Each year since 1969, Battelle and the national labs it manages or co-manages for the U.S. Department of Energy have earned R&D 100 Awards for developing one or more of the 100 most significant scientific and technological innovations worldwide. In 2010, we earned 24 more R&D 100 Awards, increasing our all-time total to 241. The awards are administered through R&D Magazine.
Here’s a description of our winning innovations that earned R&D 100 Awards in 2010:
Idaho National Laboratory
Supercritical/Solid Catalyst (SSC)
Discarded and environmentally unfriendly wastes now can be converted into biodiesel fuels using a chemistry breakthrough called Supercritical/Solid Catalyst or SSC. Idaho National Laboratory scientists worked to find ways to create liquid fuels from a variety of waste streams, including municipal wastewater and food processing waste. SSC mixes fat or oil feedstock with supercritical fluid solvents and alcohols at specific temperatures and pressures to completely dissolve the materials during a single supercritical phase. This approach overcomes a key barrier – the polar liquid phase in conventional biodiesel production, which requires multiple steps.
MicroSight
MicroSight seems to transcend the laws of physics by simultaneously imaging two distinct focal planes so that a marksman can clearly focus on both the gun sight and the target. This can dramatically improve a shooter’s situational awareness with better vision and safety. MicroSight is durable, incredibly small and adds less than 1/1000th of an ounce to the firearm. It has been licensed by Apollo Optical Systems of Rochester, N.Y., a world leader in lens design and engineering.
osgBullet
INL researchers collaborated with researchers at Ames National Laboratory and NETL to develop osgBullet, which provides an open-source software toolkit that enables real-time creation and interaction with multi-body dynamics simulations in a 3-D graphical environment.
Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory
Statistical Radiation Detection System
The statistical radiation detection system is a novel software solution that nonexperts can use to rapidly and reliably detect radionuclides in applications that require accurate identification of radioactive material. This technology was developed in conjunction with ICx Technologies of Arlington, Va.
High-Performance Strontium Iodide Scintillator for Gamma-Ray Spectroscopy
The europium-doped strontium iodide scintillator allows the fastest, highest-resolution gamma-ray spectroscopy for detectors to identify radionuclides for homeland security and other applications. This award was won in conjunction with with Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Fisk University, Radiation Monitoring Devices Inc. of Watertown, Mass. and the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Domestic Nuclear Detection Office.
Energy Monitor for Ultrahigh-brightness X-ray Pulses
The X-ray free electron laser energy monitor non-intrusively measures the energy of ultrahigh intensity X-ray pulses produced by revolutionary X-ray free electron lasers.
Grating Actuated Transient Optical Recorder (GATOR)
This technology is a diagnostic system that can acquire sequential images of X-rays or optical light with the time resolution of a trillionth of a second or better.
Ultrapermeable Carbon Nanotube Membranes
Extremely permeable and extremely stable carbon nanotube membranes provide ultrafast water flow that could revolutionize the water purification industry.
Microelectromechanical Systems (MEMS)-based Adaptive-Optics Optical Coherence Tomography
This system is a clinical instrument that provides non-invasive, ultrahigh resolution, three-dimensional volumetric retinal images for ophthalmologists and optometrists to view retinal structures at the cellular level. This award was won in collaboration with the University of California, Davis, Indiana University’s School of Optometry and Boston Micromachines Corp. of Watertown, Mass.
National Renewable Energy Laboratory
“Black Silicon” Nanocatalytic Wet-Chemical Etch
The “Black Silicon” Nanocatalytic Wet-Chemical Etch emerged from work by NREL photovoltaic researchers that demonstrated that “black silicon” solar cells, which have been chemically etched to appear black, can better absorb the sun’s energy. The inexpensive, one-step method reduces light reflection from silicon wafers to less than 2 percent, and promises to reduce manufacturing production cost and capital expense. Any photons reflected from the surface of a solar cell are wasted. To reduce reflected sunlight and increase cell efficiency, NREL scientists invented the antireflection process that turns silicon wafers black so they absorb 98 percent of solar radiation.
