Aidin Panahi
MIT
On the gasification of Municipal Solid Waste
It brings modeling, design and operation of thermochemical treatment systems a huge challenge for a large variety in municipal solid waste (MSW) composition and differences in thermal behavior of MSW components. The pyrolysis and gasification characteristics of different combustible solid wastes, representing the most common components of MSW, were investigated using a thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA) and a bubbling fluidized bed gasifier (BFBG).
Aniket Patankar
MIT
Reactor Train for Efficient Solar Hydrogen Production
Green Hydrogen and fuels derived from it can decarbonize hard-to-electrify sectors like, trucking, industrial heating, aviation, energy storage, etc. Thermochemical redox cycle is an upcoming technology for producing green hydrogen from solar thermal energy. In contrast to solar photovoltaics, thermal technologies make use of the entire solar spectrum and are capable of higher solar-to-fuel conversion efficiencies. However, the best reactors today have efficiencies less than 6%. We have recently developed the ‘Reactor Train’ system that can achieve greater than 20% conversion efficiency. The 3X efficiency improvement comes from internal heat recuperation, efficient gas exchange, and waste heat recovery.
Antonio Soria-Verdugo
MIT
Oxygen-lean torrefaction of biomass
Oxygen-lean torrefaction can effectively reduce both the cost and complexity of inert torrefaction. The energy density of biomass increases after torrefaction and the hydroxyl groups in biomass cell walls are reduced, contributing to prevent water attachment to its surface, resulting in a good hydrophobicity for torrefied biomass, which enhances the long-term storage of the product. The evolution of carbon and hydrogen content of biomass during oxygen-lean and inert torrefaction were measured, together with the porosity of the particles’ surface. A kinetic model of oxygen-lean torrefaction will be developed to predict the characteristics of biomass after this pre-treatment.
Cameron Kokesh, Jenny Zhang, Sydney Kim, Daniela Vallejo, Jack Lin
MIT Solar Electric Vehicle Team / MIT Edgerton Center
MIT Solar Electric Vehicle Team
The MIT Solar Electric Vehicle Team (SEVT) was started over 30 years ago with a mission to create solar-powered vehicles to race in long-distance endurance races across the country. The student-run team operates on a two-year design cycle which includes completely researching, designing, manufacturing, and testing a car from scratch to road-legal. The goal is to create a lightweight, aerodynamic, and safe vehicle that is able to efficiently use solar energy.
Maher Damak, Kevin Hsu
Infinite Cooling
Water capture from cooling towers
Infinite Cooling’s mission is to mitigate water scarcity around the world. We help power plants and other industrial plants reduce their water consumption and water treatment costs by recovering water from their cooling tower exhaust. We have a patented technology developed at MIT that uses electric fields to capture water from the plumes leaving cooling towers. Infinite Cooling is venture-backed and has raised over $16M of capital and was awarded over $3M of prizes and grants, including the MIT $100K and the DOE national Cleantech competition.
Marcus Lehmann, Ryan Davidson
CalWave Power Technologies
CalWave is on a mission to decarbonize the Blue Economy by harnessing the power of ocean waves. While the sun doesn’t always shine and the wind doesn’t always blow, the ocean always produces waves, making wave energy the most consistent and reliable source of renewable energy. Having received $11 million in grants from the U.S. Department of Energy, we are currently testing our technology off the coast of San Diego at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. We are in line to test at PacWave, a grid-connected wave energy testing facility in Oregon, when it opens in 2023.
Mitali Chowdhury, Jess Cohen, Adam Potter
Standards for Climate-Conscious Investments in Energy
Evidence-based standards to guide investments in the energy sector.
Rabab Haider
MIT
Design of electricity markets and grid services to manage DERs
Consumer adopted distributed energy resources (DERs) are necessary to achieve deep decarbonization of the energy sector. When coordinated, DERs can provide flexibility to grid operators, enhance grid efficiency and reliability. DERs have local intelligence and control capabilities which can be leveraged to provide distributed support throughout the grid. We propose a suite of local electricity markets overseen by a Distribution System Operator, which can coordinate the control actions of DERs through hierarchical real-time energy markets. This enables DERs to provide of a suite of services to the grid, while being appropriately compensated at distribution-level Locational Marginal Prices (d-LMPs). Preliminary results using data from ISO-NE and Eversource in Massachusetts show the retail market can significantly lower electricity rates for customers from 11.4 c/kWh to 2.9 c/kWh. Our markets can thus support the integration of DERs into the grid, bringing us closer to a low-carbon reality.
Santiago Arango-Aramburo
MIT
Microworld for learning about sustainable and efficient electric energy in Colombian off-grid zones
Colombia is aiming for sustainable electrification of off-grid zones, zones with poverty, high dependence on fossil fuels, inefficient electricity systems; and thus, high costs of service. The strategy has been investing the annual budget in new renewable systems: Individual solar panels for isolated users, and hybrid systems (solar + diesel) for concentrated communities. However, reaching the goal is getting harder: as new plants are being installed, others are being dismantled long before their ideal lifetime. We developed a learning microworld, based on a system dynamics model, to explain this phenomenon, and simulate investment strategies in the long term.
Slava Agafonov
Energsoft Inc.
Energsoft Inc.
Energsoft Inc. software subscription product for energy and battery data. The platform tackling climate change by using machine learning and AI to get insights.
Solar Power Tower: An Alternative Method to Power Egypt
Harvard University
Solar Power Tower: An Alternative Method to Power Egypt
This research evaluated the use of CSP technologies for large-scale centralized power generation in Egypt, particularly solar power tower systems. It focused on developing a conceptual design and a performance study for a solar power tower system. Emphasis has been on assessing potential sites for the plant as well as undertaking a cost analysis for its construction and operation. Moreover, this research examined the effects of changing the height of a solar tower on the system’s optical efficiency as well as the impacts of varying the receiver size on the system’s energy output. Additionally, this research also compared and contrasted a potential design of a solar power tower system with a solar PV plant in Benban solar park.
Yu Chen, Yuesen Wang
MIT
Rick Clemenzi
Intelli Product
A novel low-cost tar removal technology for small-scale biomass gasification to power
Small-scale decentralized biomass gasification could be an effective way to reduce air pollution and improve living quality through electrification in rural areas. Tar removal is a challenge at the small-scale and its high cost limits the application of small-scale gasification-to-power systems. A low-cost tar removal technology for small-scale application is investigated. Hot raw producer gas is partially oxidized in an internal combustion engine. Tars carried by the producer gas are destroyed under high temperature and pressure from compression and partial oxidation. High tar cleanup efficiency with low energy consumption is achieved. Economic analysis of the technology is evaluated on a 20 kWe gasification-to-power system. The CAPEX and the OPEX reduction are 40% and 17%, respectively.
"Energy Recycling" via Modular Encapsulated Heat Pumps
High Temperature Heat Pumps and "Energy Recycling" can eliminate most fossil fuel use by Industry and about 25% of U.S. GHG emissions. Our Modular Encapsulated Heat Pumps enable a new class of High Temp Heat Pump applications by eliminating refrigerant leakage and by maximizing efficiency via precise module-by-module refrigerant-to-temperature tuning. "Energy Recycling" will bring significant GHG elimination to Industry, Laboratories, and all Building Fresh Air systems by Capturing and Reusing Energy. The result is new levels of efficiency, significant cost savings, and very significant GHG Elimination for #RealClimateAction.
