Current & Past INL Teams
Learn more about current and past INL teams.
Cohort 20: March 17 - May 30, 2025
Hydropower Technology Catalog
Team Members
Principal Investigator: Trevor Atkinson
Entrepreneurial Lead: Mahesh Acharya
Industry Mentor: Boualem Hadjerioua
Technology Description
The Hydropower Technology Catalog (HTC) tool is a public database offering detailed insights into hydropower technologies and their capabilities. Designed for asset owners, developers, and service providers, it streamlines decision-making by reducing project development times. By highlighting the strengths and limitations of various technologies, HTC empowers users to make informed, efficient choices for hydropower planning and deployment.
Funded by the Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO).
VIPER
Team Members
Principal Investigator: Linyu Lin
Entrepreneurial Lead: Ryan Spangler
Industry Mentor: Forrest Shriver
Technology Description
VIPER (Visualization for Predictive Maintenance Recommendation) is a visualization tool to simplify, explain, and verify machine learning diagnostics in nuclear power plants. It identifies early issues such as blockages or disruptions, helping operators detect and address these faults. By analyzing system data, VIPER ensures accurate diagnostics, improving efficiency and reliability.
Funded by the Office of Nuclear Energy.
Physical and Cyber-Secure Master State Awareness Estimator
Team Members
Principal Investigator: John Tacke
Entrepreneurial Lead: Becca Avery
Industry Mentor: Craig Reiger
Technology Description
The Master State Awareness Estimator monitors real-time voltage and current from grid points to detect anomalies such as cyberattacks, sensor malfunctions, or system errors. Installed at substations, it processes data locally and sends alerts with mitigation plans to control centers. By providing an affordable, easy-to-use tool, this system helps grid operators and cybersecurity teams work together to prevent or reduce long-term power outages.
Co-funded by the Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response (CESER), OE, WETO, and WPTO.
TOP GEAR
Team Members
Principal Investigator: Gabriel Weaver
Entrepreneurial Lead: Hayden Town
Industry Mentor: Ian Conway
Technology Description
TOP GEAR (Technology, Organization, and Person of Interest Graph Extraction, Analysis, and Reporting) is a platform that analyzes soft power relationships and their impact on energy infrastructure. It gathers data from multiple sources, identifies key relationships, and visualizes their influence on decision-making. By simplifying this process, TOP GEAR enables deeper investigation and better understanding of how business connections affect energy systems, improving strategic decisions and insights for energy professionals.
Co-funded by CESER and WPTO.
RAPID-MIB
Team Members
Principal Investigator: Jeremiah Gilbert
Entrepreneurial Lead: Manuel Maestas
Industry Mentor: Bikash Poudel
Technology Description
RAPID-MIB (Relocatable/Resiliency Alternative Power Improvement Distribution) is a relocatable microgrid system that integrates household items like power converters and batteries for emergency power distribution. Housed in a 20-foot shipping container, it provides critical support for power outages and off-grid operations. With a capacity of 250kW/320kWh, it can supply stable power to communities or operations, and supports various energy sources such as wind, solar, and nuclear, offering a flexible, transportable solution for local energy stability.
Funded by OE.
Cohort 19: September 16 - November 21, 2024
SHIELDS
Team Members
Principal Investigator: Edward Chen
Entrepreneurial Lead: Tate Shorthill
Industry Mentor: Ted Quinn
Technology Description
Software for Hazard Identification and Evaluation of Digital Systems (SHIELDS) is a tool used to design and assess digital instrumentation and control (DI&C) systems. SHIELDS provides valuable insights for I&C designers, helping them create safer and more cost-effective systems.
Funded by the Office of Nuclear Energy (NE).
Cellulose 2.0
Team Members
Principal Investigator: Kris Egan
Entrepreneurial Lead: Zach Smith
Industry Mentor: Darby Smith
Technology Description
Cellulose 2.0 is insulation made from everyday waste that would normally go to landfills. By repurposing materials like plastics, wood, carpet, and textiles, Cellulose 2.0 helps reduce waste and lower the carbon footprint in construction.
Funded by BETO.
