Progress 05/01/06 to 12/31/08
Outputs
OUTPUTS: At the onset of the project, Antek Inc. partnered with a local university to assist in the research and development of the proposed technology (a biologically-based fuel cell; BFC). Through this collaboration, Antek was able to obtain two graduate student interns to help with various aspects of the project, while enhancing the real-world applied research experience of the students. --- Antek's research activities for this project were shared with the area business community when the business plan associated with the future commercialization of the BFC was entered into a large-scale competition for emerging businesses. As one of the few entries to progress to the semi-finals, Antek's technology and business model were favorably reviewed by more than a dozen expert panelists representing venture capitalists, angel investors and prominent executives from throughout the state. --- Through Antek's ongoing relationship with the local business development organization (the Metropolitan Development Agency; MDA), a site visit to the laboratories where this project is carried out was recently conducted. Project accomplishments and general advice on running a successful start-up business were shared with other small, tech companies in the area that - like Antek - had been awarded seed funds from the MDA (via a meritorious review process, judged primarily by distinguished academicians from the region). PARTICIPANTS: The principal investigators for the project were Antek Inc. employees Dr. Sean C. Gifford and Anthony A. Terrinoni. Each investigator was responsible for all aspects of the project's research and development. From identifying and maintaining bacterial cultures of interest, to designing fuel cell components and operating conditions. Antek partnered with the State University of New York, College of Environmental Science and Forestry (SUNY-ESF). The main contact point at this institution, which provided primarily in-kind support and access to some laboratory equipment, was Professor Jamas P. Nakas, of the Department of Biotechnology. -- Training opportunities were made available to two graduate students from the Syracuse University Chemistry Department as well one SUNY-ESF undergraduate, via summer internships. TARGET AUDIENCES: Not relevant to this project. PROJECT MODIFICATIONS: As noted in the original reviewers' comments, this project is both complex and ambitious. We addressed some of those concerns by establishing a collaborative arrangement with an area university (see above), however the associated legal agreements to preserve our IP rights introduced a substantial, several month long, delay in performing some of the critical required research. Further, the equipment needed to fully complete each of our technical objectives is not readily available. Even after establishing our university connection, some time was needed to gain access to sterile hoods (to overcome contamination problem described above) and to secure outside funding to purchase a 'potentiostat' (a piece of equipment needed to perform the graphite oxidation described above - which was otherwise unavailable at the university we work with.) --- In addition, our present resources do not allow for many parallel experiments to be conducted simultaneously. We must perform most trials sequentially which, while time-consuming, has nevertheless lead us to a position where the major technical hurdles to our research have been largely overcome. With some minor modifications, we should begin observing the kind of research outcomes that will serve as the basis for a compelling Phase II grant proposal.
Impacts
We have shown that the underlying principle of the project is valid. That is, sub-millimeter graphite particles can be compressed in to a confluent stack, with minimal contribution to the overall anodic internal resistance (please see previously-submitted midterm report). --- We have shown that we can grow pure cultures of the bacterial strain required; both in aqueous solution, with sodium fumarate as electron acceptor, as well as when attached to the anode material, with the graphite itself serving as electron acceptor. In addition, we have shown that pre-treating this graphite with an oxidation step (performed in sulfuric acid while flowing external current through the graphite particles) serves to significantly enhance bacterial attachment to, and growth on, the graphite material. --- We have constructed several prototype BFCs, each iteration showing an improvement over those previous. We have methodically addressed the issues of unwanted bacterial contamination, oxygen infiltration, heavy-metal toxicity and graphite particle compression. Power density has concomitantly been improved, and we feel we are close to achieving the specifications indicated in the original grant proposal. --- We continue to make modifications to the research design and test new prototypes based on the substantial knowledge acquired during the course of this project in the relevant, but diverse, areas of microbiology, materials science, electrochemisty, etc.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
|
Progress 05/01/06 to 04/30/07
Outputs
This report provides a progress assessment of Antek's bio-based fuel cell (BFC) project funded under the USDA SBIR program. The purpose of this project is to develop a bench-scale prototype of a BFC. The BFC is planned as an alternative electricity generation technology for stationary applications - one which runs on renewable, biomass-derived fuel with high efficiency and at low cost. Key Milestones to date: 1) Collaboration established to address review panel suggestions 2) Accomplishment of Work Plan Task A: Resistivity 3) Accomplishment of Work Plan Task B: Growth of Bacteria 4) Construction & ongoing refinement of the proof-of-concept prototype 5) Prototype testing Task to be accomplished in the remainder of the project: 1) Optimize conditions to achieve maximal power density. 2) Initial market research & development of commercialization strategy In light of the progress made thus far, we are well-positioned to move to the final quarter of the project with
confidence in its successful completion. Antek is on schedule to complete all tasks in the work plan by the December 31, 2007 extension and submission of a Phase II report in February 2008.
Impacts
If successful, the technology proposed has the potential to advance national energy productivity and security by diversifying the types of fuel used in the generation of electricity, while providing an affordable, clean energy source to consumers. The proposed BFC represents a highly efficient (>80%), scalable product capable of enhancing on-grid energy needs, or providing stand-alone power generation. The demand by the federal government to increase usage of renewable energy drives the need for devices that optimize renewable fuel for energy generation. The economic impact of the project will be the creation of 4-6 new high-value jobs at Antek Inc. (which would be filled by local area graduate students that may be exposed to this project through our collaborative arrangement) along with a revenue increase for Antek Inc. of ~$1 million based on a price of ~$5000k per household-sized (~2kW) unit, with approximate first-year sales on the order of 200 units. The number of
jobs created once the proposed research leads to a commercial product will depend on the complexity of the manufacturing process and product demand. However, we estimate that a minimum of 6-10 additional jobs will be initially created (thus a total of 10-16 potential initial jobs), with future expansion commensurate with market penetration of the product.
Publications
- No publications reported this period
|