IMPACTS
 Industrial Technologies Program:

Summary of Program Results for CY 2009 

Boosting the Productivity and Competitiveness of U.S. Industry 
Foreword
 

Foreword 

A robust U.S. industrial sector relies on a secure and 

affordable energy supply. While all Americans are feeling the 

pinch of volatile energy prices, project financial-constriction 

impacts on industry are especially acute. Uncertainty over 

energy prices, emission regulations, and sources of financing 

not only hurt industrial competitiveness – together they have 

the potential to push U.S. manufacturing operations offshore, 

eliminate jobs that are the lifeline for many American 

families, and weaken a sector of the economy that serves as 

the backbone of U.S. gross domestic product. 

The Industrial Technologies Program (ITP) is actively 

working through public-private partnerships to address the 

enormous energy challenges now facing America and its 

industrial sector. ITP has an established track record for 

moving innovative technologies through commercialization 

and onto the floors of industrial plants, where they are at work 

today saving energy and reducing carbon emissions. For the 

period 1992 - 2010, ITP-sponsored projects have resulted in 

50 R&D 100 awards and 265 issued patents. Also notable are 

the significant savings identified this year through the plant 

energy savings assessments conducted as part of ITP’s Save 

Energy Now Initiative. 

The daunting challenges confronting U.S. industry and the 

rapidly evolving energy supply situation prompted a reexamination of ITP strategies for technology development and 

delivery. A number of practical opportunities were identified 

to build on ITP strengths, expand into promising new areas, 

and boost program impacts to support critical national goals. 

ITP operates under the guidance of the U.S. Department of 

Energy’s Office of Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy 

(EERE). To learn more about the current ITP program and 

new directions see the ITP website at 

http://www1.eere.energy.gov/industry/. 

IMPACTS 

Table of Contents 

Summary.................................................................................. 1
 

ITP Program Impacts............................................................... 4 

Industrial Energy Use 

The Industrial Technologies Program Office 

Tracking Program Impacts 

Table 1. Technology Program Impacts .................................. 12
 

Appendix 1: 

ITP -Sponsored Technologies Commercially Available........ 15
 

Appendix 2: 

ITP Emerging Technologies ................................................ 127
 

Appendix 3: 

Historical ITP Technology Successes...................................157
 

Appendix 4: 

Method of Calculating Results for the IAC Program ...........177
 

Appendix 5: 

Method of Calculating Results for the 

Save Energy Now Initiative ..................................................181 

Appendix 6: 

Method of Calculating Results from DOE’s Combined Heat 

and Power Activities .............................................................187 

Appendix 7: 

Methodology for Technology Tracking 

and Assessment of Benefits ..................................................191 

ii DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
Summary
 

IMPACTS 

Working in partnership with industry, the U.S. Department 

of Energy’s (DOE’s) Industrial Technologies Program (ITP) 

is helping reduce industrial energy use, carbon emissions, 

and waste while boosting productivity and economic 

competitiveness. Operating within the Office of Energy 

Efficiency and Renewable Energy (EERE), ITP conducts 

research, development, and demonstration (RD&D) projects 

and technology transfer activities that are producing 

substantial benefits to industry and helping the nation to 

address some of its biggest challenges in the areas of energy 

security and environmental performance. This document 

summarizes some of the impacts of ITP’s programs through 

2009. The selection of 2009 as the timeframe for this report 

recognizes the fact that it takes at least two years to gain a full 

perspective on program performance and to assess the results 

of commercialization efforts for the technologies and practices 

at issue. 

Industry is the largest and most diverse energy-consuming 

sector in the U.S. economy. In recent years, the industrial 

sector has used one-third of the energy consumed in the 

nation, produced about 1,670 MMT of CO2 per year, 

contributed 12% to the overall U.S. gross domestic product, 

and provided nearly 12 million manufacturing jobs. These 

statistics – combined with the convergence of concerns 

surrounding energy security, climate change, and global 

competitiveness – emphasize the strategic role that improved 

industrial energy efficiency can play in responding to 

some of the nation’s most pressing energy, economic, and 

environmental challenges. 

Over the past 30 years, ITP has supported more than 

600 separate RD&D projects that have produced over 

250 commercialized technologies. In 2009 alone, 95 

commercialized technologies in use saved 53.1 trillion Btu in 

measured savings. While these energy savings are impressive, 

industry has reaped even greater benefits from improved 

productivity, reduced resource consumption, decreased 

emissions, and enhanced product quality associated with these 

technological advances. For the period 1992 - 2010, ITPsponsored projects have resulted in 50 R&D 100 awards and 

265 issued patents. Also, many ITP-supported projects have 

significantly expanded knowledge about complex industrial 

processes and have laid the foundation for future energyefficient technologies. 