P-SOEC
Team Members
Principal Investigator: Dong Ding
Entrepreneurial Lead: Zeyu Zhao
Industry Mentor: Terrence Small
Technology Description
The P-SOEC (Proton Conducting Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cells) team has developed an advanced solid oxide electrolysis technology based on protonic ceramic conductors, which possess high-proton conductivity and low-activation energy, allowing for operation at intermediate temperatures (450-600°C). This technology maintains high energy efficiency while utilizing cost-effective materials and offering a longer lifespan, thereby promising to reduce hydrogen production costs.
Funded by the Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office (HFTO).
Cohort 18: March 11 - May 17, 2024
NAIAD (INL + PNNL)
Team Members
Principal Investigator: Juan Gallego-Calderon
Entrepreneurial Lead: Kazi Tamaddun
Industry Mentor: Ushakar Jha
Technology Description
There are around 600 dams in the U.S. that could be converted to produce over eight gigawatts of clean energy. Some of these dams might be suited for energy storage and hydrogen production. The NAIAD team made a national prioritization tool based on benefits to the grid, community, industry, and environment. Now, they are working on a detailed analysis tool to help developers and stakeholders assess the feasibility of a retrofit of these sites and look into benefits beyond electricity generation.
Funded by the Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO).
Cohort 17: September 11 - November 16, 2023
Litholution
Team Members
Principal Investigator: Meng Shi
Entrepreneurial Lead: Reyixiati Repukaiti
Industry Mentor: Azita Yazdani
Technology Description
Litholution is a method for lithium separation and recovery from primary (e.g., Li-containing geothermal brines) and secondary resources (e.g., spent lithium-ion batteries). This technology is a combination of green chemistry and energy-efficient electrochemical operations. CO2 is captured with a recyclable mediate and utilized as a precipitate agent to remove metals other than lithium. The mediate is sustainable for CO2 capture and storage, and battery-grade lithium products are separated. This carbon-negative process, aligning with DOE Net-Zero mission, is an eco-friendly and economically feasible approach to secure the domestic supply chain of lithium for energy storage materials.
Funded by the Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office (AMMTO).
Cohort 14: March 21 - May 19, 2022
MASTERRI
Team Members
Principal Investigator: Courtney Otani, PI
Entrepreneurial Leads: Pierce Russell, Bjorn Vaagensmith
Industry Mentor: Allison Reardon
Technology Description
The INL technology Modeling and Simulation for Targeted Electrical Reliability and Resilience Improvement (MASTERRI) allows for quantifiable failure analysis of complex systems/networks such as electrical grids. It identifies the level of vulnerability to cyber and other failure of specific components along with the resulting reliability of the system if that component were to fail.
Feedforward K9
Team Members
Principal Investigator: Ruixuan Li
Entrepreneurial Lead: Tina Miyake
Industry Mentor: Jay Umholtz
Technology Description
Nuclear incidents are often due to human errors in information gathering, response planning, and execution. Random human errors could be resolved by incorporating greater automation to the above listed processes, whereas design-induced human errors must be resolved with proper design. While automation removes some human reliability-related problems, other issues such as the loss of situation awareness and the decreased failure performance have become safety concerns under a higher degree of automation. The feedforward visualization technique leverages the capabilities of artificial-intelligence technologies, including machine learning and control logic (i.e., procedures), to provide decision support and alert operators.
Cohort 13: September 20 - November 18, 2021
Lithium Battery
Team Members
Principle Investigator: Bin Li
Entrepreneurial Lead: Corey Efaw
Industry Mentor: Feng Zhao
Technology Description
We developed a lithium-metal anode with a protective coating to use in a battery. This coating is porous, which allows lithium ions to travel to and from the lithium metal with ease, as well as able to handle the volume change of the lithium metal very well during ion plating and stripping without cracking. This coating design can be used to improve the stability of metal-based batteries, which are of interest for new clean energy.
C3D
Team Members
Principle Investigator: Steve Bukowski
Entrepreneurial Lead: Jake Gentle
Industry Mentor: Michael Harris
Technology Description
The Constrained Communications Cyber Device (C3D) is designed to reduce the cyber-attack surface of industrial control devices. C3D is focused initially on serial communications and constraining communications on the serial link during desired times.
