article thumbnail

Virginia Tech team developing intelligent wearable analyzer for pollutants in transportation-related workplaces

Green Car Congress

Current practice typically requires collection of an air sample using specialized equipment, transport of the sample to the lab, and time-consuming analysis using expensive equipment to identify and quantify the pollutants present in the environment.

Virginia 207
article thumbnail

Virginia Tech researchers develop high-energy-density sugar “biobattery”, an enzymatic fuel cell

Green Car Congress

A Virginia Tech research team led by Dr. Y.H. In the US alone, billions of toxic batteries are thrown away every year, posing a threat to both the environment and human health, according to the Environmental Protection Agency. Then, low-cost biocatalyst enzymes are used as catalyst instead of platinum.

Virginia 343
article thumbnail

Virginia Tech Transportation Institute receives University Transportation Center Tier 1 Grant; focus on connected vehicle technology

Green Car Congress

million to establish a multidisciplinary program of transportation research, education, and technology transfer for a Tier 1 University Transportation Center to be headquartered at the Virginia Tech Transportation Institute. Such research will employ a variety of unique tools and test beds developed or enhanced as part of this grant.

Virginia 231
article thumbnail

DOE awarding $35M to 11 projects for hydrokinetic turbine development; ARPA-E SHARKS

Green Car Congress

Projects will work to reduce the LCOE through multiple approaches, including increasing generation efficiency, increasing rotor area per unit of equivalent mass, lowering operation and maintenance costs, minimizing potential impacts on the surrounding environment, and maximizing system reliability. University of Virginia.

Mariner 418
article thumbnail

DOE announces SBIR/STTR FY16 Phase 1 Release 1 awards; four for fuel cell membrane development

Green Car Congress

of Virginia, will develop and demonstrate high-temperature, hydrocarbon-based membranes that meet the chemical, thermal, and mechanical properties necessary to qualify for the demanding environments that exist within a fuel cell vehicle’s lifetime. These projects are awarded through the Office of Basic Energy Sciences.

article thumbnail

DOE announces $139M in funding for 55 projects to advance innovative vehicle technologies

Green Car Congress

AOI 02: Low Cost Electric Traction Drive Systems Using No Heavy Rare Earth Materials. Low Cost, High-Performance, Heavy Rare Earth-Free 3-In-1 Electric Drive Unit. Low-Cost Rare-Earth Free Electric Drivetrain Enabled by Novel Permanent Magnets, Inverter, Integrated Design and Advanced Thermal Management.

article thumbnail

Virginia Tech professor proposes simple biomass-to-wheel efficiency analysis to inform decisions on biomass/biofuel/powertrain combinations; the advantage of sugar fuel cell vehicles

Green Car Congress

However, notes Virginia Tech Prof. Because of the same input and output in all cases, an increase in energy conversion efficiency nearly equals impact reductions in carbon and water footprints on the environment. Energy Environ. A huge potential market (e.g., —Huang and Zhang. 2, 272-282 doi: 10.1039/B818694D.

Virginia 246