Tag: physical sciences
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National Lab Signs Two Auto Battery Licensing Deals
Argonne National Laboratory in Argonne, Illinois, part of the U.S. Department of Energy, announced two licensing agreements today (6 January 2011) for its cathode material technology used in electric vehicle lithium-ion (Li-ion) batteries. The deals are with or involve cars made by General Motors. The first agreement, with General Motors, involves the worldwide licensing of…
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University of Oklahoma to Develop Shale Gas Simulator
University of Oklahoma researchers in Norman are developing a new simulator for shale gas reservoirs to provide oil and gas companies with a tool for managing production and choosing drilling locations. The three-year project is supported with $1,053,778 from the group Research for Partnership to Secure Energy for America plus an additional $250,000 in matching…
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Partnership To Advance Military Field Energy Sources
A team from Maxwell Technologies Inc. in San Diego, California, University of Massachusetts in Amherst, and the U.S. Navy will develop a lighter, longer-lasting, energy source for field radios and other portable electronic equipment carried by military personnel. Maxwell Technologies says today that Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) awarded the company a $1.7 million…
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Nanomaterial to Boost Lithium-Ion Battery Performance
A new type of nanomaterial developed at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York could sharply reduce the time needed to recharge lithium (Li)-ion batteries, the type of battery found in electric automobiles, laptop computers, mobile phones, and other portable devices. Nanomaterials are made from technologies that operate at nanometer, or one-billionth of a meter,…
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Univ. Faculty Develop, Patent Radiation Detection Device
Physics and engineering faculty members at Oregon State University (OSU) in Corvallis have invented a new radiation detection and measurement device that they say can help clean up sites with radioactive contamination, making the process faster, more accurate and less expensive. The university says a patent has been granted for the device and has begun…
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Profs Develop Dyes to Help Solar, Hydrogen Fuel Processes
Chemistry professors in Buffalo and Rochester, New York have synthesized new photo-sensitizing dyes that increase the efficiency of producing solar electricity and hydrogen fuel, for which light is a key ingredient. The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has cleared the way for a patent on this technology. The research team, led by University at…
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Space Company Launches European Comm. Satellite
International Launch Services (ILS), a commercial space services company, launched the Ka-Sat satellite (pictured left) to orbit for Eutelsat Communications of France on an ILS Proton rocket from its facility at Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazahkstan. After a nine-hour mission, the KA-SAT was released into a geostationary transfer orbit. The Proton Breeze M vehicle used in…
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Contracts Awarded for Advanced Battery Technologies
Five companies received technology development and assessment contracts today from the United States Advanced Battery Consortium (USABC), a research collaboration of automakers Chrysler Group LLC, Ford Motor Company, and General Motors Company. The awards, totaling $5.43 million, are funded by the U.S. Department of Energy and include a 50 percent cost-share from each of the…
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Energy Department Funding New Fuel Cell R&D
The U.S. Department of Energy announced new grant programs totaling $74 million for research and development of fuel cells for residential and commercial buildings as well as vehicles. Fuel cells use the chemical energy of hydrogen or other fuels to produce electricity or heat with minimal byproducts, primarily water. The grants include up to $65…
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Start Up Company Licenses University Polymer Research
A new start up company has licensed advanced polymers research at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, Ohio, aiming to commercialize polymer technology. PolymerPlus LLC, in nearby Valley View, plans to work with some of the intellectual property developed at the university’s Center for Layered Polymeric Systems (CLiPS). PolymerPlus will seek out specific applications for…