(Washington,
D.C.) – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) announced that five Washington
state small businesses will be receiving federal investments to support their
efforts to develop new clean energy technologies. These awards were funded
under the U.S. Department of Energy’s phase II Small Business Innovation
Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs,
programs that aim to increase the commercialization of federally funded
research and development by small, innovative businesses.
“These
investments will help Washington state small businesses stay at the forefront
of our clean energy economy,” said Senator Patty Murray. “Investments in
clean energy technology creates jobs and helps our businesses grow. And this is
especially important for local small businesses that want to grow but are
having trouble raising money from traditional sources in these tough economic
conditions.”
Projects receiving funding:
Eagle Harbor Technologies, Inc.: $860,226
Project Title: A Robust Modular IGBT Power Supply for
Innovative Confinement Concepts
Bainbridge Island
This project will develop a robust, cost effective,
configurable, solid state power supply that will provide a significant increase
in capabilities over currently available power supplies used in DOE supported
research and industry.
Enertechnix Inc.: $999,995
Project Title: Recovery Act-Terahertz Imaging in Kraft
Recovery Boilers
Maple Valley
This project, in collaboration with the University of Washington,
proposes to develop a novel terahertz imaging system that will provide improved
control capability to operators in pulp and paper, power generation,
petrochemical and other industries, generating substantial energy savings and
other economic and environmental benefits.
Forest Concepts, LLC: $1,000,000
Project Title: Optimization and Low Energy Production of Woody
Biomass Particles
Auburn
This project will reduce the cost and energy for comminution of
biomass and is likely to increase the conversion efficiency for second generation
biofuels producers.
Houghton Cascade Holdings, LLC: $998, 366
Project Title: Recovery Act-Demonstration of a Combustion System
to Fire Solid Renewable Fuels to Replace Fossil Fuels in Lime Sludge Kilns
Tacoma
This project invests in the technology developed by Houghton
Cascade Holdings to use lower heat value fuels in lime kilns to convert lime
sludge back to active lime, and will support the efforts of the company in
working with a number of industrial partners to commercialize the technology
and meet or exceed air emissions standards of lime kiln operations. Lime sludge
is the byproduct of a number of industrial processes including pulp production
for paper manufacture; converting the sludge back to active lime requires
significant heat supplied to a rotary kiln. Fossil fuels such as coal and
natural gas are usually used a heat source for kilns, this project will promote
the use of fuels with lower heat values which has not been widespread because
of the difficulty of heat losses of the lower heating value fuels.
Hummingbird Precision Machine Inc.: $1,000,000
Project Title: Recovery Act- A High Applied Field Magnetizing
Cryogenic In-Situ TEM Experimental Platform
Olympia
This
project will develop high field magnetizing holders, with cooling and
rotational capabilities, which allow researchers to expose magnetic and
multiferroic samples to high magnetic fields, concomitant with imaging inside
advanced high-resolution electron microscope. Integrated controllers with
computer user interfaces will be developed to allow easy control of these
systems. It will result in hardware that allows researchers to study how
magnetic materials respond internally to the application of high magnetic
fields at the nano-scale, and can be expected to lead to new insights and the
creation of improved functional magnetic devices.
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