Energy Department Announces $6 Million In Awards To Bring Energy-Saving Innovations To Market

January 31, 2000

NEWS MEDIA CONTACT:Chris Kielich, 202/586-5806

Magnets for Motors, Laser Sensors that Detect Natural Gas Leaks, Ceramic Turbine Wheels

Secretary of Energy Bill Richardson announced today that more than $6 million is being awarded in grants to help advance energy efficient, environmentally clean production technologies. Thirty-two projects were competitively selected from 400 proposals.

"The projects receiving grants from the Department of Energy (DOE) today will help industries use less energy, lower production costs and reduce pollution," said Secretary Richardson.

Among the projects selected for funding today are:

o5 a frequency-selective glass material that will be used in cars and buildings to minimize direct solar heating and glare that could result in significant energy savings by minimizing heating and cooling requirements;

a laser sensor to detect natural gas and petroleum leaks at stations and refineries, resulting in significant energy savings and annual cost savings of $1 million - $2 million per refinery;
a method to expand the use of magnets in high-temperature applications, resulting in increased motor efficiency;
a process to improve the performance of high-octane gasoline;
a ceramic turbine wheel for use in gas-powered turbines that improves cost effectiveness by 15 percent, while reducing the use of fossil fuels; and
an innovative natural gas industrial furnace that could save up to 70 percent in natural gas fuel.

One group of these projects is funded by DOE's National Industrial Competitiveness through Energy, Environment and Economics (NICE³). The NICE³ awards total $10,236,607 and are cost-shared with a state-industry partnership. The federal government is awarding $3,804,097 and industry is contributing $6,432,510. The other group of projects is funded by DOE's Inventions and Innovation (I&I) program. The I&I grants total $3,584,625.

The Energy Department's NICE³ program was established in 1991 to encourage industry to reduce energy use and waste at its source by providing grants through state agencies. This year's eight NICE³ awardees will be granted up to $525,000 each for their energy-related technology demonstrations. The grants help U.S. companies overcome regulatory, economic and other barriers by demonstrating and commercializing innovative, energy-saving technologies. To increase awareness of the technologies, DOE, state offices and industrial partners will disseminate information about all funded projects nationwide.

This year's 24 I&I awardees will be granted up to $200,000 each for their energy-related inventions. Over the past 20 years, the I&I program has funded more than 500 inventions with nearly 25 percent of them reaching the marketplace. These have achieved cumulative sales of nearly $710 million with energy savings of 600 trillion Btu - enough energy to fuel every car in Pennsylvania for a full year. The program assists inventors and entrepreneurs to bring their energy-saving ideas and technologies to the marketplace by locating technical partners, commercial sponsors and additional funding sources.

The NICE³ and I&I programs support the Energy Department's Industries of the Future (IOF) initiative which promotes energy efficiency in partnership with nine of the most energy-intensive U.S. industries -- agriculture, aluminum, chemicals, forest products, glass, metalcasting, mining, petroleum and steel.

The Department of Energy researches, develops and deploys clean, efficient and renewable energy technologies to help meet America's energy needs while protecting the environment and strengthening the economy. Energy technologies supported and promoted by the department will play a key role in providing Clean Energy for the 21st Century.

