\nplant CO2. Sound seriously far-fetched? They may be. But these concepts are fetching
\nserious investment dollars from the Department of Energy. DOE Secretary Steven
\nChu—a Nobel Prize-winning inventor himself—has launched a new program dubbed “ARPA-E.”<\/a> It’s modeled
\nafter DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency), the Pentagon’s
\ntechnology-innovation program that was responsible for the
\ninternet, cell phones, GPS, and other technical breakthroughs. ARPA-E is doling out multimillion dollar grants
\nto the nation’s most visionary energy innovators—thrill-seeking, over-achieving
\nuber-geeks from start-up companies and universities across America. To offer a
\nglimpse of what they’re up to—and what America’s energy future might look like—we
\nsingled out seven of ARPA-E’s 37 recipients. These guys (yes, they’re all guys)
\nare pursuing high-risk endeavors that may never see commercial applications.
\nBut if they do, the rewards could be staggering in scope.<\/p>\n
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The <\/p>\n The <\/p>\n The <\/p>\n The <\/p>\n The hurdles:<\/strong> Because of its expensive fiberglass casing, FloDesign turbines require more materials than conventional turbines of the same size—which <\/p>\n The <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/a>The <\/p>\n The <\/p>\n The <\/p>\n The <\/p>\n The hurdles:<\/strong> Cost, scale, and the laws of <\/p>\n The <\/p>\n <\/p>\n<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The <\/p>\n The <\/p>\n The <\/p>\n The <\/p>\n The <\/p>\n The <\/p>\n <\/p>\n The <\/p>\n The <\/p>\n The <\/p>\n The <\/p>\n The <\/p>\n The <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The <\/p>\n The <\/p>\n The <\/p>\n The <\/p>\n The <\/p>\n The <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The pioneer:<\/strong> Dr. Harry Cordatos, Chemical <\/p>\n The concept:<\/strong> Equip coal-burning power plants with a filter that uses an artificial enzyme to capture CO2. Along with other air-breathers, we humans use the <\/p>\n The payout:<\/strong> $2,251,183.00<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The goal:<\/strong> Perfect the recipe for a synthetic version of carbonic anhydrase that can be placed inside a membrane (or filter), and measure the membrane’s performance in a smokestack environment. Within two years Cordatos hopes to show proof of concept for this process that could capture C02 at two-thirds the cost of prevailing commercial methods.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The hurdles:<\/strong> Knowledge, durability, and cost. We <\/p>\n The promise:<\/strong> <\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The pioneer:<\/strong> Steve Bobzin, Director of <\/p>\n The concept:<\/strong> “Super crops” that produce high <\/p>\n The payout:<\/strong> $4,989,144.00<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The goal:<\/strong> <\/p>\n The hurdles:<\/strong> Mother Nature. Transitioning from the controlled greenhouse environment to <\/p>\n The promise:<\/strong> “I have spent my entire career Related Links:<\/strong><\/p>\n Nuclear arms reduction is better than nuclear warfare<\/a><\/p>\n Whoops: Energy Star approves gas-powered alarm clock<\/a><\/p>\n Racing for cleantech jobs: Why America needs an energy education strategy<\/a><\/p>\n
\npioneer:<\/strong> Dr. Walter
\nPresz, founder and Senior Technical Advisor at FloDesign Wind Turbine Corp.<\/p>\n
\nconcept:<\/strong> An entirely
\nnew spin on wind energy. With compact blades enclosed in a cylindrical casing, this high-efficiency turbine looks—and operates—like a jet engine. Instead of using energy to create thrust, it uses the thrust of the wind to create energy. An air pump behind the blades pulls in twice as much air as a conventional machine. In
\nwind tunnel experiments, FloDesign’s small-scale prototype generated three
\ntimes more energy than a standard long-blade turbine of the same size. The
\nencased blades are also quieter and safer for humans—and birds—and the turbine’s
\ncompact size means it can be placed along highways, medians and
\nbridges, in suburbs and maybe even cities-all places where bulky conventional
\nwind turbines cannot go.<\/p>\n
\npayout:<\/strong> $8,325,400.00<\/p>\n
\ngoal:<\/strong> A commercially