Cohort 12: March 22 - May 13, 2021
EC-Leach
Team Members
Principal Investigator: Luis Diaz Aldana
Entrepreneurial Lead: Mark Strauss
Industry Mentor: Juan Carlos Villatoro
Technology Description
The EC-leach process is based on the use of electrons as a green reagent for the extraction of critical and strategic materials (Co, Mn, Ni, Cu, and Li) from end-of-life LIBs. Through this process, high extraction efficiencies (>98%) can be achieved at high pulp densities and in a hydrogen-peroxide-free environment. The process is based on the use of an electrochemically active reducing agent, which can be continuously regenerated during the extraction process.
Irrigation Viz (INL + PNNL)
Team Members
Principal Investigator: Shiloh Elliot
Entrepreneurial Lead: James Kershaw
Industry Mentor: Jeff Smyth
Technology Description
IrrigationViz allows users to visualize what-if scenarios to explore the impact of various irrigation improvements. Users interact with a map to view the current infrastructure, make edits, and see the estimated costs and benefits from proposed upgrades.
Cohort 11: October 5 - December 10, 2020
IHESS 2020
Team Members
Principal Investigator: Thomas Mosier
Entrepreneurial Lead: S.M. Shafiul Alam
Industry Mentor: Matt Lazarewicz
Technology Description
This project has developed the technical basis and demonstrated the economic potential of using integrated energy storage devices as “virtual reservoirs” that can increase the revenue of existing hydropower plants. These virtual reservoirs increase flexibility of hydropower over short to medium timescales, enabling them to provide frequency regulation, energy arbitrage, ramping, and black-start services. The approach is agnostic to the type of energy storage devices and, in some cases, may benefit from a combination of energy storage technologies.
EMEE
Team Members
Principal Investigator: Junhua Jiang
Entrepreneurial Lead: Conjian Wang
Industry Mentor: Mark Feng
Technology Description
Electrolytic metal-atoms enabled etching (EMEE) is a one-pot, green-chemistry process for the etching of a substrate through tuning electrochemical deposition and dissolution of metal ions onto and away from the substrate. It will provide a unique electrochemical technology for the manufacturing and surface modification of a range of nuclear materials and components. Its successful implementation will boost the development of advanced nuclear reactors. Beyond nuclear applications, the EMEE will be a disruptive technology to the etching market of more than $10 billion annually and boost the large-scale deployment of several emerging energy technologies.
Sustainability Integrators
Team Members
Principal Investigator: Maria Magdalena Ramirez Corredores
Entrepreneurial Lead: Birendra Adhikari
Industry Mentors: Cesar Ovalles, Babak Fayyaz-Najafi
Technology Description
INL proposes a process in which a carbon dioxide (CO2) captured in a switchable polarity solvent (SPS) media is directly introduced into an engineered proton exchange membrane electrolyzer where CO2 is electrochemically reduced and regenerated SPS is released in-situ. Production of syngas has demonstrated, with CO2 conversions over 70% at current densities over 100 mA/cm2. The regenerated SPS is then reused in the capturing stage without any degradation of its CO2 affinity. This integrated technology not only offers decrease on operating costs, by reducing energy consumption during solvent regeneration but also capital investment savings by not requiring solvent/CO2 recovery train.
RE-Metal
Team Members
Principal Investigator: Donna Baek
Entrepreneurial Lead: Ruby Nyugen
Industry Mentor: Corby Anderson
Technology Description
Rare earth elements (REEs) are technologically and economically significant materials vital to modern technology. Metallic forms of REEs are used in advanced electric vehicle batteries, traction motors, advanced light-weight alloys, telecommunication devices, energy-efficient refrigeration magnets, micro-electronics, satellites, and defense weapons systems. Currently, to convert REEs to their useful metallic form a high temperature (600-1400°C) process is utilized that results in hazardous waste. Researchers at INL have developed a new low-temperature electrochemical REE metallization process that has several advantages over current methods. This technology utilizes Ionic liquids that allow for a low-vapor pressure, non-hazardous, metallization process that operates at less than 100°C.
