Partnerships in the News
Sandia’s Work with Texas Southern University Cited by Representative Sheila Jackson LeeSandia was mentioned in a letter by Representative Sheila Jackson Lee (D-TX) for outstanding work with Texas Southern University (TSU). Through the National Infrastructure Simulation and Analysis Center (NISAC) program, Sandia has partnered with TSU’s National Transportation Center of Excellence, to complete analyses of the petrochemical supply chain and related analyses of the impact of [...]
Sandia Solar Energy Test System Cited in National Engineering CompetitionBridgers & Paxton Consulting Engineers, Inc., of Albuquerque, N.M., earned a National Recognition Award for exemplary engineering achievement in the American Council of Engineering Companies’ (ACEC) 47th annual Engineering Excellence Awards for the Molten Salt Test Loop (MSTL) project, part of Sandia’s NSTTF. Designed and built to exacting specifications, Sandia’s MSTL system provides a means [...]
DOE Completes Construction of State-of-the-Art Wind Plant Performance FacilityThe U.S. Department of Energy and Vestas R&D have completed construction of a new state-of-the-art wind plant research facility at Texas Tech University in Lubbock, Texas. The Scaled Wind Farm Technology (SWiFT) facility is the first U.S. facility specifically designed and constructed to tackle the challenges of the DOE Wind Farm of the Future program. [...]
Caterpillar, Sandia CRADA Opens Door to Multiple Research ProjectsSandia and industrial giant Caterpillar Inc. have signed their first umbrella cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA), opening the door to a wide range of scientific research. “This agreement will lead to an expanded relationship with Caterpillar,” said Vic Weiss, the Sandia business development specialist who helped negotiate the CRADA. “It’s a strategic collaboration.” The [...]
SPIDERS Completed Its Phase 1 Operational Demonstration in Late JanuaryThe Smart Power Infrastructure Demonstration for Energy Reliability and Security (SPIDERS) Joint Capability Technology Demonstration (JCTD) completed its Phase 1 operational demonstration at Joint Base Pearl Harbor-Hickam in late January 2013. Part of the SPIDERS assessment team scrutinized controller operations, system status, and continuity of operations throughout the demonstration. Their report will focus on system [...]
Sandia and EMCORE: Solar Photovoltaics, Fiber Optics, MODE, and Energy EfficiencyMODE (MicroOptical Devices) was an Albuquerque-based start-up company founded by a group of Sandians who left Sandia under a special entrepreneurial program. MODE was purchased in 1997 by EMCORE, a New Jersey company that has worked with Sandia since the early 1990s. Upon acquiring MODE, EMCORE became the first company to build a facility in [...]
ECIS and Compass Metals: Platinum Nanostructures for Enhanced CatalysisRenewable energy sources are critical to the nation’s future, and hydrogen-powered fuel cells offer an attractive alternative to current technologies. However, fuel-cell catalysts must become more durable, efficient, and inexpensive before they are practical and cost-effective. Because most fuel cells use platinum or platinum alloys as catalysts, the limited platinum supply is a barrier to [...]
ECIS, Boeing, Caltrans, and Others: Fuel-Cell-Powered Mobile Lighting ApplicationsHighway construction workers, airport maintenance personnel, and film crews use small, portable lighting systems known as “mobile lighting.” Traditionally, mobile lighting units are powered by diesel-fueled generators that produce CO2, NOx (nitrogen oxides produced during combustion), and soot, putting them at odds with responsible environmental stewardship. Sandia, with help from Boeing, the California Department of [...]
Sandia, DOE Energy Storage Program, GeneSiC Semiconductor, U.S. Army ARDEC: Ultra-High-Voltage Silicon Carbide ThyristorsIncreasing consumer power demand creates numerous challenges for ensuring reliable, stable power for all customers. Many energy generation technologies, particularly renewables, generate direct-current power that must be converted to alternating current before use. Power switches, known as thyristors, perform this conversion and are crucial to a reliable electricity grid. Current switches have been inefficient and [...]
Sandia, Endicott Interconnect Technologies, EMCORE, International Micro Industries, NREL, Universal Instruments: Solar GlitterSandia scientists have developed glitter-sized photovoltaic (PV) cells that have the potential to achieve the cost breakthrough necessary to move solar energy into widespread, portable use. Miniaturized solar cells are produced using Sandia’s microsystems-enabled photovoltaics (MEPV) technology, which employs microdesign and microfabrication techniques common to the semiconductor, liquid-crystal display, and microsystems industries. The PV cells [...]
ECIS, DHS’s S&T Directorate, Federal Emergency Management Agency: SUMMITNatural disasters create emergency situations that must be dealt with quickly and effectively in order to minimize injury and loss of life. Simulating such events before they occur can help emergency responders fine-tune their preparations. To create the most accurate modeling scenarios, exercise planners need to know critical event details, such as infrastructure damage and [...]
