Energy I-Corps Cohort 20

• Principal Investigator: Zhenglain Shen
• Entrepreneurial Lead: Adam Brooks
• Industry Mentor: Charles Nmai

High-filler, low-water (HFLW) concrete is an innovative mix that increases the use of fillers, such as fine particles or by-products, while greatly reducing both water and cement. This design creates a denser, more durable concrete with fewer pores, enhancing strength and reducing cracking. By substituting a large portion of cement with these fillers, CO₂ emissions decrease by at least 40%. As a result, it offers a cost-effective option for construction, combining increased performance with a lower environmental impact. 

Funded by the Industrial Efficiency and Decarbonization Office. 

• Principal Investigator: Trevor Atkinson
• Entrepreneurial Lead: Mahesh Acharya
• Industry Mentor: Boualem Hadjerioua

An active ecosystem of companies is developing new hydropower technologies, especially for in-conduit and non-powered dam applications. To centralize information on small hydropower innovations, Idaho National Laboratory created the Hydropower Technology Catalog (HTC) tool (https://hydrotech.inl.gov/). This public database helps asset/resource owners, hydro developers, service providers, and consultants identify appropriate technologies based on application, engineering features, economic parameters, and auxiliary support components. By providing detailed information, the HTC tool reduces development times, informs users about technology capabilities and limitations, and assists in understanding implementation requirements for existing systems and new developments.

Funded by the Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO). 

• Principal Investigator: Aliza Abraham
• Entrepreneurial Lead: Stefano Letizia
• Industry Mentor: Guillaume Lea

LiBERTI (Lidar-Based Elastic Reconstructor of Turbulence Information) will redefine wind lidar technology to give users the freedom needed for accurate turbulence measurement in complex environments. The team envisions a wind profiler with an adaptable geometry to address the needs of wind energy industry, aviation, building science, and outdoor sport enthusiasts.

Funded by the Wind Energy Technologies Office (WETO).

• Principal Investigator: Linyu Lin
• Entrepreneurial Lead: Ryan Spangler
• Industry Mentor: Forrest Shriver

The VIPER (Visualization for Predictive Maintenance Recommendation) team aims to create a visualization tool to simplify, explain, and verify machine learning diagnostics in nuclear power plants. It identifies early issues such as blockages or disruptions, helping operators detect and address these faults. By analyzing system data and understanding the context, VIPER ensures accurate diagnostics, improving efficiency and reliability.

Funded by the Office of Nuclear Energy.

• Principal Investigator: Fan Yang
• Entrepreneurial Lead: Yanning Li

The EV Infrastructure - Fleet Bidirectional Analyzer (EVI-FBA) helps organizations switch their vehicle fleets to electric by predicting exactly what they'll need. The tool analyzes how vehicles are used and charged, along with site power conditions, to determine optimal charging infrastructure and strategy setup and costs. It considers both standard charging and advanced two-way power flow options. By showing detailed forecasts for infrastructure needs, power bills, and charging schedules, EVI-FBA makes the transition to electric vehicles clearer and more cost-effective for fleet and energy managers.

Funded by the Vehicle Technologies Office.

• Principal Investigator: Indrasis Chakraborty
• Entrepreneurial Lead: Mary Ngo
• Industry Mentor: Byron Kaufman

XGridDS is a plug and play software platform built with 1) a modular, generalizable python software library for ingesting and semantically integrating multiple streams of data, 2) interoperable functionality to leverage and elucidate extant data sources, 3) trained and validated machine learning models developed to accomplish core tasks (e.g., forecasting, interpolating, and fault prediction) and, 4) an intuitive UX/UI HMI designed to meet end-user requirements, improve data utilization, and facilitate grid operator task performance.

Funded by the Office of Electricity (OE). 

• Principal Investigator: Sixbert Muhoza
• Entrepreneurial Lead: Shiba Adhikari
• Industry Mentor: Dennis Gilmore

MXel focuses on developing advanced Metal/MXene-based electrical conductors for grid modernization. These conductors offer superior conductivity, strength, and self-healing capabilities. Through innovative smart manufacturing powered by machine learning and real-time monitoring, MXel ensures scalable and cost-effective MXene production. This technology enhances grid reliability, reduces operational costs, and supports sustainable energy infrastructure. Target stakeholders include cable manufacturers, utilities, and renewable energy providers, positioning the U.S. as a leader in MXene manufacturing while addressing critical challenges in advanced materials and grid modernization.

Funded by the Advanced Materials and Manufacturing Technologies Office (AMMTO).

• Principal Investigator: John Tacke
• Entrepreneurial Lead: Becca Avery
• Industry Mentor: Craig Reiger, PhD, PE; Jeff Jones 

The Master State Awareness Estimator monitors real-time voltage and current from grid points to detect anomalies such as cyberattacks, sensor malfunctions, or system errors. Installed at substations, it processes data locally and sends alerts with mitigation plans to control centers. By providing an affordable, easy-to-use tool, this system helps grid operators and cybersecurity teams work together to prevent or reduce long-term power outages.