Cohort 10: September 30 - November 14, 2019
Thermal Sound On
Team Members
Principal Investigator: James Smith
Entrepreneurial Lead: Steve Garrett
Industry Mentor: Tom Harrison
Technology Description
The thermoacoustic (TAC) phenomenon exploits the harsh conditions and substantial temperature gradients that exist in power generation, melting, and hydrocarbon cracking processes. The available temperature gradient is utilized to drive an extremely simple heat engine. This TAC engine has no moving parts and requires no heat exchangers. This engine is self-starting. We have shown that the sound generated by the engine is couples to the surrounding via the working fluid, so that the frequency of the radiated sound can be detected remotely and used to measure temperature and material properties.
Cohort 9: March 11 - May 2, 2019
SAND
Team Members
Principal Investigator: Jacob Lehmer
Entrepreneurial Lead: Jake Gentle
Industry Mentor: Paul Berg
Technology Description
Collaboration is a necessity in the modern research landscape because it allows interdisciplinary experts to come together to solve real world problems. When researchers work together, data is shared, which often results in multiple storage locations with different file structures, and with time, becomes highly unorganized. Every moment spent finding an existing piece of information is fundamentally wasted time. In the worst case, experiments need to be repeated; potentially costing millions in capital and opportunity cost. Systematic Analyzer of Numeric Data (SAND) is a software application developed to handle unordered data. SAND solves this problem by automatically finding, sorting, and organizing that shared data. Other included features increase the immediate utility of SAND without the need for additional applications such as graphing and file format conversion.
Rotoro
Team Members
Principal Investigator: Ronald Boring
Entrepreneurial Lead: Thomas Ulrich
Entrepreneurial Lead: Roger Lew
Industry Mentor: Eric Harvey
Technology Description
High fidelity training simulators are required at every nuclear power plant. These simulators are costly to develop and complex to operate. Additionally, the utility of these simulators is typically limited to training applications. Team Rotoro developed a simplified nuclear power plant simulator called the Rancor Mircroworld. Rancor is an important complement to full simulators. Because Rancor is streamlined, it allows rapid demonstration of control room concepts for new reactors. Additionally, Rancor is easy to customize, making it agile for development iterations, including the ability to use non-expert crews to validate design concepts. Rancor also facilitates classroom training, by providing a stepping stone that may be mastered more readily than a full simulator. Finally, due to its portability and flexibility, Rancor provides a research platform that may be used where it’s not feasible to build a full-scope simulator, such as at a university laboratory. While the current version of Rancor focuses on nuclear power, it is being extended to other industries. Gamified, simplified simulation is particularly promising for industries where there may be limited simulator availability.
Cohort 8: October 1 - November 15, 2018
Glass Paper
Team Members
Principal Investigator: Bjorn Vaagensmith
Entrepreneurial Lead: Brad Whipple
Industry Mentor: Layne Lewis
Technology Description
Power transformers, a vital grid component, are vulnerable to premature failure during, and after, a geomagnetic disturbance, which causes elevated temperatures and voltage excursions that compromise internal insulation. Current insulation materials have limited thermal tolerance due to utilizing organic polymers or micro-fibers embedded in a temperature sensitive binding matrix for structural stability. A new high temperature tolerant insulation is needed. This project aims to develop new insulation prototypes with enhanced thermal properties by exploring novel high temperature tolerant ceramic nanostructured composite materials. Electrospinning is a facile fabrication process that can be used to fabricate high temperature tolerant silica nanofibers. The fibers may be used to make a woven or felted ‘glass paper’ proposed to have suitable mechanical properties, improved dielectric properties, and temperature limits of 450 °C. The new insulation can be fabricate into a wide range of form factors mitigating any need to retool power transformer or other electric equipment manufacturing facilities in need of a high temperature tolerant insulation.