\nviable prototype within two years, and ultimately a machine that is 30 percent
\ncheaper than a conventional wind turbine of the same size.<\/p>\n
\nadds to production costs. And if winds exceed certain speeds, the generator that creates power inside the turbine could overheat. Presz is exploring cheaper materials for mass production, and also designing better
\nair-flow controls for cooling.<\/p>\n
\npromise:<\/strong> “I’ve
\nworked on propulsion technologies for practically every aircraft in the skies
\ntoday-from Stealth Bombers and the F16 to the Boeing 737. But
\nthis is by far the biggest reward I’ve worked for in my career. The U.S. is way
\nbehind Europe and Asia in wind. Now we have the potential to change the entire
\nindustry—pushing it from the propeller age into the jet age.”<\/p>\n
\npioneer:<\/strong> Dr. Donald
\nSadoway, Professor of Materials Chemistry, Massachusetts Institute of
\nTechnology<\/p>\n
\nconcept:<\/strong> Batteries
\nmade of liquid metals. Picture a container of oil and vinegar—these liquids
\ndon’t mix, they stratify into two layers. The liquid metals in MIT’s battery stratify
\ntoo—into three distinct layers (cathode, anode and electrolyte) that interact
\nwith each other and conduct electrical current. Conventional batteries made of
\nsolid metals are expensive and hard to build big. But liquid batteries could be
\nenormous in size—large enough to store power from wind, solar, and other
\nintermittent sources of energy, and discharge it on demand. They could also be
\nsited at or near the buildings they’re powering, eliminating the need for new transmission lines to urban
\ncenters. Don’t expect to see liquid car batteries, though—all that
\nsloshing would disrupt the current.<\/p>\n
\npayout:<\/strong> $6,949,624.00<\/p>\n
\ngoal:<\/strong> In the next 18
\nmonths Sadoway and his team plan to scale up their prototype “from the size of
\na shot glass to the size of a deep-dish pizza box,” which could provide enough power
\nfor a home office. (By 2015, he plans to have a trash barrel-sized liquid battery that would power a small home.) For continuous wind and solar power on the grid, however, the
\nbatteries might have to be as big as an eighteen-wheeler, or bigger. It’s too
\nearly to put a timeframe on that super-sizing.<\/p>\n
\nphysics. A lithium-ion battery—commonly used in small-scale
\napplications like cell phones and laptops—that was big enough to power a house or a
\nneighborhood, would cost more than 1000 times what we now pay for energy
\nfrom the grid. We need a new approach. The question is whether the
\nlaws of physics will cooperate. Energy doesn’t like to be stored; it likes to
\nmove. Capturing and containing energy cheaply and on a grand scale “is a
\nseemingly impossible challenge,” said Sadoway, “but that’s what makes it so
\nexciting.”<\/p>\n
\npromise:<\/strong> “All these
\npeople working to improve solar-cell efficiency and wind-turbine
\nperformance—that’s great. But it won’t make a difference if you can’t store
\nand discharge that power on demand. Liquid batteries could give us electricity from the sun even when the sun isn’t shining, and from the wind when it isn’t blowing. Storage is everything. It’s
\na world-changer.”<\/p>\n
\npioneer:<\/strong> Ross
\nYoungs, founder and CEO Algaeventures Inc.<\/p>\n
\nconcept:<\/strong> An
\naffordable method for mass-producing algae to make alternative fuels, animal
\nfeeds, fertilizers, plastics, chemicals, and oils. The trick is the mass production part, because while it’s easy to grow
\nalgae, it’s hard to separate these tiny aquatic plants from their watery
\nenvironment. Algaeventures’ new method uses an absorbent plastic membrane to
\nrapidly “sop up” the water around the algae, making it possible to harvest,
\nde-water, and dry algae on a massive scale using relatively little energy. Youngs’
\nprocess could make algae-based biofuel cost-competitive with gasoline.<\/p>\n
\npayout:<\/strong> $5,992,697.00<\/p>\n
\ngoal:<\/strong> Youngs is
\ncurrently harvesting algae from water at a rate of 500 liters per hour. His
\ngoal is to reach 15,000 liters per hour—for proof of concept—by next
\nyear, and 50,000 liters per hour—for commercial applications—by 2012.<\/p>\n
\nhurdles:<\/strong> Scaling up