Amonix 7700 Solar Power Generator
The Amonix 7700 Solar Power Generator was developed in a partnership between NREL and Amonix. It is a highly concentrated, highly efficient bulk power generator that produces 40 percent more energy than conventional fixed photovoltaic panels. It is the first terrestrial photovoltaic system capable of converting one-fourth of the sun’s energy into usable electricity. It produces “more power per tower” by using record-efficient solar cells, tried-and-true concentrator Frensel lenses and smart controller and tracker systems.
Oak Ridge National Laboratory
Telemedical Retinal Image Analysis and Diagnosis (TRIAD)
It is a Web-based telemedical diagnostic system designed to conduct automated eye screenings of large patient populations for blinding diseases such as diabetic retinopathy in a primary health care setting. The real-time low-cost screening provided by TRIAD can help primary care providers offer a more efficient and economical retina screening service to prevent blindness in diabetic patients. This diagnostic tool will allow more people to undergo screening, especially the indigent and those in areas that are medically underserved.
Liquid Microjunction Surface Sampling Probe for Mass Spectrometry
The ambient surface sampling system for mass spectrometry uses a sampling probe for quick, efficient liquid extraction of analytes directly from surfaces. The technology’s ability to analyze materials outside a vacuum and under real-world conditions demonstrates a clear improvement over technologies limited to surface sampling within a vacuum. The product’s simplicity, speed and cost effectiveness allow for a range of uses within the biological sciences, including applications in pharmaceutical research and drug discovery.
Sulfur-Carbon Nanocomposite Cathode Material and Additives for Lithium-Sulfur Batteries
The technology offers a more functional sulfur-carbon nanocomposite cathode and halide additives to the electrolyte in order to solve problems inherent in existing lithium-ion battery technology. The lithium-sulfur battery system could improve the energy density of the current technology by a factor of five or more. By enabling a more reliable, safer and longer lasting battery system, this invention has the potential to aid in the harnessing, storage and use of electricity from renewable energy sources.
Ultrasensitive Nanomechanical Transducers Based on Nonlinear Resonance
This technology, based on nonlinear nanomechanical resonators, enables sensitive linear detection of force or mass that can be used in a number of important applications, including chemical and biological detection, inertial navigation and thermal imaging. It can determine the presence of extremely low levels (femtogram quantities) of chemicals in a gas or liquid with a sensitivity that is at least 1,000 times better than other comparable mass-sensitive transducers in the market. It can provide real-time monitoring in a cost-effective manner and can lower detection thresholds in both gas and liquid environments without increasing the cost and complexity of the tool.
Strontium Iodide Scintillator for Gamma Ray Spectroscopy
The technology allows for the efficient and precise detection of illicit sources of uranium, plutonium and other radioactive materials, which can play a critical role in protecting the country from nuclear and radiological threats. Europium-doped strontium iodide enables the highest-resolution gamma-ray spectroscopy for a scintillator detector to identify radionuclides. It’s superior scintillator energy resolution and its cost-effective production make it valuable for a number of homeland security and other important applications. This was submitted in conjunction with ORNL, Fisk Univeristy, Radiation Monitoring Devices Inc. and the Department of Homeland Security’s Domestic Nuclear Detection Office.
Mode-Synthesizing Atomic Force Microscope
MSAFM is a novel measurement system for noninvasive high-resolution surface and subsurface characterization and analysis of materials at the nanoscale. This technology can obtain a wealth of material information from both the surface and subsurface domain, opening unlimited opportunities in nanoscience in a variety of endeavors, including human health, environmental studies, toxicology, nanofabrication, cell mechanics and energy research.
High-Performance, High Tc Superconducting Wires Enabled via Self-assembly of Non-superconducting Columnar Defects
The 3-D self-assembly process enables the fabrication of ultra-high-performance superconducting wires. The technology is designed to create non-superconducting nanoscale columnar defects with nanoscale spacing within high-temperature superconducting wires. These defects are desirable because they can improve the performance of high-temperature superconductors by enabling large currents to flow through the materials in the presence of high applied magnetic fields. The need for high-temperature superconductors in the electric power, medical, transportation, industrial and military sectors demonstrates this product’s widespread commercial viability and usefulness.