M2LD
Team Members
Principal Investigator: Ryan Fronk
Entrepreneurial Lead: Anthony Crawford
Industry Mentor: Melissa Aagesen
Technology Description
The developed modified mobile linear delta (M2LD) robot is applicable to both in-lab and in-field Non-Destructive Examination (NDE) scanning, 3-D manufacturing (additive/subtractive), human-machine interface interaction, and any other application needing translational movement. Its embodiment is a modified version of a linear delta platform in that the vertical linear actuators that are traditionally distributed at 120 degrees around the workspace are now all aligned on one side. The end-platform, passively attached to the vertical linear actuators via linkages with universal joints on each end, is able to rapidly and precisely translate a sensor, grasping head, or fabrication head. This unique configuration centralizes the center of gravity, thus making it easier to roll around on its wheeled base, opens up the work volume available for scanning operations, and allows the system to easily fold into a geometrically and inertially compact form readily available for transport (e.g., commercial air travel). The system also enables a unique method of activating several degrees of freedom on the platform itself.
Cohort 7: June 5 - July 26, 2018
HOT
Team Members
Principal Investigator: Richard Skifton
Entrepreneurial Lead: Pattrick Calderoni
Industry Mentor: David Roberts
Technology Description
The High Temperature Irradiation Resistant Thermocouple (HTIR-TC) is a breakthrough in the field of temperature measurement overcoming the two most critical thermocouple issues plaguing high-temperature operations – signal drift and instrument longevity. It is also the only sensor specifically design for operating reliably in high-temperature radiation environments.
AXIVIS
Team Members
Principal Investigator: Su-Jong Yoon
Entrepreneurial Lead: Jeffery A. Aguiar
Industry Mentor: Daniel Masiel
Technology Description
We are proposing a non-expert based platform for data analytics utilizing visual modules. The technology will enable end-users to utilize a variety of tool kits that implement the latest machine and deep learning platforms to test their intuition as well as provide a front end that can be incorporated into larger enterprise data platforms as need and demonstration of the technology grows.
Cohort 6: September 13 - November 16, 2017
4Cs
Team Members
Principal Investigator: Vivek Agawal
Entrepreneurial Lead: John Buttles
Industry Mentor: Uuganbayar Otgonbaatar
Technology Description
Nuclear power generating stations have a very large number of manual valves and their configuration management is performed manually. The technology currently under development at Idaho National Laboratory enables automation in monitoring valve positions using retrofitted wireless sensor/communication technologies without requiring re-qualification of valves, which was previously either unavailable or very labor-intensive. The information provided can be used for a variety of engineering, maintenance, and management applications. The technology is modular, vendor agnostic, and is based on 4Cs, i.e., communication, connectivity, co-existence, and cybersecurity, that enable easy integration with legacy systems at nuclear power plants. The solution provided by this technology is extendable to other critical infrastructure industries such as oil & gas. Its immediate implementation at nuclear power generating stations would effectively augment the best practices identified under the Delivering the Nuclear Promise Initiative.
ELINA
Team Members
Principal Investigator: Katya Le Blanc
Entrepreneurial Leads: Johanna Oxstrand, Rachael Hill
Industry Mentor: David Cohen
Technology Description
More than 70% of incidents occurring in the nuclear industry are due to not correctly following procedures. INLs’ computer-based procedure (CBP) system visually guides the worker through each step of the process, validating input and outcomes before moving on to the next step. This tool simplifies the complex paper-based procedure process and ensures that organizations can safely decrease operation and maintenance costs.
Cohort 5: February 21 - April 20, 2017
AMAFT
Team Members
Principal Investigator: Isabella van Rooyen
Entrepreneurial Lead: George Griffith
Industry Mentor: Ed Lahoda
Technology Description
Additive manufacturing technology provides a direct route to fabrication of dense uranium silicide using a novel hybrid laser engineered net shaping process that is applied to create a small localized melt pool from multiple powder sources to form a pellet with the required microstructure, chemistry, and properties. This hybrid process in combination of other hybrid advanced manufacturing processes provide the unique capability to use multiple raw material sources.
