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Available Technologies

Title Date Posted Patent Information Opportunity Sort ascending
Conducting Metal Oxides Integrated With Surface Acoustic Waves (SAW) Sensors For Use In Harsh Environments USPN 10,976,287

The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) has developed a method for achieving tunable gas sensitivity of surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices. The innovation implements a class of materials with tunable absolute film conductivities called conducting metal oxides (CMOs), which enables SAW devices to be calibrated for gas sensitivity in diverse harsh-environment conditions.

Laser Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy Probe for Simplified Light Collection and Laser Operation USPN 10,145,737

The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) has developed a laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) probe featuring simplified construction that minimizes the need for optical elements from the probes data collection path, reducing potential interference with the transmission of high quality spectra. By reducing the complexity and cost of the laser head, the invention maximizes the amount and quality of light returned for analysis and increases the usefulness of LIBS research.

High-Performance Corrosion-Resistant High-Entropy Alloys USPN 11,466,344

The U.S. Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) developed designs, manufacturing processes, and corrosion property validations of new high-performance corrosion-resistant high-entropy alloys that are superior to and less expensive than existing alloys and demonstrate improved resistance to corrosion, including pitting corrosion in harsh environments and sea water.

Challenge
Metals and alloys used in sea water or acidic aqueous environments are prone to various forms of corrosion, including pitting and/or crevice corrosion because of the presence of aggressive salt, such sodium chloride (NaCl). Pitting and crevice corrosion can serve as initiation sites for developing cracks that will lead to catastrophic failures of the metallic components. The current solution to this problem is to coat the metals with nickel (Ni)-based superalloys such as Hastelloy® C276. Hastelloy®, which is very expensive.

Method of Fabricating Low-Loss and Low-Noise Hollow Waveguides for Visible Wavelength Applications U.S. Patent Pending

The invention is method of fabricating a hollow glass waveguide (tube that transmits light) that exhibits low loss in the visible or short-wave spectral region and is optimized for Raman spectroscopy or visible laser beam delivery. Prior art hollow capillaries suffer high optical loss and poor visible transmission, but the NETL invention produces these high-quality capillaries via a specialized deposition system. This technology is available for licensing and/or further collaborative research from the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory.

Challenge
Currently, there are no high-quality commercially produced visible-wave hollow waveguides. Commercial vendors can produce reasonable IR hollow waveguides, but visible-range waveguides exhibit high losses and high optical noise. The patented NETL Raman Gas Analyzer requires visible-range hollow waveguides with small internal diameters (a few hundred microns) and low optical noise. No vendor could produce these waveguides, so NETL constructed this new system of waveguide fabrication. Other spectroscopic systems would benefit from better waveguides including absorption spectrometers, microscopes, sensors, etc.
 

Microwave Diagnostics and Passive Sensors for Pipeline, Well-Bore, and Boiler-Tube Monitoring USPN 11,113,594

The invention is a system and method for monitoring the interior of metallic tubular structures like pipelines, well-bores, and boiler-tubes using an integrated wireless system. The technology uses a combination of the pipe or tubular structure as a wave guide, integrated radio frequency (RF) patch antennas, integrated passive surface acoustic wave (SAW) sensors, and data analytic methodologies. The technology is available for licensing from the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory.

Challenge

Safety and longevity are major concerns in fossil fuel industries and other technologies that use long metallic tubular structures like gas pipelines, well-bores, and boilers. Real time monitoring of the tubular structures for multiple variables within them, including but not limited to corrosion, leaks, and mass flow, is crucial to ensure safety and cost-effective maintenance in timely manner. Conventional techniques for investigating the state-of-health and operational conditions of tubular structures use non-destructive acoustic-based techniques, which are limited by the ability to interpret the data because, as an indirect measurement, requires models to be made of the infrastructure under investigation.

Multi-Functionalized Basic Immobilized Amine Sorbents for Removal of Metal Contaminants from Wastewater U.S. Patent Pending

The invention is a new type of amine-based sorbent material that has increased affinity towards heavy metal capture, from a variety of sources that exceeds the existing amine-sorbent ability by greater than 50%. This invention involves use of a polyamine that is chemically tethered to the surface of a solid silica support through use of a crosslinker and further stabilized through hydrogen bonding with a linker/cross linker. These sorbents can be used for the capture of heavy metals from a variety of aqueous sources. This technology is available for licensing and/or further collaborative research from the U.S. Department of Energy's National Energy Technology Laboratory.