In addition to its RD&D projects, one of ITP’s major efforts 

is the Save Energy Now Initiative (formerly the BestPractices 

Program)– a highly successful national initiative. Save 

Energy Now has developed a robust suite of energy-savings 

tools and services that ITP provides for partnering with 

industry to improve energy efficiency. For example, as 

of September 2009 the Save Energy Now Initiative has 

completed over 2,300 assessments. More than 1,500 industrial 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 

facilities have implemented the assessment recommendations, 

achieving $218 million, 35 trillion Btu, and 2.3 MMT of CO2 

savings each year. In 2009, ITP recognized 140 companies 

for their energy savings. 

ITP is also working with U.S. industry to support the 

development of an emerging set of energy management 

standards and a related certification program anchored to 

a viable business case. Energy standards are considered 

by many to be the most effective and least costly approach 

to energy demand management. Similar to environmental 

or quality management systems in industry, changing how 

energy is managed will yield substantial energy efficiency 

improvements. A new energy management standard, ISO 

50001, will provide a method for integrating energy efficiency 

into existing industrial or commercial management systems 

for continuous improvement. Once completed, ISO 50001 

promises to create a framework for all of industry to manage 

energy and improve cost savings. To facilitate the transition 

to the ISO standard, the forthcoming industry-designed 

American National Standards Institute (ANSI)-accredited 

plant-certification program–known as Superior Energy 

Performance–will include provisions for conforming to the 

ISO 50001 energy management standard, as well as achieving 

a defined level of annual energy intensity performance 

improvement. A total of 50 countries are participating in 

developing this international standard. The International 

Organization for Standardization intends to release ISO 50001 

in 2011. 

An additional product of the Save Energy Now Initiative is 

an effort by ITP to aggressively drive progress on energy 

efficiency throughout the supply chain. As supply chains for 

companies have grown increasingly complex, understanding 

and managing energy waste within these chains can reduce 

energy prices and regulatory risk, while simultaneously 

increasing a firm’s competitive advantage. Not only can it 

improve security in a company’s operations, it can enhance 

their suppliers’ businesses, as well as provide mentoring and 

support for these suppliers’ energy and emissions management 

systems. 

Many energy-intensive industries, including aluminum and 

steel, are limited in the choice of fuels and feedstocks used in 

their processes. As a result, many opportunities for energyefficiency improvements are very process- and industryspecific. However, other important energy applications, 

such as motor drives, boilers, and compressed air systems, 

are common across the industrial sector, thereby creating 

crosscutting energy-efficiency opportunities. 

1 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Summary
 

Industrial Distributed Energy, a crosscutting activity within 

ITP, builds on activities conducted by DOE’s Office of 

Industrial Technologies during the 1980s and 1990s and 

DOE’s Distributed Energy Resources program since 2000. 

Since 1990, the use of distributed energy within the United 

States, primarily combined heat and power (CHP), has 

increased significantly. CHP generation capacity additions 

between 1990 and 2009 totaled 57.1 GW, according to the 

CHP Installation Database maintained by ICF International 

for DOE through a contract with Oak Ridge National 

Laboratory (ORNL). According to a report prepared by 

ORNL, if CHP generation capacity were to increase from the 

current 3% to 20% by 2030, more than 5.3 quad of energy 

would be saved, and CO2 emissions would be reduced by 848 

MMT. This represents 60% of the projected greenhouse gas 

emissions production from 2006 to 2030. 

Through current and expanded funding from the American 

Reinvestment and Recovery Act, ITP is advancing CHP as 

one of the more promising efficient energy solutions to help 

revitalize the American economy, enhance the nation’s energy 

security, and reduce carbon emissions. CHP can achieve 

efficiencies of as much as 80% compared with roughly 45% 

for conventional heat and power production. 

One of ITP’s primary roles is to invest in high-risk, high-value 

RD&D that will reduce industry’s energy requirements while 

stimulating economic productivity and growth. Because 

energy is an important input for many of the nation’s key 

manufacturing industries, reducing energy requirements 

will also reduce energy costs, greenhouse gases, and other 

emissions and will improve productivity per unit of output. 

As a federal program, ITP invests in advanced technologies 

that are anticipated to produce dramatic energy and 

environmental benefits for the nation. Investments focus 

on technologies and practices that will provide clear public 

benefit but have market barriers preventing adequate privatesector investment. ITP partners with manufacturers to help 

them overcome these barriers so that the benefits of energyefficient innovation can be unleashed. 

