Two USTAR/USU Technologies Reach Semifinalist Stage in Cleantech Open

VolumeWind™ and DIAL Emissions Monitoring, two technologies under development by researchers at the Utah State University Research Foundation (USURF), have reached the semifinalist stage in the Rocky Mountain bracket of the national CleanTech Open contest. 

VolumeWind utilizes laser sensing to help the wind power industry more effectively site wind towers and increase power generation efficiency. DIAL Emissions Monitoring deploys remote sensing of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and other substances to help the oil and gas industry reduce production-related pollution. 

The technologies are under development at the Center for Advanced Sensing and Imaging (CASI), a USU research team that recently joined USURF’s Energy Dynamics Lab. CASI is funded by the Utah Science Technology and Research (USTAR). 

“Both of these technologies are based on Lidar, which is short for light detection and ranging,” said Robert Barson, CASI executive director. “We’re literally using lasers to map the wind or analyze large volumes of air in real time for chemicals.”

VolumeWind

“Large-scale wind farms represented a $70 billion market worldwide market in 2009, yet fully operational wind farms consistently produce about 10 percent less power than as originally designed,” Barson said. “That’s like throwing away one wind turbine for every ten installed.”

Some lidar-based technologies are already in the market, Barson said. However VolumeWind will bring added benefits such as rapid scanning of large atmospheric volumes; full 3D wind characterization based on data rather than assumptions; and highly detailed “mapping” of local wind fields.

“When it comes to measurements and monitoring for siting and long-term turbine control, our technology is bigger, faster and cheaper than competing approaches,” he said. “We’ll be able to help wind farm operators close the productivity gap cost-effectively.”

Alan Marchant is the principal investigator developing VolumeWind.

DIAL Emissions Monitoring

DIAL stands for DIfferential Absorption Lidar, and the technology can detect methane vapor and particulate matter over a several square mile area. It uses short pulses of laser light to determine the location of airborne particulate matter.

According to Michael Wojcik, the principal investigator developing DIAL Emissions Monitoring, the oil and gas industry is under increasing government scrutiny for heavy emissions of air pollutants, such as methane and VOC emissions. “Since 2000 more than $73 million in civil penalties have been collected from the oil and gas industry, while more than $5 billion in capital improvements have been undertaken to maintain compliance with regulations,” Wojcik said. “It’s a large market we’re tackling.”

“In the market today you see limited-range, limited-use ‘sniffer’ technology as well as older, high-cost laser-based approaches,” he said. “We anticipate that an EDL-developed product will be significantly smaller, more mobile, offered at a fraction of the cost and have offshore capabilities.”

USTAR funding has been critical to the team’s progress, Barson said. “Through USTAR, we’ve been able to attract some top-level national experts to work with the existing talents at USU. It’s exciting to see some national recognition for our cutting-edge cleantech efforts.”

About the Cleantech Open

The Cleantech Open is the world’s largest cleantech business competition. Its mission is to find, fund and foster entrepreneurs with big ideas that address today’s most urgent energy, environmental and economic challenges. The program provides the infrastructure, expertise and strategic relationships to turn clever ideas into successful global cleantech companies. Since 2006, through its one-of-a-kind annual business competition and mentorship program, the Cleantech Open has enabled hundreds of clean technology startups to bring their breakthrough ideas to fruition, helped alumni contestants raise over $260M, and created an estimated 1,200 green collar jobs. Fueled by a network of more than 600 volunteers and sponsors, the Cleantech Open unites the public and private sectors in a shared vision for making America’s cleantech sector a thriving economic engine. For more information, visit www.cleantechopen.com, and follow @cleantechopen on Twitter.

About USURF and EDL

USURF is a nonprofit corporation owned by Utah State University (USU).  Its purpose is to conduct applied research, engineering development and translate innovative technologies into real-world solutions.  USURF employs 450 staff members in North Logan, Utah; Colorado Springs, Colo.; Los Angeles, Calif.; Albuquerque, N.M.; Washington, D.C.; Huntsville, Ala.; Bedford, Mass.; Houston, Texas; and Park City, Utah.

EDL was formed in 2009 to expand USURF’s value to USU and benefit to the nation by creating transformational, systems-level solutions to America’s energy challenges.  EDL’s three primary business areas are clean and unconventional fossil energy, advanced electric transportation, and intuitive or intelligent buildings. EDL also has focused efforts in biofuels and wind characterization. Through these programs, EDL is leading the way in developing resources, technologies and systems that will be critical to the energy security of the United States in the 21st Century and beyond. For more information, visit http://energydynamicslab.com/.

About USTAR

The Utah Science Technology and Research initiative (USTAR) is a long-term, state-funded investment to strengthen Utah's "knowledge economy” and generate high-paying jobs. Funded in March 2006 by the State Legislature, USTAR is based on three program areas. The first area involves funding for strategic investments at the University of Utah and Utah State University to recruit world-class researchers. The second area is to build state-of-the-art interdisciplinary facilities at these institutions for the innovation teams. The third program area involves teams that work with companies and entrepreneurs across the State to promote science, innovation, and commercialization activities. For more information, go to www.innovationutah.com or follow http://twitter.com/Innovationutah.