U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY                           

                          SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATION RESEARCH PROGRAM

AND

SMALL BUSINESS TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER PROGRAM                

                        FY 2005 PHASE I -  AWARDS BY TOPIC               

TOPIC:  ADVANCED POWER ELECTRONICS FOR ENERGY STORAGE, TRANSMISSION, AND DISTRIBUTION APPLICATIONS                                          

 Research Institution: University of Tennessee at Knoxville                                 

 This project proposes to develop a Silicon Carbide power conversion device that offers high energy efficiency, compact size and light weight  resulting in improved system operation and competitiveness in the market.

Arkansas Power Electronics                                          Very High Temperature (400+ C), High

     International, Inc.                                                      Power Density Silicon Carbide (SiC)

700 Research Center Boulevard                                     Power Electronic Converters                              

Fayetteville,  AR  72701                                                                                                                                          

This proposal covers development of electronic systems that may have the capability to operate with stability in extreme environments where standard silicon electronics fail.  If successful, this would result in the ability to make more reliable, smaller, lighter, and more efficient power converters which may be employed in nearly every electronic system in the world.
                                                                           

 Peregrine Power, LLC                                                 Universal Converter Using Silicon  

  27350 SW 95th Avenue                                             Carbide                            

 Suite 3030                                                                  

 Wilsonville, OR  97070                                                     

This project proposes a wind turbine blade monitoring system composed of fiber optic sensors and software developed for sonar. The proposed system may increase viability and use of wind energy, and reduce dependence on oil and gas.                                                                                     

SatCon Technology Corporation                                   High-Power Silicon Carbide Inverter

27 Drydock Avenue                                                      Design                             

Boston, MA  02210-2377                                                     

Both the current size of energy storage elements and waste heat from silicon power semiconductors limit the development of smaller, lighter and more efficient electronic products. This project proposes to overcome these barriers with a new silicon carbide semiconductor technology, promising a major advance in power electronics and the wide array of electronic products containing them.

TOPIC:  SENSORS FOR REAL-TIME MONITORING OF TRANSMISSION AND DISTRIBUTION LINES                                                             

FieldMetrics Inc                                                           Modular, Potential-Powered Voltage 

13352 82nd Ave.                                                         Monitor and Diagnostics Platform   

Seminole, FL  33776-3126                                           

An electric grid powered voltage monitor is proposed in this project as the basis for a new low-cost sensor system for widespread electric grid use to improve efficiency and reliability of transmission lines. This technology can provide a powered location for additional future sensors pertinent to homeland and energy security.

MesoScribe Technologies, Inc.                                     Ubiquitous Low-Cost Wireless Sensors

25 Health Sciences Drive                                              for Power Line Monitoring          

Suite 125                                                                  

Stony Brook, NY   11790

The U.S. power grid is a complex network of distribution cables which are often remotely located and susceptible to environmental and man-made events.  This project aims to develop low-cost, wireless sensors that monitor the power line and provide electronic information to a central system for continuous monitoring for the purpose of improving the reliability and economic efficiency of the power transmission and distribution grid. 

Promethean Devices                                                     Novel, Low-Cost, Non-Contact, High 

9896 Old Charlotte Highway                                        Accuracy Sensor for the             

Fort Mill, SC   29715                                                   Simultaneous, Reliable, Real-time  

                                                                                    Determination and Monitoring of HV 

                                                                                    Transmission Line Sag, Temperature,

                                                                                    Current, and Ampacity.             

This project proposes to develop a low-cost, non-contact electric transmission line sensor that may help to significantly reduce costly, reliability-reducing U.S. transmission grid bottlenecks and congestion.  The sensor may enhance the performance, efficiency, and lifetime of the grid, while reducing the frequency, magnitude, extent, duration, and cost of grid disturbances and blackouts.

USI                                                                               Low Cost Sensors for Real Time     

86 Business Park Drive                                                 Monitoring of Overhead Transmission

Suite 109                                                                       Lines                              

Armonk, NY  10504     

This project proposes to develop a next generation sensor for overhead transmission lines. The low-cost sensor is designed to provide early warning of potential problems to reduce the likelihood of wide-area blackouts.

