Energy I-Corps Cohort 19

• Principal Investigator: Luke Frash
• Entrepreneurial Leads: Bijay K C, Yerkezhan Madenova
• Industry Mentor: Darien O’Brien

Xhangī’s goal is to produce clean baseload geothermal energy by 2037 using caged geothermal systems technology. The team believes it does this safely and equitably at a cost of less than eight cents per kilowatt-hour, which could make the energy source the most desirable and accessible option in the market. 

Funded by Geothermal Technologies Office (GTO).

• Principal Investigator: Lisa Astuto Gribble
• Entrepreneurial Lead: Haley Dodge

NERO uses text analytics rooted in psychological literature to identify lying or obfuscation in the scientific literature. This capability is based on the how people write, not what they write. The outcome of this work is the ability to identify deception or obfuscation in scientific text, which is especially important when trying to characterize weapons of mass destruction proliferation risk in papers originating from sensitive countries.

Funded by the National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA).

• Principal Investigator: Zachary Hood
• Entrepreneurial Lead: Colton Ginter
• Industry Mentor: Amirreza Amighi

SprayCell uses a special spray method to apply a thin layer of materials needed for lithium metal batteries. The technology builds on existing ANL research and is designed to work on a large scale, like a big printing machine that rolls out material continuously.

Funded by the Vehicle Technologies Office (VTO).

• Principal Investigator: Rachid Darbali-Zamora
• Entrepreneurial Leads: Miguel Jimenez-Aparicio, Jorge Leon-Quiroga, Lily Shain
• Industry Mentor: Farnoosh Rahmatian

OptimalEnergy aims to address issues with traditional distributed energy management systems (DERMS) that can cause power to flow in both directions and create big changes in power demand. The team has created a new system using artificial intelligence that helps manage lots of energy sources safely and effectively. This system uses smart data to help operators better control energy distribution .

Funded by the Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response (CESER), the Wind Energy Technologies Office (WETO), and the Office of Electricity (OE).

• Principal Investigator: Syed Islam
• Entrepreneurial Lead: Nicholas Gregorich
• Industry Mentor: Zamidi Ahmad

Green Capture developed an affordable membrane-based technology that efficiently removes carbon dioxide from fossil fuel-based power plant emissions using an environmentally sustainable, "green" absorption process. The team’s mission is to create large-scale deployment of this innovative technology and achieve net-negative carbon emissions.

Funded by the Office of Fossil Energy and Carbon Management (FECM).

• Principal Investigator: Braden Smith
• Entrepreneurial Lead: Emma Van Moorsel

Step 1 offers a tool that helps industries determine if solar-thermal systems are suitable for their energy needs. It provides customized design recommendations and cost estimates, making it easier for industries to switch to renewable energy.

Funded by the Solar Energy Technologies Office (SETO).

• Principal Investigator: Uriah Kilgore
• Entrepreneurial Lead: Miki Santosa
• Industry Mentor: Dan Levy

NextGen Hydrothermal Liquefaction (HTL) of wet waste is a cost-effective way to produce liquid fuels for various uses. NextGEN HTL aims to accelerate commercialization by making the process cleaner, more reliable, and better for the environment.

Funded by the Bioenergy Technologies Office (BETO).

• Principal Investigator: Edward Chen
• Entrepreneurial Lead: Tate Shorthill
• Industry Mentor: Ted Quinn

Software for Hazard Identification and Evaluation of Digital Systems (SHIELDS) is a tool used to design and assess digital instrumentation and control (DI&C) systems. SHIELDS provides valuable insights for I&C designers, helping them create safer and more cost-effective systems.

Funded by the Office of Nuclear Energy (NE).

• Principal Investigator: Patrick Sorensen
• Entrepreneurial Lead: Karis Polfer
• Industry Mentor: Maria Mooshammer

The Scaling Carbon Assessment with Neutron Imaging Technology (SCANIT) team aims to create a portable, affordable scanner that measures soil carbon without damaging it. This tool can accurately assess soil carbon levels and help promote carbon offset practices that boost soil carbon storage.

Funded by FECM.

• Principal Investigator: Kris Egan
• Entrepreneurial Lead: Zach Smith
• Industry Mentor: Darby Smith

Cellulose 2.0 is insulation made from everyday waste that would normally go to landfills. By repurposing materials like plastics, wood, carpet, and textiles, Cellulose 2.0 helps reduce waste and lower the carbon footprint in construction. 

Funded by BETO.

• Principal Investigator: Ramana Pidatala
• Entrepreneurial Lead: Anagha Krishnamoorthy
• Industry Mentor: Vineet Rajgarhia

LignoCat uses a special process to transform a tough plant material called lignin into valuable chemicals called guaiacols. They achieve high conversion rates of over 80% with little waste. This makes biorefineries more sustainable and economically viable, encouraging more use of plant materials like wood and agricultural waste.

Funded by BETO.

• Principal Investigator: Regis Thedin
• Entrepreneurial Lead: Ganesh Vijayakumar
• Industry Mentor: Cameron Saben

Windpowercast uses detailed weather data to predict how much electricity wind farms will generate. Their method looks at how wind flows over the entire farm, making their forecasts more accurate for the day ahead and beyond. Better predictions can encourage more use of wind power, even when the wind isn't constant.

Funded by WETO.

• Principal Investigator: Dong Ding
• Entrepreneurial Lead: Zeyu Zhao
• Industry Mentor: Terrence Small

The P-SOEC (Proton Conducting Solid Oxide Electrolysis Cells) team has developed an advanced solid oxide electrolysis technology based on protonic ceramic conductors, which possess high-proton conductivity and low-activation energy, allowing for operation at intermediate temperatures (450-600°C). This technology maintains high energy efficiency while utilizing cost-effective materials and offering a longer lifespan, thereby promising to reduce hydrogen production costs. 

Funded by the Hydrogen and Fuel Cell Technologies Office (HFTO).