\nthe volume and bringing down the cost. Youngs is fine-tuning the chemistry of
\nhis machine’s permeable membrane, experimenting with new, more absorbent and
\ndurable materials and perfecting the weave of the membrane’s tiny plastic
\nthreads. He’s also tinkering with ways to move the algae-laden water through
\nthe machine in ever-greater volumes.<\/p>\n
\npromise:<\/strong> “All
\nterrestrial plants evolved from algae. It has been around for
\nbillions of years. As a resource it’s incredibly versatile—in theory, it could
\nbe used in virtually every application fossil fuels are used for, but without
\nthe negative environmental effects. To me, it’s a panacea. It could be as critical to
\nthe future of civilization as it was to its formation.”<\/p>\n
\npioneer:<\/strong> Bruce
\nLanning, Director of Thin-Film Technologies, ITN Energy Systems, Inc.<\/p>\n
\nconcept:<\/strong> Smart windows:
\nglass coated with a thin plastic layer of “electrochromic film” which, when
\nexcited by an electrical current, can control the amount of light and heat
\nthat passes through. (Think those eyeglass lenses that automatically tint in
\nsunlight, only on a much bigger scale.) On hot August afternoons your
\noffice windows could switch from translucent to opaque—shutting out excess light and
\nheat. On bright winter days they’d let the warmth penetrate. Smart controls can
\ntint and un-tint windows automatically—maximizing daylight and minimizing
\nthe use of overhead lighting. The energy efficiency benefits could be huge,
\ngiven that buildings lose 30 to 40 percent of their heat through windows.<\/p>\n
\npayout:<\/strong> $4,986,249.00<\/p>\n
\ngoal:<\/strong> Scale up the window size, and develop a mass production process that will hold down cost. ITN’s current prototype window measures from 18 to 40 inches; most commercial
\napplications require a 60-inch span. Lanning plans to make a 60-inch window, and predicts full-scale manufacturing of ITN’s plastic-coated smart
\nwindows within four years.<\/p>\n
\nhurdles:<\/strong> Cost and
\ndurability. Window-dimming technology has been in development for years.
\nInitially the film was deposited directly onto the glass window, a difficult
\nprocess to affordably mass-produce. ITN cut costs by depositing the film
\nonto a flexible plastic sheet that can be adhered to glass. Costs have to shrink
\neven further, and the plastic film must prove durable enough to last for decades and withstand the
\nelements. Lanning is also working on dimming speed (how long it takes the
\nwindow to transition from clear to tinted and back again) and on the color of
\nthe tint (rose, yellow, blue, or grey).<\/p>\n
\npromise:<\/strong> “Energy
\nloss associated with windows totals four quads annually in the U.S. If we switched all
\nthe windows in the nation to LowE [the industry standard for highly efficient
\nwindows], still two quads of energy would leak out. Smart windows could eliminate
\nall four quads.” [“Quads” is short for quadrillion BTUs of energy. But you knew that.]<\/p>\n
\npioneer:<\/strong> Dr. Emanual
\nSachs, founder and Chief Technical Officer of 1366 Technologies, Inc.<\/p>\n
\nconcept:<\/strong> Silicon-based solar at the cost of coal. Right now, more than 80 percent of all
\nsolar panels sold worldwide are made with high-cost crystalline silicon. Next-gen, thin-film technologies
\nshow some promise, but those depend on rare elements such as indium and
\ntellurium. Silica—the principal component of sand and the second most abundant element on earth, after oxygen—could be the ticket to
\naffordable solar. Making solar panels from silicon is wasteful; thin wafers
\nare shaved off large cylindrical columns of refined silicon, which means that half
\nthe silicon ends up as dust. With his new “direct wafer” method, Sachs
\nsolves the problem by using molten silicon—no sawing needed. The single-step manufacturing process uses much less energy too, which cuts the cost of each wafer by more than 70 percent. If successful, “direct wafers”
\nwould open up a market for solar that’s unconstrained by cost or materials.<\/p>\n
\npayout:<\/strong> $4,000,000.00<\/p>\n
\ngoal:<\/strong> Sachs’s
\nprototype wafers are four inches square with efficiencies of roughly 12 percent. That’s a bit higher than thin film solar, but not as efficient as the 15 to 21 percent range of standard crystalline silicon panels. Sachs plans to produce six-inch square
