Energy & the Power of Partnerships

Prof. Jachuck explains the concepts
of process intensification which has
put Clarkson University at the
forefront of process innovation and
miniaturization.

Improving Motor Design to Save Energy

The U.S. Department of Energy is looking to Clarkson to discover technologies that have the potential for significant energy savings in electrical machines, which are used in a variety of applications in residential and commercial buildings.

Earlier this year, Clarkson's Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering received a $773,530 grant from the Department of Energy (DOE) for research on improving the efficiency of residential and commercial motors. The three-year project is under the direction of Pragasen Pillay, Jean Newell Distinguished Professor in Engineering.

According to Pillay, the grant money will be used to purchase additional state-of-the-art loss measurement equipment, which will allow improved designs and higher motor efficiencies. This ultimately translates into reduced energy costs and greenhouse gas emissions.

The research will also look at motors in automobiles and commercial vehicles. "We are receiving strong cooperation from industry," says Pillay. Black & Decker, Globe Motors, Advanced DC Motors, Lamination Specialty Corp, Ispat Inland, Magsoft, Eaton Drives and the Small Motors & Motion Association are contributing equipment or expertise to the project.

"Even small increases in efficiency can reap huge benefits in terms of greenhouse gases and pollution reduction because of the large numbers involved," says Pillay.

Maximizing Fuel Cell Efficiency

Clarkson researchers have joined with the Buffalo, N.Y.,-based company NanoDynamics Inc. on a project to design, analyze and build a power conversion device for a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) stack. The conversion device would allow alternative energy technology — such as wind energy — to be used more widely and efficiently by converting and adjusting the electrical output from the fuel cell for automobiles and residential or commercial uses.

"Part of the research is focused on modeling of the SOFC to determine or predict its performance and its dynamic (transient) response during operation," explains Pillay who heads up the research team that includes Associate Professor of Chemical Engineering Raghunathan Rengasamy. "The model also simulates the SOFC control system, which governs the temperature of the cell, as well as the amount of fuel and air input to the cell."

The second phase of the project involves the design, analysis and construction of a power conversion device to convert the voltage and current generated by the fuel cell so that it can be used. The generated voltage is either stepped up or down to the desired level to meet specific power requirements.

In addition, the device will include a controller that will determine an operating point for the fuel cell so as to increase its lifetime and maintain maximum efficiency. Maintaining high efficiency is a challenge because of the slow rate of chemical reaction in the cell, which results in slow response time during rate start up or load change. Therefore, ultra-capacitors or super-capacitors will be used in conjunction with the fuel cell to compensate for the delayed response time.

Thermoelectric Energy Recovery

Clarkson's Thermoelectric Generator Research Group's development of a simulation of a thermoelectric generator that converts engine exhaust energy into electric energy is nearing completion. The project is led by Eric F. Thacher and Brian Helenbrook, professors of Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering, and is funded by the New York State Energy Research and Development Authority (NYSERDA).

The team will use the model to look at the use of thermoelectric generators to recover energy from the exhausts of vehicles such as a series hybrid transit bus, and also from a fixed, natural gas-fueled engine-generator.

"Automobile waste recovery could significantly improve fuel efficiency of combustion engines," says Thacher. "The system we have developed uses a thermoelectric generator installed in the exhaust pipe to convert up to five percent of the energy in the exhaust into electric energy and feed it to the vehicle's electric load. Quantum well-based thermoelectric materials are under study because they have been shown to at least triple the conversion efficiency of thermoelectric generators."

The team has subcontracted Hi-Z Technology Inc. to build the generator and tested the prototype on a 1999 Sierra pick-up truck on loan from General Motors.

Creating Affordable Biofuels

A partnership between two Clarkson researchers and an alumnus is transferring chemical process technology from the laboratory to the biofuels marketplace. Their efforts promise to contribute to energy independence and local economic development.

Last year, Clarkson Professor of Chemical Engineering Roshan Jachuck and research associate Philip Leveson teamed up with John Gaus '89 (EE), principal with the technology investment and management firm of Golden Technology Management, to form the company NextGen Fuel Inc. The goal of the company is to build technology based on Jachuck's and Leveson's research to advance alternative energy production and create a more cost-effective approach to making biodiesel. The team also hopes to give a much needed boost to the region's rural economy.

"The plant will be able to produce as much as five million gallons per year of transportation biodiesel or bio-heating fuel, helping offset the use of imported petroleum products while also reducing emissions. — John Gaus '89, president of Golden Technology Management

"Biodiesel is a renewable fuel extracted from sources such as vegetable oils or animal fats," says Jachuck. "For example, recycled cooking grease from restaurants and food processors, soybeans or canola oil can be used separately or in combination to provide fuel to heat buildings or to power trucks."

"The technology we've developed reduces the costs of building and operating a biofuel plant by more than half," adds Jachuck. "The result is that we are significantly improving the economics of the biodiesel industry."

This year New York State Governor George Pataki and State Senator James Wright provided NextGen with approximately $350,000 of grant money to build a processing plant and help develop renewable energy markets in the state. The U.S. Department of Agriculture also awarded a $99,500 Rural Business Enterprise Grant to Operation Oswego County to help the company with the project. This nonprofit organization will use the money to assist NextGen Fuel in building a state-of-the-art biodiesel fuel plant in Fulton, N.Y.

"The plant will be able to produce as much as five million gallons per year of transportation biodiesel or bio-heating fuel," says Gaus. "This will help offset the use of imported petroleum products while also reducing emissions. The output will then be sold to fuel distributors, who will blend it with petroleum-based fuel and sell it to truck fleets or heating fuel customers." The company also plans to sell its patented process and equipment, which is manufactured by O'Brien & Gere, to other biodiesel plants. (Clarkson alumnus Terry Brown '72 is president and CEO of the company.)

"I enjoy working with my alma mater, the local community, the state and federal governments, and private investors to commercialize cutting-edge technology in a manner that contributes to energy independence and economic development," says Gaus.

"It is a great example of how technology transfer can be successful as well as beneficial to Clarkson and the community on many levels."

Drag-reduction device mounted to a
truck's rear doors improves fuel
efficiency.

Reducing Drag on Tractor Trailers

Another experimental fuel-saving device developed by Associate Professor of Aeronautical and Mechanical Engineering Ken Visser and a team of graduate and undergraduate students may revolutionize the trucking industry.

"The aft end of ground vehicles is often a design compromise between functionality and aerodynamics," explains Visser. "Traditional transport vehicles have a flat aft end that creates a large drag on the vehicle at highway speeds, which ultimately reduces gas mileage and increases costs and emissions. We have designed extendable flat plates that can be mounted to the truck's rear doors to reduce drag."

The device, which resembles a set of second doors when closed and opens out into a box-like structure, has been studied in the wind tunnel as well as tested on full-scale vehicles in cross-country road tests.

"The most recent data based on road testing indicates that the device will save approximately one-half mile-per-gallon, an increase in fuel efficiency of about 10 percent," says Visser. "This translates into a savings on the order of about $4,000 per year for a truck running 150,000 miles at $2.50 per gallon of fuel."

The research team tested various shapes and created a prototype in 2000. After developing the technology and design, Visser was awarded a grant from NYSERDA and contracted with the Plattsburgh, N.Y.,-based company Composite Factory Inc. to manufacture the device using efficient light-weight composite materials. A design patent for the unique concept is currently in the works.

The next step is a 50-truck fleet test. "Once we can test run this on a larger scale we will really be able to quantify the fuel savings and environmental benefits," says Visser.