Small Business Vouchers to advance hydropower, energy efficiency & bio-based chemicals
March 10, 2016 
RICHLAND, Wash. - Hydropower costs could be reduced, buildings could use less energy and adhesives could be made from plants under 3 new plans announced today by the D.O.E..
DOE's Pacific Northwest National Lab is being awarded a total of $625,000 to advance these technologies. The 3 plans are part of the 1st round of backing for DOE's new Small Business Vouchers Pilot. Nearly $6.7 million in total backing was announced today to support technologies being developed by 33 different small businesses. Each small business will also provide an additional 20 percent in cost-share backing or in-kind services for each project. More information on PNNL's 3 new plans is provided below.
"The Small Business Vouchers pilot allows innovative entrepreneurs greater access to the world-class resources and brilliant minds in our (national) labs," said David Danielson, assistant secretary for DOE's Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy. "These partnerships can help small businesses solve their most pressing technical challenges - and help bring clean energy technologies to commercialization much faster."
Initially announced in July 2015, the pilot will help small clean energy firms gain technology assistance from DOE's national Lab system. PNNL is among 5 national labs leading the pilot and will specifically support small business in 3 areas: bioenergy, water power and buildings.
D.O.E. also announced today that more small businesses can now apply to gain vouchers through the 2nd round of this program. 2nd round applications are due April 10. More information can be found at the Small Business Vouchers Pilot website.
Computers help make better hydro turbines
Improved, screw-shaped turbines could generate electricity in small U.S. waterways such as irrigation canals. These hydro turbines, called Archimedes Hydrodynamic Screw turbines, already are widely used in European waters. To lower their cost and make them more feasible for use in the U.S., Kennewick, Washington-based Percheron Power, LLC, wants to make these turbines out of composite materials instead of metal.
PNNL engineer Marshall Richmond and his team will use advanced computer models to help Percheron advance its turbine designs. The researchers will run the models on PNNL's Constance supercomputer to compare the performance of different turbine designs and predict the strength requirements for turbines. Percheron will use the results to build prototype composite turbines and test them in a lab and in the field. PNNL is being awarded $200,000.
Advancing algorithms for energy-efficient buildings
Small and medium-sized commercial buildings could cut their power bills with the help of national lab-developed algorithms that enhance lighting, heating and cooling systems by identifying systems that aren't working as intended - such as thermostats that don't change temperatures at assigned times - and correcting them. But while these algorithms have worked well in experiments, they need further refinement to be ready for real-world use.
PNNL engineer Michael Brambley and his team will help Lake Oswego, Oregon-based NorthWrite make these algorithms ready for commercial use. PNNL will test and validate algorithm performance and help NorthWrite adapt them for the company's cloud-based software, among other tasks. The algorithms involved were developed by PNNL and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. PNNL is being awarded $300,000.
Improving plant-based chemical production
The cost and carbon footprint of synthetic rubbers, latex and adhesives could be reduced by making them from plants instead of petroleum. Berkeley, California-based Visolis, Incorporated has developed a new process using fermentation and catalysts to convert plant-derived sugars into isoprene, a chemical from which those materials are made.
PNNL and National Renewable Energy Lab will help Visolis scale up its process and produce samples that will be tested to ensure the process creates a quality chemical. PNNL engineer Karthi Ramasamy will lead a team that improves half of the process, while NREL will enhance the other half. PNNL will gain $125,000 for the plan and NREL will gain $175,000.
For more information, see today's D.O.E. announcement. The full list of 33 companies being awarded vouchers today is accessible on the Small Business Vouchers Pilot website.
Tags: Energy, Environment, Fundamental Science, Computational Science, Biomass, Energy Efficiency, Renewable Energy, Hydropower, Biofuel, Green Energy, Chemistry, Catalysis, Supercomputer, Fish
Interdisciplinary teams at Pacific Northwest National Lab address many of America's most pressing issues in energy, the environment and national security through advances in basic and applied science. Founded in 1965, PNNL employs 4,400 staff and has an yearly budget of nearly $1 billion. It is managed by Battelle for the D.O.E.'s Office of Science. As the single biggest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, the Office of Science is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information on PNNL, visit the PNNL News Center, or follow PNNL on Facebook, Google+, LinkedIn and Twitter.