Sandia Labs, Front Edge Technology, Inc., Pacific Northwest National Lab, Univ. of California–Los Angeles: Micro Power SourceWhat if the batteries had the ability to recharge themselves? Just as on rooftops, a PV surface could convert the sunlight to electricity to charge the storage device. Sandia, working with Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) and University of California at Los Angeles (UCLA), has developed the Micro Power Source, a system that integrates a [...]
Sandia, Los Alamos, Superconducting Technologies Inc., & Superpower: Solution Deposition PlanarizationThe nation’s electricity grid relies on power transmission from the production source—be it a coal-fired plant, solar array, or wind farm—to the consumer. Long-distance transmission results in sizeable energy losses due to resistance in the conducting material. Superconducting wires offer the potential for zero power dissipation and higher maximum current densities when contrasted with traditional [...]
ECIS, Lockheed Martin Aeronautics, University of New Mexico, and Davidson College: Multifunctional Optical Coatings by Rapid Self-AssemblyOptical coatings appear on items ranging from electronic devices, photographic lenses, and windows to aircraft sensors, photovoltaic cells, and goggles for troops in the field. The coatings protect or alter the way a material reflects and/or transmits light. However, the two primary methods of applying coatings—sputtering and chemical vapor deposition (CVD)—are expensive, require highly specialized [...]
ECIS-Princeton Power Systems, Inc.: Demand Response InverterSolar energy is both predictable—the sun rises and sets everyday—and intermittent—a passing cloud can reduce a 1 MW photovoltaic (PV) array from 100% of its power generating capacity to 10% in a matter of seconds. This intermittency limits this renewable-energy (RE) source and how much of it is integrated into today’s electricity grid. To alleviate [...]
Measurements of Thermal Stratification in a Homogenous Charge Compression Ignition EngineHomogenous charge compression ignition (HCCI) engines use fuel mixed with a substantial amount of excess air or recirculated exhaust gas that is compressed in the combustion chamber until it autoignites. The resulting combustion is a flameless and low-temperature burn that consumes less fuel than traditional spark-ignition internal combustion engines, and therefore, produces less carbon dioxide. [...]
‘Zombie’ Replica Cells May Outperform Live Ones as Catalysts and ConductorsThe Sandia-developed technique coats a cell’s insides with a silica solution to form a near-‐perfect replica of its internal structure—simplifying a wide variety of commercial fabrication processes from the nano- to macro-scale. The work, reported in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, uses the nanoscopic organelles and other tiny components of mammalian cells [...]
Biofuels Blend Right In: Researchers Show Ionic Liquids Effective for Pretreating Mixed Blends of Biofuel FeedstocksWinemakers have long known that blending different grape varietals can favorably balance the flavor characteristics of the wine they produce. In the future, makers of advanced biofuels might use a similar strategy, blending different feedstock varieties to balance the energy characteristics of the transportation fuel they produce. A collaborative study by researchers with the DOE’s [...]
Photovoltaic (PV) Regional Test Center (RTC) Website Goes LiveECIS has developed a new external website to facilitate the functions of the five DOE RTCs—both interacting with each other to fulfill the overall DOE objectives and with partners in the U.S. PV industry. The site houses project updates, news, and events as well as controlled access for project file sharing. The DOE has commissioned [...]
Cool Earth Solar and Sandia Team Up in First-Ever Public-Private Partnership on Livermore Valley Open CampusIn a public-private partnership that takes full advantage of the Livermore Valley Open Campus (LVOC) for the first time, Sandia and Cool Earth Solar (CES) have signed a five-year cooperative research & development agreement (CRADA) that could make solar energy more affordable and accessible. The CRADA calls for researchers with Sandia’s New Mexico solar energy [...]
ECIS-UNM: Biomimetic Membranes for Water PurificationClean water scarcity leads to disease, death, and often international tension. Limited clean water supplies face further stress due to its required use in a number of industrial processes. Reverse osmosis (RO) is currently the best method of desalination (making fresh water from seawater), but the energy requirements and costs for this process are tremendous [...]
Sandia Science & Technology Park: Acquisition of Companies Reflects Growth of Industry in ParkTwo companies in the Sandia Science & Technology Park (SS&TP) were acquired by Fortune 500 companies in 2011, highlighting the growth of SS&TP tenants in desirable technology areas. Being in the SS&TP has given both companies a location near Sandia National Laboratories, a desirable site for their facilities and employees, and heightened visibility with the [...]