Electroplate
Team Members
Principal Investigator: Prabhat Tripathy
Entrepreneurial Lead: Jordan Argyle
Industry Mentor: James Herring
Technology Description
This invention provides a corrosion protection barrier on metallic structural materials, functional metals and alloys, and rare earth based magnets. The coating is formed by the electrodeposition of metallic aluminum on the surface of the metal/alloy from an alkali metal bromide (salt) plating bath. A thick, homogenous, uniform, pore-free, and adherent aluminum layer coating is formed when the substrate is made a cathode. The process enables formation of a multi-layered surface coating.
EMRLD
Team Members
Principal Investigator: Steven Prescott
Entrepreneurial Lead: Ram Sampath
Industry Mentor: Rob Sewell
Technology Description
Traditional Probabilistic Risk Assessment (PRA) tools provide a static assessment of a given model. This is sufficient for many applications. However, many scenarios are time-dependent or dynamic. EMRALD is a State PRA model based on three-phase discrete event simulation, which makes it ideal for dynamic time-dependent models and also makes coupling possible with other time-dependent physics based simulation models. This overall design enables easy use for new and experienced PRA model users.
Re-Light
Team Members
Principal Investigator: Donna Baek
Entrepreneurial Lead: Devin Imholte
Industry Mentors: Robert Fox and James Hedrick
Technology Description
Re-Light’s technology safely removes and separates mercury and rare earth elements from fluorescent lamps so as not to volatilize mercury to the environment. Phosphor powders contain rare earth elements, which are considered critical elements worldwide based on their ubiquitous application in clean energy technologies and microelectronic devices. Recovery of these metals through urban mining is much more economical and sustainable.
Cohort 4: October 18 - December 8, 2016
Cellsage
Team Members
Principal Investigator: Kevin Gering
Entrepreneurial Lead: Josh McNally
Industry Mentor: Frank Meijers
Technology Description
INL’s CellSage is an advanced research and development software tool that closes the gap in understanding how to monitor and manage complex battery systems. It provides a means toward more comprehensive battery characterization, as well as diagnostics and prognostics of aging mechanisms. CellSage provides information that can be used to optimize battery design and usage, and aids in the development of battery management schemes variable combinations of operating conditions and environments.
Detection Systems
Team Members
Principal Investigator: Troy Unruh
Entrepreneurial Lead: Gregory Lancaster
Industry Mentor: Sontra Yim
Technology Description
This effort will provide a nuclear-focused strategy for providing an advanced, innovative, and intuitive imaging technology to workers at nuclear facilities called Change Detection System (CDS) .When deployed for nuclear applications, CDS will transform the way work is accomplished by leveraging powerful computer vision techniques for the identification and analysis of objects/areas not currently available to the nuclear reactor community. CDS has received two patents and two R&D 100 awards.
Dry Cask Vital Signs
Team Members
Principal Investigator: Ahmad Al Rashdan
Entrepreneurial Lead: Carson McNair
Industry Mentor: John Kessler
Technology Description
The proposed technology is to enable online performance monitoring of vented dry casks by installing a device on all air vents to monitor the physical parameters of air such as temperature, flow rate, density, nuclear radiation, impurities, humidity, salt content, acidity, and chemistry, and to apply a method that is based on accumulating measurements, then correlating accumulated measurements to dry cask failure baselines or signatures.
E-Recov
Team Members
Principal Investigator: Tedd Lister
Entrepreneurial Leads: Luis Diaz Aldana, Leslie Ovard
Industry Mentor: Jon Cook
Technology Description
Electrochemically Recycling Electronic Components of Value (E-RECOV) is novel technology developed specifically to reclaim valuable metals from discarded electronic equipment. The process uses an electrochemical cell to efficiently recover the bulk of metals, leading to more thorough recycling of materials while significantly minimizing chemical use and waste generation. The process is sustainable, safe, and environmentally friendly and can be accomplished domestically and economically.