  TOPIC:  ATMOSPHERIC MEASUREMENT TECHNOLOGY                                 

Aculight Corporation                                                   Ultrasensitive Detection of Aerosol

11805 North Creek Pkwy S                                        Precursors Including Ammonia       

Suite 113                                                                    

Bothell, WA   98011-8803                                            

Aculight Corporation and Rice University will collaborate in developing an ultra-sensitive gas detection instrument which may enable improved measurements of atmospheric gases for Department of Energy investigations of climate change.  

Aerodyne Research, Inc.                                            Innovative Aerosol Collector for   

45 Manning Road                                                      On-Line Analysis of Individual     

Billerica, MA   01821-3976                                       Particulate Organics              

This project will develop the first instrument capable of real-time analysis of airborne aerosol particles known to generate health problems, acid rain and poor visibility.  The instrument should be low cost and economical to operate.

Aerodyne Research, Inc.                                             Characterization of Carbonaceous   

45 Manning Road                                                        Particles:  Aerosol Mass           

Billerica, MA   01821-3976                                        Spectrometry and Light Scattering  

Small airborne particles generated from energy-related activities can adversely impact visibility, "acid rain," global climate, and human health.  This project proposes to develop an instrument with unique capabilities for measuring organic particulate matter, including real-time measurements of particle size, chemical composition, and light scattering properties.

Aerosol Dynamics, Inc.                                                A Couette-Taylor Size Classifier for

935 Grayson Street                                                      Coarse, Airborne Particles         

Berkeley, CA   94710                                                         

Airborne particles significantly influence cloud cover and affect climate; and yet accurate measurements of particle size and water vapor interactions are critical to understanding these effects. This project seeks to develop an instrument to measure these two parameters for particles larger than 0.5um in diameter.

Research Institution: The Regents University of California              

Airborne particles (including particulate organic matter) significantly influence cloud cover and affect climate; and yet these organic particles and their sources, their atmospheric transformation and their radiative effects are least understood.  This project seeks to develop an instrument to better resolve the organic material in these small particles to better understand their sources and their influence on global climate. 

Research Institution: Battelle, Pacific Northwest Division                           

This project proposes to develop advanced air sampling and measurement technology for analyzing organic particles and vapors in the air so that effective pollutant control strategies can be evaluated.

Physical Optics Corporation                                            Near-Infrared Bragg-Grating Skylight

Photonic Systems Division                                               Analyzer                           

20600 Gramercy Place, Building 100                                         

Torrance, CA   90501-1821                                           

High-resolution, light-spectrum-analyzers can collect information about the distribution of scattering and absorbing materials and gases in the atmosphere. The proposed cost-effective, sky-light-analyzer may be deployed widely for atmospheric absorption measuring instruments to extract reliable data for environmental monitoring.  

Southwest Sciences, Inc.                                              Open Path, Aircraft-Based Ammonia  

1570 Pacheco Street                                                    Instrument using a Quantum Cascade 

Suite E-11                                                                    Laser and Singular Valued          

Santa Fe, NM   87505-3993                                        Decomposition Algorithms           

Aerosol particles greatly complicate the understanding and prediction of global climate change, and ammonia helps aerosols form and grow.  This project seeks to build a fast and accurate instrument to measure ammonia in order to help better understand the role of aerosol particles in global climate change.

        TOPIC:  MEDICAL SCIENCES                                                   

BioFlexis, LLC                                                         Molecular Radiotherapy of Estrogen 

11000 Cedar Avenue                                               Receptor Positive Tumors           

Suite 260                                                                    

Cleveland, OH   44106                                                 

This project is for the development of novel small molecule radiopharmaceuticals for tumor targeted radiation therapy of breast and other estrogen receptor positive cancers. 

Illuminex Corporation                                               Nanowire Optical Assay Probe        

627 Conestoga Boulevard                                                     

Lancaster, PA   17602                                                        

The applicant proposes to develop a portable, highly sensitive, easy to use, and cost effective medical diagnostics system that utilizes unique features of nanotechnology. The system is based on a miniauture optical probe that may be configured to sense a wide range of human health indicators ranging from cancer to infectious diseases to drugs of abuse. 