ECIS and i-GATE: Innovation Hub Connects Clean Tech Small Business with Labs and StateGetting connected with government officials, potential partners, investors, and technical resources isn’t generally an easy task for start-up companies. But for clients of the i-GATE (Innovation for Green Advanced Transportation Excellence) innovation hub, there is a mechanism in place to provide a wide range of business support. The collaborative effort is administered by the City [...]
ECIS-I2CNER: Hydrogen Infrastructure Research Aids Energy Independence GoalSandia National Laboratories’ unique experimental capabilities to quantify the effects of hydrogen on structural materials at high pressures are one of the reasons it was chosen to be a part of the International Institute for Carbon-Neutral Energy Research (I2CNER). I2CNER is an international consortium established in Japan in 2007 with a main objective to develop [...]
ECIS-Automotive Fuel Cell Corporation: Hydrocarbon Membrane Fuels the Success of Future Generation VehiclesAt Sandia National Laboratories, researcher Cy Fujimoto, in partnership with Automotive Fuel Cell Cooperation (AFCC), is developing a polymer electrolyte membrane (PEM) that can operate optimally with minimum on-board humidification and low gas crossover. Current fuel cell vehicles run optimally when the air and hydrogen fuel is humidified, which requires high pressures and additional systems [...]
ECIS and UOP (a Honewell Company): CSTs Clean Radioactive Waste in Fukushima and WorldwideRadiation waste cleanup was in the public eye this year following the huge earthquake and tsunami in Fukushima, Japan. Sandia National Laboratories has a history of helping to solve challenging problems related to radioactive waste cleanup as part of the long-term effort to remediate radioactive waste at both government sites and nuclear power plants. Sandia [...]
ECIS-Veeco: Research Driving Down the Costs of Efficient LED LightingSolid state lighting (SSL), which uses light-emitting diodes (LEDs), has the potential to be 10 times more energy efficient than traditional incandescent light bulbs. Currently, 20% of U.S. energy use powers lighting. SSL technology can potentially significantly cut U.S. lighting energy use, reducing electricity consumption for lighting by one-fourth. That’s why since 2003, the Department [...]
Sandia and General Motors: Advancing Clean Combustion Engines with Predictive Simulation ToolsSandia National Laboratories has been working with General Motors (GM) for over 30 years. In the last few years, this partnership has become a strategic alliance, which includes a cooperative research and development agreement (CRADA), making it easier for the partners to work together. Our parthership’s research focus areas include systems modeling for energy, infrastructure, [...]
Sandia Wide-Bandgap Semiconductor WorkshopIn response to increased interest in wide-bandgap (WBG) semiconductor projects by DOE, on October 30, 2012, Sandia hosted a one-day brainstorming workshop aimed at identifying the value, scope, structure, and partnership opportunities of a potential National Center for Wide Bandgap Semiconductors. Participants from DOE, industry, academia, and other labs participated in a series of breakout [...]
Pratt Whitney Rocketdyne TestingOn November 24, 2012 the National Solar Thermal Test Facility (NSTTF) began testing of the Pratt Whitney Rocketdyne (PWR) solar receiver shroud. Fifteen days of solar testing are scheduled for this testing. The flux levels on the shroud range between 100 and 500 suns. The work is sponsored by PWR in cooperation with the Department [...]
NASA TestingDuring the week of October 15 multiple ablator samples were exposed to the concentrated solar beam. The samples were provided by NASA via Work for Others agreement. Some of the samples were five-inches in diameter and others were 12-inches square. The samples were exposed to 150-200 W/cm2 flux levels for up to 300 seconds using [...]
Northrop-Grumman, GE Partnerships Tap a Wide Range of Sandia Labs ExperienceSandia has signed a pair of umbrella cooperative research and development agreements (CRADAs) with Northrop Grumman Information Systems and General Electric Global Research that will broadly add to the Labs’ research. “These strategic agreements envision long-term partnerships,” said Brooke Garcia, a Sandia business development specialist who helped negotiate the CRADAs. The Northrop-Grumman CRADA includes research [...]
Solar Energy Research Institute for India and the United States Kick-OffThe purpose of the Solar Energy Research Institute for India and the United States (SERIIUS) is to establish a Joint Clean Energy R&D Center (JCERDC)—to create an environment for cooperation and innovation “without borders” in order to develop and improve emerging revolutionary solar electricity technologies and contribute to the long-term success of India’s Jawaharlal Nehru [...]
Sandia and the U.S. Army Collaborate on Operational Energy at Fort DevensDaniel Borneo and Ben Schenkman (both in Sandia’s Energy Surety Engineering and Analysis Dept.) are working on microgrids with Ft. Devens’ Base Camp Integration Laboratory (BCIL). They have been involved in successfully testing an application that can also be used for the civilian power grid. This demonstration and deployment work is consistent with the energy [...]