Co-funded by the Office of Cybersecurity, Energy Security, and Emergency Response (CESER), OE, WETO, and WPTO. 

• Principal Investigator: Gabriel Weaver
• Entrepreneurial Lead: Hayden Town
• Industry Mentor: Ian Conway

The TOP GEAR software platform identifies risks to critical Energy infrastructure systems due to evolving business relationships. Such risks include outsized influence over regional infrastructure, data collection, and investment by Foreign Entities of Concern (FEOC). TOP GEAR integrates due diligence and infrastructure analysis to enhance decision makers’ situational awareness of organizational influence over national critical energy infrastructure.

Co-funded by CESER and WPTO. 

• Principal Investigator: Clare Davis-Wheeler-Chin
• Entrepreneurial Lead: Kevin Leung
• Industry Mentor: Steven Harris

BatterUP turns spent lithium-ion battery cathodes into value-added energy materials by (safely) putting metal in the microwave! Our “one pot” direct upcycling method uses high-throughput microwave reactors to quickly and efficiently customize products on demand and produce quantities large enough for scale-up—without the energy-intensive inputs or toxic byproducts of commercial recycling. Our vision for BatterUP is to help secure critical materials supply chains by replacing cathode cobalt with less conflicted metals and electrify the transportation section with more affordable EV batteries.

Funded by AMMTO. 

• Principal Investigator: Erika Paola Ramos Guzman
• Entrepreneurial Lead: Diego Ignacio Oyarzun Dinamarca
• Industry Mentor: Ionel Stefan

AMPERE (Advanced Manufacturing for Printed Electrochemical Renewable Energy) is a battery technology that uses an abundant and reliable copper-based current collector that improves battery cycling performance and lifespan. This composite current collector is developed via a scalable and cost-effective manufacturing process. The technology is especially impactful for next-generation energy storage in electrification applications.

Co-funded by AMMTO and OE. 

• Principal Investigator: Jeremiah Gilbert
• Entrepreneurial Lead: Manuel Maestas
• Industry Mentor: Bikash Poudel

RAPID-MIB (Relocatable/Resiliency Alternative Power Improvement Distribution) is a relocatable microgrid system that integrates household items like power converters and batteries for emergency power distribution. Housed in a 20-foot shipping container, it provides critical support for power outages and off-grid operations. With a capacity of 250kW/320kWh, it can supply stable power to communities or operations, and supports various energy sources such as wind, solar, and nuclear, offering a flexible, transportable solution for local energy stability.

Funded by OE. 

• Principal Investigator: Vivek Kumar Singh
• Entrepreneurial Lead: Ethan Tucker
• Industry Mentor: Sam Talukder

The Cybersecurity Situational Awareness Tool (CYSAT) is an advanced cybersecurity solution that protects grid networks with distributed energy resources. Using artificial intelligence, CYSAT detects and neutralizes cyberattacks, providing real-time protection for critical energy infrastructure. It enhances grid resiliency by helping operators identify threats early, reduce risks, and maintain stability, making it essential for modernizing and securing the nation’s power infrastructure.

Co-funded by CESER and WPTO. 

• Principal Investigator: Thomas Britton
• Entrepreneurial Lead: Nataliia Matsiuk
• Industry Mentor: Felix Portnoy

With it's intuitive interface Hydra seamlessly delegates repetitive monitoring tasks to AI/ML models for near real-time monitoring of image data. Hydra utilizes computer vision models to catch errors and anomalies, even those missed by human operators. This is done through an improved monitoring rate and higher accuracy leading to timely alerts.  This approach can streamline the process of diagnosing and resolving issues, leading to cost savings and reduced human error in visual monitoring tasks.

Funded by OTC. 

• Principal Investigator: Yutao Li
• Entrepreneurial Leads: Huandong Chen, Raymond Blackwell
• Industry Mentor: Michael Clarkin

AutoLab is an AI-powered nanotechnology lab for scientists, engineers, and educators. It identifies and catalogs 2D material flakes in real time, analyzing size, thickness, and atomic step edges from optical microscopy images. AutoLab also automates the stacking of these flakes to fabricate semiconductor devices, replacing multiple costly tools like optical aligners and wafer saws. By integrating these functions into a compact system, AutoLab reduces cleanroom operational costs while advancing research in 2D materials and device fabrication.

Co-funded by AMMTO and the Office of Science-Basic Energy Sciences. 

• Principal Investigator: Eric Duoss
• Entrepreneurial Lead: Eugene Chow

IgniteAM is a scalable additive manufacturing solution for producing high-performance targets essential to inertial fusion energy and high-energy-density science. It addresses a key challenge in creating precision components for laser-driven fusion and experimental laser facilities, especially the fuel capsules in which the deuterium-tritium (DT) fuel is stored and later ignited upon irradiance by powerful lasers. By enabling efficient and reliable target fabrication, IgniteAM supports the emerging fusion energy industry and advances research into next-generation energy solutions.

Funded by the Office of Science-Fusion Energy Sciences.