Lynntech, Inc.                                                           Separation of Y-86 in One-Step     

7607 Eastmark Drive                                                Method for PET                     

Suite 102                                                                   

College Station, TX   77840-4027                                             

An isotope of yetrium, Y-86, has proven value for PET scans to evaluate the biodistribution of radioactive pharmaceuticals before and during therapy.  A routine production method of the isotope will be achieved by using an efficient separation method to purify the cyclotron-produced yetrium isotope from a strontium target.  

Lynntech, Inc.                                                           Automated Synthesis Module for     

7607 Eastmark Drive                                                Labeling Peptides with Fluorine-18 

Suite 102                                                                    

College Station, TX   77840-4027                                 

This project proposes to develop an automated system for easy and efficient preparation of positron-emission-tomography (PET) radio-pharmaceuticals.  These radio-pharmaceuticals hold enormous clinical potential to quantitatively detect and characterize a wide variety of human diseases.    

Research Institution: Oak Ridge National Laboratory                                                                                         

Carbon nanofiber concentration of a fluoride ion may perform one step concentration and organic phase transfer 10 times greater than current approaches.   The device may eliminate a barrier to using high speed microfluidic synthesis of Positron Emission Tomography (PET) biomarkers, thereby reducing time and cost of developing and delivering PET radiolabled compounds to consumers.                                                   

NanoTek, LLC                                                                Rapid Microfluidic Production of   

217 FenceRail Gap                                                          Multiple PET Biomarkers            

Walland, TN   37886-2510                                            

The Department of Energy has expressed a need for novel probes for biomedical applications as well as radio tracers for functional molecular imaging.  This project seeks to develop a high speed instrument to enable medical research and analysis and strengthen the US leadership in molecular medicine and biotechnology.

Physical Sciences, Inc.                                                       Novel Raman Probes for Intracellular

20 New England Business Center                                    Spectroscopy of Signaling Pathways 

Andover, MA   01810-1077                                          

The proposed probes may visualize the internal communication pathways of living cells at an unprecedented level of detail.  This new capability may accelerate the development of new drugs and medical diagnostics.

Radiation Monitoring Devices, Inc.                                   A Very High Spatial Resolution     

44 Hunt Street                                                                  Detector for Small Animal PET      

Watertown, MA   02472 -4699                                                  

The proposed research will investigate a promising radiation detector that may have a major impact in drug development and advancing human disease models.  The new detector may also be applicable in homeland security, well-logging and industrial applications.  

Radiation Monitoring Devices, Inc.                                   High Efficiency, Low Cost          

44 Hunt Street                                                                  Scintillators for PET               

Watertown, MA   02472 -4699                                                  

This SBIR research project proposes to investigate two promising nuclear detector materials which may have a major impact in medical imaging, physics, scientific studies, and commercial applications.

Radiation Monitoring Devices, Inc.                                   A New Scintillator for             

44 Hunt Street                                                                 Time-of-Flight PET                 

Watertown, MA   02472 -4699                                                  

The proposed research will investigate a promising radiation detector that may have major impacts in medical imaging, homeland security, well-logging, and industrial applications.

TOPIC:  GENOMICS: GENOMES TO LIFE AND RELATED BIOTECHNOLOGIES              

Callida Genomics Inc.                                                      Universal Probe Reagents for       

675 Almanor Ave                                                             Detection and Quantitation of RNA  

Sunnyvale, CA   94085                                                    Splicing                            

Universal genetic analysis chemicals may provide comprehensive, specific and cost-effective detection of genetic variations for medical diagnostic, industrial and research applications. This project proposes to develop universal libraries of chemicals and software for detecting any splice gene variant of any gene in any organism.

CytoDesign, Inc.                                                              Recombinant Proteome Expression and

4003 Scripps Avenue                                                      Antibody Selection                 

Palo Alto, CA   94306-4535                                                    

This project proposes tools for the analysis of how the protein products of the genes of all organisms carry out life processes.  From these analyses new products for the diagnosis and treatment of human, animal, and plant diseases may emerge.

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