Research
[Due to the increasing size of the archives, each topic page now contains only the prior 365 days of content. Access to older stories is now solely through the Monthly Archive pages or the site search function.]
NSF Awards 14 Materials Research Science and Engineering Centers
October 01, 2008
The National Science Foundation (NSF) has made 14 Materials Research Science and Engineering Center (MRSEC) awards as a result of the 2008 MRSEC competition (solicitation NSF 07-563). MRSECs support outstanding multi- and inter-disciplinary materials research and education addressing fundamental problems in science and engineering. These centers investigate complex problems that benefit from the scope and level of interactions provided by a center. They foster active collaboration among universities, other MRSECs, industry, and National Laboratories.
Five new MRSECs were created as a result of the competition:
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Lotus, QUB and Jaguar to Develop Variable Compression Ratio, 2-Stroke OMNIVORE Research Engine
August 12, 2008
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| An early sketch of the OMNIVORE single-cylinder concept. Click to enlarge. |
Lotus Engineering, the automotive consultancy division of Lotus, will collaborate with Queen’s University Belfast (QUB) and Jaguar Cars Ltd to develop an engine which maximizes fuel efficiency when running on renewable fuels. The OMNIVORE concept will employ novel engine architecture to achieve a high thermal efficiency when fuelled on any alcohols or gasoline. The OMNIVORE engine is being targeted for flex-fuel operation with a higher degree of optimization and fuel-efficiency than is possible with existing architectures.
The architecture features an innovative variable compression ratio system and uses a loop-scavenged two-stroke operating cycle with direct fuel injection operating in HCCI (homogeneous charge compression ignition) mode. In an earlier presentation on the concept, Lotus said that it believed compression ratios ranging from 8:1 to 40:1 are possible.
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DOE Announces $30 Million for PHEV Projects
June 12, 2008
The US Department of Energy (DOE) will provide up to $30 million in funding over three years for three cost-shared Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) demonstration and development projects led separately by General Motors, Ford Motor Company, and General Electric.
The selected projects are designed to accelerate the development of PHEVs capable of traveling up to 40 miles without recharging, which includes most daily roundtrip commutes and satisfies 70% of the average daily travel in the US. The projects are also intended to address critical barriers to achieving DOE’s goal of making PHEVs cost-competitive by 2014 and ready for commercialization by 2016.
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US DOE Seeks to Invest up to $130 Million in Advanced Fuel Cell Technology
May 28, 2008
The US Department of Energy (DOE) issued a Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) for up to $130 million over three years, subject to Congressional appropriations, to advance the development and use of fuel cells for automotive, stationary, and portable power applications.
In addition to seeking proposals for R&D projects in the areas of transportation, stationary, and portable power, DOE is also seeking proposals to demonstrate fuel cells in distributed energy systems and to support market transformation that provide real-world operation data.
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UK Technology Strategy Board (TSB) to Award $45M to 16 Low-Carbon Vehicle Projects
May 08, 2008
The UK’s Technology Strategy Board has selected 16 projects to receive £23 million (US$45 million) in government investment through the Low Carbon Vehicles Innovation Platform. (Earlier post.) Including investments by the companies involved, the total value of the development projects will be £52 million (US$102 million).
The sixteen new research, development and demonstration projects represent the first investment by the Low Carbon Vehicles Innovation Platform since it was established in the autumn of 2007, and follows an open competition launched in September. The government investment is equally provided by the Technology Strategy Board and the Department for Transport.
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Energy Biosciences Institute Funds First 49 Research Projects on Cellulosic Biofuels
May 06, 2008
The Energy Biosciences Institute (earlier post), the world’s largest public/private consortium dedicated to the application of biosciences to the energy sector, has announced an initial set of 49 research projects for funding during the first year of EBI’s 10-year program.
Projects are being supported at all three of the public partner institutions—the University of California, Berkeley; the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign; and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. BP is funding the decade of work with $500 million, about $20 million of which is supporting the first package of projects.
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DOE Initiates New Energy Frontier Research Centers; $100M for Multiple Awards Beginning in 2009
April 26, 2008
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| Cover of the 2007 BER report on needs for energy storage—one of 10 in the Basic Research needs series underpinning the EFRC initiative. Click to enlarge. |
The Department of Energy’s (DOE) Office of Science, Office of Basic Energy Sciences is initiating Energy Frontier Research Centers (EFRCs) to accelerate the rate of scientific breakthroughs needed to create advanced energy technologies for the 21st century. DOE anticipates that approximately $100 million will be available for multiple EFRC awards starting in FY 2009.
Examples of areas of research focus include, but are not limited to: the direct conversion of solar energy to electricity and chemical fuels; understanding how biological feedstocks are converted into portable fuels; a new generation of radiation-tolerant materials and chemical separation processes for fission applications; energy storage systems; energy utilization and transmission; and science-based geological carbon sequestration.
