The US Department of Energy (DOE) Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE) is awarding $43.6 million in Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II Release 2 grants to projects that demonstrate commercial feasibility for innovations during the second phase of their research. Phase II awards range from $975,000 to $1,150,000, with a duration of two years.

Nine EERE technology offices (Advanced Manufacturing Office, Bioenergy Technologies Office, Building Technologies Office, Fuel Cell Technologies Office, Geothermal Technologies Office, Solar Energy Technologies Office, Vehicle Technologies Office, Water Power Technologies Office and the Wind Energy Technologies Office) will fund 42 awards across 19 states under 15 topics and 26 subtopics.

Awards include:

• Accustrata Inc. will use Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) and machine learning to rapidly improve catalysts which are imperative to the efficiency and economy of the United States by making energy production, manufacturing and transportation more efficient and eco-friendly.

• Mainstream Engineering Corporation is developing a hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) process to convert food wastes to renewable diesel and jet fuels that will improve yield and quality, and reduce aqueous byproducts to advance commercial adoption.

• SarTec Corporation is developing a continuous hydrothermal catalytic system to process waste grease into green gasoline, jet, and diesel fuels that performed near to or better than the analogous petroleum fuels and passed all ASTM fuel specifications.

• CAMX Power LLC is developing an inexpensive and scalable lithium-ion battery material (a low-cost 5V spinel cathode) that will reduce the cost of EDVs, and potentially improve mileage of HEVs and PHEVs, while also making it possible to charge PHEVs more quickly.

• TDA Research Inc. is developing smart hydrogen storage tanks that will reduce the operating costs of the fuel cell electric vehicles, increasing their adoption and reducing the consumption of fuels for transportation needs. These tanks use Phase Change Media (PCM) to quickly absorb the heat of compression, and microstructures in the tank inlet and wall to provide active gas circulation inside the tank during refueling to rapidly transfer the heat generated to the PCM.

• Cuberg, Inc. is developing Lithium metal batteries with improved cycle life for electric vehicles.

• Transient Plasma Systems is developing and demonstrating a low-energy nanosecond pulsed ignition system that solves ignition instability, the limiting factor for enabling advanced combustion modes significantly for more energy efficient and environmentally-friendly passenger vehicles.

• Tetramer Technologies LLC is developing biodegradable hydropower turbine oil sourced from renewable materials, providing cost and performance benefits as well as mitigating environmental effects from potential spills and leaks.

All awards are pending until negotiations are completed between each small business and the DOE.