(es3) Engineering & Software System Solution

American Biodiesel, dba Community Fuels, is an advanced biofuel producer. The company produces among the highest quality biomass-based diesel fuels available - which qualifies as an Advanced Biofuel through the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and its own fuel standard closely mirrors the requirements of multiple major oil companies and exceeds the Federal fuel standard (ASTM Standard).

Renewable Oil International is a Florence, AL based company that has received a grant(s) from the Department of Energy's SBIR/STTR program. The abstract(s) for these grant award(s) are provided as well since they provide insights into Renewable Oil International's business and areas of expertise. The project will produce liquid biofuels from wood biomass resources by fast pyrolysis followed by upgrading of the pyrolysis oils. This research will be a key step towards ending global warming, improving national security, and improving rural economies by reducing our dependence on petroleum feedstocks. Declining petroleum resources, combined with increased demand for petroleum by emerging economies, as well as political and environmental concerns about fossil fuels, are causing our society to search for new sources of liquid fuels. This project will develop a method for conversion of biomass into liquid fuels at a small scale called fast pyrolysis—a process whereby biomass is rapidly converted into a liquid biocrude which can be used for fuel oil or upgraded into gasoline and diesel fuels.

Permafuels, Inc. is a Chapel Hill, NC based company that has received a grant(s) from the Department of Energy's SBIR/STTR program. The abstract(s) for these grant award(s) are provided as well since they provide insights into Permafuels, Inc.'s business and areas of expertise. Although biodiesel production using supercritical alcohols is an extremely fast and clean method, it has not been economically competitive with conventional catalytic approaches. This project will optimize the supercritical process to enable cost-effective commercial production of biodiesel fuel.

Bodega Algae, LLC, (Bodega) is a developer of scalable algae photobioreactors. The closed continuous-flow reactors produce high-energy algal biomass for use in the production of biofuel. nnThe Bodega photobioreactor is modular and stackable, allowing it to be co-located efficiently on the premises of industrial plants. The reactor uses nutrients readily drawn from a variety of waste streams. Sources for nutrients include wastewater from domestic sewage, municipal water treatment plants or carbon dioxide (CO2) and nitrogen oxide (NOx) flue gases from industrial plants. The microalgae in the bioreactor converts these compounds to biomass, creating the feedstock for biofuel while improving the environment. nnMicroalgae has advantages when compared to conventional oil crop feedstocks. Algae produces over twenty times the amount of biofuel than soybeans on an equal amount of land due to rapid growth rates and high concentrations of lipids per cell density. In contrast to soybeans and other oil crops, the modest agricultural and resource requirements of microalgae make it an attractive low-cost alternative feedstock. Estimates indicate that algae grown in large volumes could reduce the cost of manufacturing a gallon of biodiesel by half of current rates. Lower costs and greater energy yield will make biofuels economically competitive with petro-fuels. n

Lynntech, Inc. is a College Station, TX based company that has received a grant(s) from the Department of Energy's SBIR/STTR program. The abstract(s) for these grant award(s) are provided as well since they provide insights into Lynntech, Inc.'s business and areas of expertise. The amount of energy stored and the efficiency of nickel-metal hydride batteries, such as those used with intermittent renewable energy sources is limited by the use of a liquid electrolyte. This project will develop a solid hydroxide electrolyte suitable for use in high powered batteries. This project will develop a catalyst to cost-effectively transform renewable sources of energy, such as fats and oils to biodiesel. This technology will reduce the United States' dependence on foreign oil and result in a net decrease in carbon dioxide emissions. This project will address the processing of heavy crude and increase limited, large scale refineries. This project will enable the cost effective refining of heavy crude in the Nation's small refineries as well, which are critical to meeting the Nation's liquid fuel supply. This project will develop a new method for harvesting algae containing bio-oils for biofuel production. This process will enable cost-effective production of advanced biofuels such as biodiesel, green diesel, green gasoline, and green jet fuel reducing our nation's dependence on foreign oil. Magnet harvesting of algae offers the prospect of a significant reduction in the cost of harvesting high oil content algae for biofuel use. Combined with algae's high fuel per acre yield, this can increase the availability of cost effective biofuels. This project will identify infrastructure problems and system requirements to design and fabricate an affordable, safe and energy efficient home hydrogen fueling appliance. It is targeted to meet hydrogen refueling needs of the average US traveler on a daily basis and has potential application as backup power source in emergencies. This project will develop technology that will produce aviation fuels from algae-derived biodiesel, which has significant energy density to be used an alternative transportation fuel source. This project aims to develop an innovative biomass preprocessing system to improve overall bioenergy production efficiency by utilizing an environmentally-friendly approach. The broadbased capabilities of this technology will enable it to perform multiple tasks in a single unit of operation. Renewable fuels from biological feedstocks such as ethanol and biodiesel have been recognized as attractive renewable energy sources; however, the inherently high production costs of these fuels have hampered their widespread application. This project will produce highly efficient catalysts for refining of biological feedstocks offers high efficiency and low-cost production. This project will develop a novel diesel fuel reformer which will provide high quality fuel gas to a Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) system with high efficiency and low system complexity. The system will enable SOFC Auxiliary Power Units (APUs) in the 1 - 5 kW range to become economically viable.

FirmGreen is an integrated energy company participating in virtually all aspects of the global green energy business. FirmGreen is involved with identifying, developing and commercializing new and emerging technologies, and alternative fuels that promise to play an increasingly important role in the world's energy mix. FirmGreen's patented technology includes methods of converting solid, liquid and gaseous hydrocarbons from readily available renewable resources including landfill gas, forest residues, and biomass into renewable electricity and clean biofuels to power vehicles and fuel cells.