Challenge

The US Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) gave the US Environmental Protection Agency the authority to establish and enforce regulatory policies and toxicity limits regarding Arsenic (As), Cadmium (Cd), Chromium (Cr), Lead (Pb), Mercury (Hg), Selenium (Se), and other metals. Many of these metals present a distinct challenge for capture because they are most commonly present in the polyatomic oxy-anion form. Sources for most of these contaminant metals include flue gas desulfurization (FGD) wastewater streams. These streams result from the treatment of fossil fuel-derived, post combustion flue gas with aqueous-based technologies. The well-known and widespread contamination of metals in drinking water and other terrestrial water sources through natural processes or human activity, demands remediation. In addition, radioactive pollutants in aqueous form have raised concerns about exposure levels in the nearby communities because of fears that these fission products could make their way into the food chain.

Low-Cost Optical Sensor Array to Monitor Temperature and Dissolved Gases in Electrical Assets USPN 11,268,984

The invention is a new low-cost way to form an optical sensor array that monitors multiple parameters such as temperature and hydrogen in essential components of electrical transmission and distribution networks. It uses multi-wavelength interrogation combined with multiple sensor elements using a single optical fiber. This technology is available for licensing and/or further collaborative research from the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory.

Challenge

Power transformers are among the most essential components of electrical transmission and distribution networks. To avoid the substantial financial and social expenses caused by catastrophic failures, there is a growing need to develop low-cost and real-time analytical techniques and instruments to detect and diagnose fundamental changes in the operating characteristics of transformers. Key parameters, such as dissolved gases content and temperature, provide valuable information for assessing the condition of transformers. For example, dissolved gas analysis (DGA) identifies electrical or thermal faults in transformers. In addition, temperature information is vital because when the temperature in transformers exceeds 90o C, the aging rate of insulation and tensile strength grows, resulting in a dramatic deterioration of transformer life expectancy. It is therefore of significant value to monitor the temperature under various ambient and loading conditions to identify failures before they result in significant damages. 

Selective H2 Sensing Through Use of Palladium and Platinum-based Nanoparticle Functional Sensor Layers Integrated with Engineered Filter Layers USPN 10,345,279

The invention is a method for sensing the H2 concentration of a gaseous stream through evaluation of the optical signal of a hydrogen sensing material comprised of Pd- or Pt-based nanoparticles dispersed in a matrix material. The sensing layers can also include engineered filter layers as the matrix or as an additional layer to improve H2 selectivity. This technology is available for licensing and/or further collaborative research from the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory.

Challenge
The ability to selectively sense H2 is critically important for a broad range of applications spanning energy, defense, aviation, and aerospace. One of the most significant needs is for sensors that are capable of leak detection of H2 at levels up to the lower explosive limit. Additional applications of hydrogen sensors requiring operation at elevated temperatures include monitoring of hydrogen in metallurgical processes as well as monitoring the composition of fuel gas streams in power generation technologies such as gas turbines and solid oxide fuel cells. Measurements of H2 levels dissolved in transformer oil can also enable condition-based monitoring to provide early detection of potential failures with large associated economic and environmental impacts.
 

Regenerable Non-Aqueous Basic Immobilized Amine Slurries for Removal of Carbon Dioxide (CO2) from a Gaseous Mixture USPN 10,765,997

The innovation represents a BIAS particle sorbent suspended in a non-aqueous fluid carrier (slurry) that is capable of CO2 sorption, is easy to incorporate into established power plants, and can minimize energy and infrastructure requirements.

Challenge

Carbon sequestration can reduce the emissions of CO2 from large point sources and holds potential to provide deep reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. Amine-based solid sorbents are effective and economical agents for CO2 capture from gaseous mixtures. However, because of the high concentration of CO2 in many feed streams, a large quantity of the gas often reacts with the sorbent exothermically to produce excessive heat, which must be removed from the sorbent to prevent temperature instability within the reactor and to eliminate potential degradation of the sorbent. Reducing the damage to sorbents with this technology and method can increase efficiency and reduce replacement costs faced by industries.

High Capacity Immobilized Amine Sorbents USPN 7,288,136

The Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory is seeking licensing partners interested in implementing United States Patent Number 7,288,136 titled "High Capacity Immobilized Amine Sorbents."

Disclosed in this patent is the invention of a method that facilitates the production of low-cost carbon dioxide (CO2) sorbents for use in large-scale gas-solid processes. This method treats an amine to increase the number of secondary amine groups and impregnates the amine in a porous solid support. As a result of this improvement, the method increases CO2 capture capacity and decreases the cost of using an amine-enriched solid sorbent in CO2 capture systems.