I&I and NICE³ Awardees

Inventions and Innovation awardees

Invention	Inventor & Location	Funding Amount
Germanium Compounds as Highly Selective Fluorination Catalysts	Starmet Corporation, Concord, MA	$40,000
Development of Phosphors for Use in High-Efficiency Lighting and Displays	Brilliant Technologies Inc., Corvallis, OR	$40,000
Novel Ceramic Composition for Hall-Heroult Cell Anode Application	Advanced Refractory Technologies Inc., Buffalo, NY	$39,989
Functionally Graded Materials for Improved High Temperature Performance of Nd-Fe-B Based Permanent Magnets	Iowa State University, Ames, IA	$39,948
Improved Alkylation Contactor	VHP Inc., Bountiful, UT	$40,000
Low Cost Synthesis and Consolidation of TiC	University of Idaho, Institute of Materials & Advanced Processes (IMAP), Moscow, ID	$40,000
Iron-Aluminum Alloys for High Efficiency Energy Applications	Magna-Tech P/M Labs, Cinnaminson, NJ	$40,000
Novel Frequency-Selective Solar Glazing System	Orion Engineering Inc., Westford, MA	$40,000
A Ceramic Composite Die for Metal Casting	MER Corporation, Tucson, AZ	$40,000
Electrochemical Method for Extraction Of Oxygen From Air	James Mulvihill and Associates, Morgan, PA	$40,000
Energy Saving Method for Producing Ethylene Glycol and Propylene Glycol	Gallatin Research, Bend, OR	$40,000
Improved Refractories Using Engineered Particles	Powdermet Inc., Sun Valley, CA	$40,000
Enabling Tool for Innovative Glass Applications	Michigan Technological University, Institute of Materials Processing, Houghton, MI	$40,000
Laser Sensor for Optimization of Compressor Stations and Refinery Operations	LaSen Inc., Las Cruces, NM	$199,632
Titanium Matrix Composite Tooling Material for Enhanced Manufacture of Aluminum Die Castings	Dynamet Technology, Inc., Burlington, MA	$199,984
An Insoluble Titanium-Lead Anode for Sulfate Electrolytes	Materials and Electrochemical Research (MER) Corporation, Tucson, AZ	$200,000
Development of an Innovative Energy Efficient High Temperature Natural Gas-Fired Furnace	Procedyne Corp., New Brunswick, NJ	$199,361
A New High Temperature Coating for Gas Turbines	Turbine Coating Inc., Clifton Park, NY	$200,000
Tough-Coated Hard Powders (TCHP's): A New Paradigm in Mining and Machining Tool Materials	EnDurAloy Corporation, Savannah, GA	$200,000
A New Energy Saving Method of Manufacturing Ceramic Products from Waste Glass	Haun Labs, Santa Rosa, CA	$199,977
Distillation Column Flooding Predictor	Mr. George Dzyacky, St. John, IN	$52,900
Energy Saving Lightweight Refractory	Silicon Carbide Products Inc., Horseheads, NY	$158,041
High Intensity Silicon Vertical Multi-Junction Solar Cells	PhotoVolt Inc., Olmstead Falls, OH	$142,900
Fabrication and Testing of a Prototype Ceramic Furnace Coil	FM Technologies Inc., Fairfax, VA	$199,853

NICE³ awardees

Technology	Industrial Partner, State Agency, and Location	Funding Amount
Precision Irrigation Technologies for the Agricultural Industry	Colorado Corn Administrative Committee, Colorado Office of Energy Management, Lakewood, CO	$455,000
Energy Conserving Tool For Combustion Dependent Industries	Advanced Fuel Research Inc., Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection, Hartford, CT	$304,867
Energy-Saving Regeneration of Hydrochloric Acid Pickling Liquor	Green Technology Group, Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection, Sharon, CT	$475,231
Ceramic Turbine Wheel Technology Provides Economic, Efficiency and Environmental Enhancements to Microturbines	AlliedSignal Power Systems Inc., California Energy Commission, Torrance, CA	$524,673
Supercritical Fluid Purification of Combi-Chem Libraries	Berger Instruments Inc., Delaware Economic Development Office, Newark, DE	$500,000
Full-Scale 100 Ton/hr. Demonstration of Magnetic Elutriation Technology For Clean and Efficient Processing of Iron Ore	5R Research Inc., Minnesota Department of Public Service, St. Paul, MN	$500,000
Demonstration of a Three-Phase Rotary Separator Turbine	Douglas Energy Company, California Energy Commission, Placentia, CA	$519,326
Reducing Foundry Emissions and Green Sand Waste Via Integrated Advanced Oxidation-Underwater Plasma Processing	Advanced Cast Products Inc., Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection, Meadville, PA	$525,000

- DOE -

R-00-021