Optiblend
Team Members
Principal Investigator: Allison Ray
Entrepreneurial Lead: Hong Hu
Industry Mentor: Ryan Bills
Technology Description
Researchers at INL are developing a solution to enable a blended feedstock strategy in the production of renewable fuels. The use of blended feedstocks addresses several challenges in the current supply chain, including availability, cost, quality, and variability. Blending provides a mechanism to reduce supply chain risk and may reduce feedstock costs by as much as 30%. Preliminary results suggest blending provides a low-cost, consistent biomass supply for advanced bio-fuel production.
Cohort 3: July 12 - August 25, 2016
DLR
Team Members
Principal Investigator: Jake Gentle
Entrepreneurial Lead: Donna Rennemo
Industry Mentor: Dale Douglass
Technology Description
The General Line Ampacity State Solver (GLASS) software package provides utility companies with the ability to use dynamic line rating to adjust power production through their grid network and allow for deferment of costly transmission line upgrades or new installations. GLASS calculates real-time ampacity and thermal conductor limits, helping the end-user determine, in real-time, the limiting ampacities and thermal ratings for any given transmission line segment.
Cohort 2: March 15 - May 5, 2016
Quake
Team Members
Principal Investigator: Justin Coleman
Entrepreneurial Lead: Chandrakanth Bolisetti
Industry Mentor: Mark Kaczor
Technology Description
Currently, DOE and the nuclear industry perform seismic analysis using equivalent-linear numerical analysis tools. For large levels of shaking, where soil strains are high, these tools are likely inaccurate for seismic and flooding probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) calculations. This proposed technology, with advanced seismic methods and tools, will minimize uncertainty and reduce quantified safety margins and costs required to mitigate seismic hazards.
High-Moisture Pelleting Process
Team Members
Principal Investigator: Jaya Shankar Tumuluru
Entrepreneurial Lead: Erica Belmont
Industry Mentor: Art Baker
Technology Description
Idaho National Laboratory has developed a high-moisture pelleting process that decreases the drying cost and manages the feedstock moisture more efficiently. Through this process, the biomass is pelleted at moisture contents greater than 25 percent. The pellets are partially dried during production by the frictional heat developed in the pellet die during compression and extrusion. Additionally, a short preheating step replaces the conventional, energy-intensive steam conditioning. This step helps reduce the feedstock moisture content as well as activate biomass components, like lignin. Techno-economic analysis indicated the process reduces energy and production costs by about 40 to 50 percent compared to a conventional pelleting method. Currently, scale-up of the high moisture pelleting process from lab to pilot and commercial scale is in progress.
Cohort 1: October 11 - November 19, 2015
ARAI
Team Members
Principal Investigator: Matthew Balderree
Entrepreneurial Lead: Corey Smith
Industry Mentor: Wendolyn Holland
Technology Description
The Advanced Renewable Aerial Inspections (ARAI) technology utilizes unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) to perform safer, more economical inspections on multiple types of wind turbines, including off-shore wind turbines, to collect data. The UAS data can be used to help determine maintenance requirements and detect issues and trends to help wind farm operators, public utilities, turbine manufacturers, and maintenance companies make rapid, informed decisions in how they manufacture, build, deploy, and maintain their products. Through its participation in Energy I-Corps, the team hopes to better understand the challenges of taking innovative ideas from concept to commercialization and, ultimately with the help of their commercialized technology, help industry provide additional U.S. energy jobs.
Switchable Polarity Solvent Forward Osmosis
Team Members
Principal Investigator: Aaron Wilson
Entrepreneurial Lead: Carter Fox
Industry Mentors: Shawn Perkins, David Noack
Technology Description
Idaho National Laboratory has developed a high-moisture pelleting process that decreases the drying cost and manages the feedstock moisture more efficiently. Through this process, the biomass is pelleted at moisture contents greater than 25 percent. The pellets are partially dried during production by the frictional heat developed in the pellet die during compression and extrusion. Additionally, a short preheating step replaces the conventional, energy-intensive steam conditioning. This step helps reduce the feedstock moisture content as well as activate biomass components, like lignin. Techno-economic analysis indicated the process reduces energy and production costs by about 40 to 50 percent compared to a conventional pelleting method. Currently, scale-up of the high moisture pelleting process from lab to pilot and commercial scale is in progress.