Available Technologies

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Energy

13 available technologies

FEATURED TECHNOLOGY

Enhanced Cooling of Oil Based Transformers and Other Heat Generating Equipment with NanoParticle Suspensions

Nanometer-sized, low-cost, readily available, particulate nanodiamond is used as an additive to the mineral oil used in electrical power transformers and other oil-cooled electrical equipment to enhance the thermal conductivity [TC] and dielectric properties of the oil without compromising the oil's required electrical insulation, such that failures are suppressed, oil life is greatly extended and load boundaries are elevated. This could extend transformer life and allow increases to transformer MVA ratings.
FEATURED TECHNOLOGY

High Bandwidth, Hot Gas and Liquid, Rotary Proportional Valves

These valves enable high-bandwidth proportional control of cold gas, hot gas, and/or liquid flow in relatively low-cost packages. With regard to 2-way liquid valves, there are no comparable products on the market (i.e., commercially available valves in this size range are on/off valves, which do not provide adequate control resolution for many applications). With regard to gas valves, all known cold gas 3-way and 4-way servovalves are linearly actuated, which increases cost and size and decreases performance relative to our designs. Further, there are no hot gas control valves in this size category on the market.
FEATURED TECHNOLOGY

Synthetic Beam Chopper

Optical beam choppers have numerous applications and are ubiquitous in scientific and industrial equipment. The present technology improves the state-of-the-art for modulation and lock-in amplifi cation using mechanical beam choppers. The system achieves world class performance with lower limits of detection, decreased need for mechanical precision and decreased cost. Because of the high performance and low cost, the system may replace existing technology in current applications, and it may also enable the development of new products that are not currently feasible or economical with current technology.
FEATURED TECHNOLOGY

Diamond Triode Devices with a Diamond Microtip Emitter

This technology is a diamond triode for micro and power electronics. Diamond microtip field emitters are used in triode vacuum electronic devices, sensors and displays. Diamond triode devices having integral anode and grid structures are fabricated using a patented process. Ultra-sharp tips are formed on the emitters in the fabrication process in which diamond is deposited into mold cavities in a two-step deposition sequence. During deposition of the diamond, the carbon graphite content is carefully controlled to enhance emission performance. The tips or the emitters are treated by post-fabrication processes to further enhance performance.
FEATURED TECHNOLOGY

High Inertance, Low Mass Free Piston

Vanderbilt inventors propose a free piston system that provides high inertance and tunable dynamics.
FEATURED TECHNOLOGY

Biohybrid, Photoelectrochemical Energy Conversion Device Based on Photosystem I Deposited Silicon Electrodes

Summary: Aresearch team at Vanderbilt University have developed a biohybrid, photoelectrochemical energy conversion device with multilayer films of Photosystem I (PSI) deposited on silicon electrodes, which yielded an average photocurrent density of 875 µA/cm2; one of the highest reported photocurrent densities for a film of PSI deposited onto an electrode of any material.
FEATURED TECHNOLOGY

Through the Tool Tracking for Friction Stir Welding

Utilizing force sensors mounted on the friction stir welding tool, Vanderbilt inventors have developed a technique to keep a weld tool on track. This technology is especially benefi cial in real time corrections for deviations in travel in the case of robotic FSW or "blind" welds. The technique is cost- effective in that no additional sensors such as cameras, thermocouples, acoustic emission receivers, etc. are required.
FEATURED TECHNOLOGY

Polar Liquid Crystals with High Dielectric Anisotropy

Vanderbilt inventors have developed a new class of liquid crystals with high dielectric anisotropy. A new class of liquid crystals containing boron in their structure has been developed with high dielectric anisotropy, which results in low threshold voltages.
FEATURED TECHNOLOGY

Bright White Light Nanocrystals for LEDs

A research team lead by Professor Sandra Rosenthal at Vanderbilt University has developed nanocrystals (~2 nm diameter) that emit white light with very high quantum efficiency. This technology would be a viable cost effective candidate for commercial solid-state lighting applications, such as Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs). These nanocrystals were originally discovered by the same group in 2005; a recent breakthrough in post-treatment results in improving fluorescent quantum yield up to ~ 45%.

Monopropellant-Powered Actuator

Systems and methods involving monopropellant and hypergolic powered proportional actuators that may be used in applications such as robotics. A blowdown tank delivers fuel to a reaction site, produce gaseous products. Those gaseous products are transported to a pressure reservoir or directly to the actuator. The gaseous products are controllably introduced into the actuator to actuate a piston. The piston may be used to power a host of devices including robots. Energy and power densities are significantly greater than a DC motor and battery combination; projected to provide 7 to 12 times better performance than state-of-the-art.

High Energy - Density Hydraulic Accumulator

Vanderbilt inventors propose an inexpensive and easy to manufacture hydraulic accumulator. The proposed hydraulic accumulator technology is intended for energy storage. It is superior to current alternatives in that it provides a simple, efficient and relatively cheap method for storing a large amount of energy in a relatively small volume and mass. One example of its application would be in regenerative braking of passenger vehicles (hydraulic hybrid).

System for Stabilizing Phase of a Picosecond Laser Sysem to an RF Accelerator

The invention relates to an improved method and system for synchronizing signals in a particle accelerator system. In one embodiment, a method and system is disclosed whereby a phase of laser pulses are monitored, and a high-frequency signal is adjusted as necessary to be substantially in-phase with the laser pulses. In another embodiment, a method and system is disclosed whereby a phase of an electromagnetic field in an electron gun is monitored, and a high-frequency signal is adjusted as necessary to be substantially in-phase with the electromagnetic field.

Nanostructured Molybdenum (IV) disulfide (MoS2) Electrodes

The most common counter electrode materials used for in Quantum dot sensitized solar cells (QDSSCs) quickly become poisoned by sulfide, resulting in significant current drops, which lowers solar cell efficiencies and makes them unsuitable for long-term use in a device. Also, some of these materials are rare and expensive, so replacing them with an inexpensive, earth-abundant material is a desirable goal. This invention uses a Mo foil to produce the desired uniform growth of Molybdenum (IV) disulfide (MoS2) petals from the Mo foil, making the foil both the source of Mo as well as the substrate. This petaled MoS2 electrode shows a vastly improved polysulfide reduction compared to Glassy Carbon, ordinary Mo foil, Pt and Au. The petaled MoS2 electrode lost only 0.63% of its initial current density at -1 V whereas Pt lost 13.58% after only five scans, indicating the petaled MoS2 films are highly stable as cathodes. The technology was tested in a solar device setting, using standard photoanodes to test the efficiency of a device employing petaled MoS2 as its cathode. Devices in which a petaled MoS2 cathode was used achieved nearly fivefold improvement in efficiency over those employing a Pt cathode.

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