Ztherm Modulated Thermal Analysis
The technology provides a tool for failure analysis of devices such as electrical conductors or semi-conductors in flexible electronic devices and polymer photovoltaic devices, in which polymers play a key role. It offers highly localized heating with sensitivity to sub-zeptoliter material property change with vast improvements over other commercial systems. It is a powerful method for characterizing the mechanical properties of polymers as a function of temperature with the highest resolution available today.
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Ion Mobility Spectrometer on a Microchip
The dime-sized microchip is based on Field Asymmetric waveform Ion Mobility Spectrometry. Also called FAIMS, the method uses strong verses weak electric fields to separate electrically charged atoms or molecules called ions as they zoom through an instrument. In previous FAIMS systems, the distance ions raced ranged from 15-55 millimeters – even so, they took too long for the desired performance. The team developed a FAIMS microchip with 0.3 millimeter-long channels that were only 35 micrometers wide. The short, narrow channels allow ion separation 100 to 10,000 times faster than previous instruments. Other design features improve the instrument’s ability to measure abundant and rare compounds in the same sample.
IncubATR™ - the Live-Cell Monitor
Cultured cells are difficult to study in real-time because they need constant food, shelter and warmth to stay alive. Now researchers have hooked up a cell culture incubator to a spectroscope that detects, in living cells, important biological and chemical changes invisible to the naked eye. The invention will speed up scientific discovery, reduce costs and curtail the need for live animal testing in some cases. PNNL scientists worked with Simplex Scientific LLC to develop IncubATR – the Live-Cell Monitor. With it, scientists from many fields can take advantage of an analytical tool called ATR-FTIR spectroscopy. The tool uses infrared light to examine internal changes to molecules – clues to the effect that drugs, chemicals or other experimental treatments are having on cells. It provides the right atmosphere for cells to thrive while a user’s FTIR spectroscope takes measurements periodically and rapidly, tracking changes almost in real time. In addition, the instrument keeps the cells in the same position for the whole experiment, key to acquiring reliable and reproducible data.
GammaTracker™
The GammaTracker is a rugged, portable device that points the user in the direction of the mystery source being detected. It also reveals the mystery. Designed for security personnel, the handheld device correctly distinguishes different radioactive elements and where the radiation is coming from – perfect for when a suspect is hiding in a throng of people. With the shoebox-sized device, screeners tracking radioactive suspects won’t have to stop people walking by and ask if they’ve had a radiopharmaceutical lately. GammaTracker will tell them on the spot if the radiation they’re detecting from is plutonium, radioactive iodine or something else.
Propylene Glycol from Renewable Sources
PNNL researchers have developed a chemical catalyst that converts a plant-based compound into the petroleum-based additive known as propylene glycol so well that an agricultural processing company has built a production facility around it. Archer Daniels Midland Company licensed the catalytic process from PNNL in 2006 to help consumers kick the oil habit. Adding processes to clean out impurities, ADM built a pilot plant whose highly efficient process generates the additive from plant byproducts cheap enough to compete with propylene glycol derived from oil. Now, they have completed construction of the first full-scale plant to make propylene glycol from renewable sources. The Illinois plant is designed to produce up to 25 percent of the propylene glycol need in the U.S. every year. The plant-based feedstocks do not need to be generated anew to produce the additive. Glycerol is a castoff from the production of biodiesel, a fuel made from plant oils that works in place of diesel.
Micro Power Source
This project, led by Sandia National Laboratories and Front Edge Technology Inc., is a thin photovoltaic film that could cover a battery and recharge it continuously. The most likely immediate applications of the durable batteries are self-powered environmental sensors, self-powered tags for material tracking, and self-powered “smart” cards to enhance user features and security. The key feature for the micro power source is a volume of only one microliter, yet a high peak-power density greater than 1,000 watts per liter. This makes the device useful for powering wireless Microsystems that sense, record, transmit and/or actuate. The battery stack itself is only five millimeters in diameter and about 50 microns thick.