA visualizes nuclear power plants’ internal processes predicting reactor behavior scenarios collaboratively developed .
- Waste Tire Derived Carbon reuses car tires as carbon powder integrating into lithium-ion batteries' anodes reducing waste effectively .
Special Recognition Award : Wireless Power Transfer Based Electric/Plug-In Vehicle Charging System co-developed by Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America achieving significant advancements .
PACIFIC NORTHWEST NATIONAL LABORATORY
-E4D RT Software constructs real-time subsurface contamination images helping various studies like geothermal systems/fluid movements/hydraulic fracturing operations/cost-saving open-source solution
SANDIA NATIONAL LABORATORIES
-Falling Particle Receiver lowers concentrated solar energy costs capturing/storing heated particles maintaining efficiency without breakdowns unlike conventional molten salt systems optimized design provides improved performance lower environmental/safety concerns better structure control produced materials reduced manufacturing costs
TQUAKE miniaturizes secure encoding/transmitting/receiving/decoding quantum photonic signals onto single microchip creating ultra-secure communication network node supporting any secure application successfully implemented
Ultra-Fast X-Ray Imager captures rapid plasma images world's fastest multiframe digital camera already utilized hundreds experiments Sandia's Z-Beamlet Laser facility LLNL's National Ignition Facility providing valuable insights numerous scientific studies .