Sandia to Co-Host International Workshop on Photovoltaics (PV) PenetrationSandia National Laboratories, the Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI) and European Distributed Energies Research Laboratories (DERlab) have organized a workshop on utility operating experience with high solar PV penetration levels. The workshop, “Utility Experience with High Penetration PV,” is scheduled Monday, December 3, in Berlin. The workshop will take place just before the Fifth International [...]
Sandia Expands an International Collaboration and Web Database on Engine Fuel Spray Combustion ResearchResponding to the need to accelerate the development of predictive engine spray combustion modeling for the design of more fuel-efficient, low-emission engines, Sandia established a multi-institution collaboration called the Engine Combustion Network (ECN). The ECN provides highly leveraged, vetted datasets for spray combustion model development by using contributions from many experimental and modeling participants at [...]
Areva Solar and Sandia Labs Join Forces for CLFR Molten-Salt StorageAreva Solar is collaborating with Sandia National Laboratories on a new concentrated solar power (CSP) installation with thermal energy storage. The CSP storage project combines Areva’s modular Compact Linear Fresnel Reflector (CLFR) solar design with Sandia Labs’ proven molten-salt storage system. This will be the first CSP integration with Sandia Labs’ Molten-Salt Test Loop System [...]
Solar Power International (SPI) WorkshopAchieving High Penetrations of PV: Streamlining Interconnection and Managing Variability in a Utility Distribution System Friday, Sept 14, 2012, 8:00 am – 5:00 pm Orange County Convention Center, West Concourse ‐ Room 306A This week at the Solar Power International Conference, the Department of Energy (DOE), the Electric Power Research Instisute (EPRI), Sandia National Laboratories, [...]
Thermal Pulses for Boeing Test ArticleOn June 26 and 27, a series of exposures were made to multiple Boeing test articles using the heliostat field and the high speed shutter located at the test bay 140 above ground in the solar tower at the National Solar Thermal Test Facility. The exposures were made at various flux levels and used between [...]
NASA’s Solar Tower Test of the 1-Meter AeroshellThis test is part of a series in support of NASA’s In-Space Propulsion Technologies (ISPT) program. An aeroshell allows a spacecraft to use friction from a planet’s or moon’s atmosphere as a braking force—allowing the probe to carry less fuel (for braking rockets) and permitting that now-available space and mass to be used for mission-relevant [...]
A Model for the Nation: Promoting Education and Innovation in Vermont’s Electricity SectorWe are pleased to announce the publication of “A Model for the Nation: Promoting Education and Innovation in Vermont’s Electricity Sector,” a 70-page report summarizing the activities and outcomes of our Vermont-Sandia partnership’s initial year. This document speaks to the broad collaborative effort involved, to the strong and enduring partnership, now formally known as the [...]
Customer Interface Document for the Molten Salt Test Loop at the NSTTFThe molten salt test loop (MSTL) system’s customer interface document contains an MSTL overview and details how a customer’s experiment would interface with the system. The document also describes on site collaboration expectations and defines roles and responsibilities for all parties performing an MSTL experiment. The document is available to anyone interested in using MSTL [...]
Sandia Tool Determines Value of Solar Photovoltaic Power SystemsConsistent appraisals of homes and businesses outfitted with photovoltaic (PV) installations are a real challenge for the nation’s real estate industry, but a new tool developed by Sandia National Laboratories and Solar Power Electric™ and licensed by Sandia addresses that issue. Sandia scientists, in partnership with Jamie Johnson of Solar Power Electric™, have developed PV [...]
Vermont and Sandia National Laboratories Announce Energy Research CenterVermont—a leader in energy efficiency and deployment of so-called smart-grid technology—will become home to a $15 million national energy research project, officials announced Monday. The Center for Energy Transformation and Innovation will be housed at the University of Vermont. The three-year project is a partnership among the state of Vermont, Sandia National Laboratories of New [...]
Wind Energy Manufacturing Lab Helps Engineers Improve Wind PowerResearchers at the Wind Energy Manufacturing Laboratory—a joint effort of researchers from TPI Composites, a Scottsdale, Arizona-based company that operates a turbine blade factory in Newton, and Sandia National Laboratories, and located at Iowa State University—used laser readings to calculate how dozens of the layers would fit and flow over the curves of a mold [...]
Building a MicrogridBy Copyright © 2011 Albuquerque Journal Michael Hartranft Journal Staff Writer Japanese firms partner with labs, PNM, Mesa del Sol on project A collaborative U.S.-Japanese project that will use the Aperture Center at Mesa del Sol as the centerpiece for a smart grid technology demonstration is on track to go on line by mid 2012. [...]
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ECIS Highlights
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