\nwafers—the commercial standard—with 16 percent efficiency by the end of 2011. Long term, he aims for
\n21 percent efficiency at one-third the cost of today’s installed silicon-based panels.<\/p>\n
\nhurdles:<\/strong> Efficiency
\nand mass production. Currently Sach’s molten direct-wafer technology is about 20 to 50 percent less
\nefficient than the standard. The more efficiency you strive for, the more
\ndifficult the challenge becomes. In other words, it’s a lot harder to get from
\n18 to 20 percent efficiency than from 15 to 18. One efficiency-boosting approach Sachs is trying is to introduce textures into the molten crystalline wafers in order to trap more
\nlight. He also has to develop commercial-scale production methods. It’s not clear yet that his molten wafer method can make that leap.<\/p>\n
\npromise:<\/strong> “Sunlight
\nis the original, omnipotent form of energy—fossil fuels themselves are a
\nproduct of plants grown by sunlight. The question is how to capture this diffuse
\nresource. We are trying to harness the primordial power of nature with the
\nleast effort—to find out what nature wants to do and help it on its way.”<\/p>\n
\nEngineer and Project Manager at United Technologies<\/p>\n
\nenzyme carbonic anhydrase to remove CO2 from our bodies. This enzyme reacts
\nwith CO2 faster and more efficiently than any chemical known to man. Taking a cue from the human body, Cordatos
\nis incorporating a synthetic version of carbonic anhydrase into a thin polymer membrane
\nwhich can capture CO2 before it enters smokestacks and channel the pollutant into a different chamber where it can be compressed and piped underground.<\/p>\n
\ncurrently use chemicals called “amines” to scrub CO2 from the air in enclosed
\nenvironments such as submarines and space shuttles (five percent CO2 in the air
\ncan be lethal). The amine method could remove 90 percent of CO2 from
\nsmokestacks too, but it would raise the cost of electricity by about 80
\npercent. Carbonic anhydrase is a vastly cheaper alternative, if Cordatos can determine how his synthetic
\nanhydrase will behave inside a smokestack. There’s a high risk that contaminants
\nin the flue gasses could deactivate the enzyme.<\/p>\n
\n“It’s humbling to see how much better nature is than industry at doing
\nthe things we need to do. Over millions of years of evolution, human bodies
\nhave developed an extremely efficient method for removing carbon dioxide. This
\nis as good as it gets! It would behoove us to try to mimic that.”<\/p>\n
\nTechnology, CERES<\/p>\n
\nyields with far less water and nitrogen fertilizer. Adapting technologies from
\nthe human genome project, CERES identified traits within sorghum, switchgrass,
\nmiscantis, and other biofuel crops that enable the plants to use nitrogen and water more efficiently.
\nTest crops grown in greenhouse laboratories have gotten as much as double the yield per
\nacre for each crop, and the same yield per acre using half the nitrogen. These super
\ncrops could produce cheap cellulosic biofuels or be used as a biomass feedstock
\nin power plants—competing with coal as well as oil.<\/p>\n
\nTo reproduce laboratory yields in the fields. Bobzin is testing four
\ngenetic traits in three crops (sorghum, switchgrass and miscantis) on roughly 10-acre
\nplots in Arizona, Georgia, Tennessee and Texas—states with different
\nclimate challenges. If the three-year experiment reproduces greenhouse
\nresults, they’ll begin testing the seeds on larger plots in more places, putting the innovation on track for commercial-scale development.<\/p>\n
\nthe great outdoors introduces a range of risks: weather, humidity, insects,
\nsoil moisture, wind, and mold, to name a few. These stresses could inhibit the genetically tweaked traits from functioning as well as they did in the greenhouse experiments.<\/p>\n
\nwith a desire to do things that would improve life for society, and the promise here is greater than any other innovation I’ve worked for. We
\ncould replace oil, we could significantly offset the use of coal with homegrown
\ncrops—providing energy security and freeing ourselves from dependence on the
\nMiddle East while reinvigorating the rural economy.” <\/p>\n