ITP has developed a ten-part strategy to achieve its goals: 

1) Investigate cross-cutting R&D to save energy in the top 

energy-consuming processes used across industry. 

 2) Exploit fuel and feedstock flexibility to give 

manufacturers options for responding to energy price 

and supply pressures. For more information, see www1. 

eere.energy.gov/industry/fuelflexibility. 

IMPACTS
 

3) Invest in “next-generation” technologies that are 


adaptable to processes throughout industry and that 


could dramatically change the way products are 


manufactured. 


4) Strengthen planning and analysis to identify 


opportunities with the greatest potential for energy 


savings and develop a robust market transformation 


strategy.
 

5) Institute rigorous stage-gate project and portfolio 


management procedures to ensure sound project 


management and funding decisions. 


6) Emphasize commercialization planning throughout the 

R&D life cycle. 

7) Encourage private investment in energy efficiency 


through new partnerships and strategies to reach 


industry.
 

8) Drive ambitious reductions in industrial energy 

intensity through the Save Energy Now Initiative. For 

information on Save Energy Now, see www1.eere. 

energy.gov/industry/saveenergynow/. 

9) Promote energy-efficiency improvements throughout the 

supply chain. ITP is collaborating with manufacturers 

and suppliers to develop a practical approach for 

corporate leadership to encourage and support energy 

management across supply chains. 

10) Help drive the development of energy management 


standards and the Superior Energy Performance 


certification program to provide a clear roadmap for 


continual improvement in energy efficiency. For 


information on the U.S. Council for Energy-Efficient 


Manufacturing, see www.superiorenergyperformance.
 

net.
 

In addition to tracking current and cumulative energy savings, 

ITP monitors other benefits associated with the successfully 

commercialized technologies resulting from its research 

partnerships. These benefits include cumulative reductions of 

various air pollutants including particulates, volatile organic 

compounds, nitrogen oxides, sulfur oxides, carbon, and most 

recently, jobs created or saved. In 2009, ITP programs were 

instrumental in saving industry 733 trillion Btu, equivalent 

to the 2008 energy consumption for the entire state of 

New Mexico, or $4.59 billion. Over ITP’s entire history, 

these cumulative net benefits are about 10.0 quadrillion 

Btu, equivalent to the 2008 energy consumption for all of 

California or $50.55 billion (in 2009 dollars). 

2 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
Summary
 

IMPACTS 

The bulk of this document consists of seven appendices. 

Appendix 1 describes the 95 ITP-supported technologies 

currently available commercially and their applications 

and benefits. Appendix 2 describes the 132 ITP-supported 

emerging technologies likely to be commercialized within 

two or three years. Appendix 3 describes 128 ITP-supported 

technologies used in past commercial applications, the 

current benefits of which are no longer counted in this report. 

Appendices 4 and 5 summarize the benefits of two ITP 

technical assistance activities: the Industrial Assessment 

Centers and the Save Energy Now initiative. Appendix 6 

summarizes the benefits of CHP systems attributed to DOE 

activities. Finally, Appendix 7 describes the methodology 

used to assess and track ITP-supported technologies. 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 3 
ITP Program Impacts
 

Industrial Energy Use 

Industry is the largest and most diverse energy-consuming 

sector of the U.S. economy. In recent years, the industrial 

sector has used one-third of the energy consumed in the 

nation, produced about 1,670 MMT of CO2 per year, 

contributed 12% to the overall U.S. gross domestic product 

(GDP), and provided nearly 12 million manufacturing 

jobs. These statistics – combined with the convergence of 

concerns surrounding energy security, climate change, and 

global competitiveness – emphasize the strategic role that 

improved industrial energy efficiency can play in responding 

to some of the nation’s most pressing energy, economic, and 

environmental challenges. 

In 2009, the industrial sector used 28.20 quad of all types 

of energy including losses associated with electricity 

transmission of 6.44 quad (see Figure 1). Petroleum (7.78 

quad), natural gas (7.58 quad), and electricity (3.01 quad 

delivered) are the three fuels most used by industry, with coal 

and biomass providing another 3.39 quad combined. The 

industrial sector consumed a total of 21.76 quad, of which 

18.36 quad were consumed by manufacturing industries. 

IMPACTS
 

Of that 18.36 quad, energy-intensive industries consumed 

15.17 quad. The non-energy-intensive industries (3.19 quad) 

and non-manufacturing industries (agriculture, mining, 

and construction – 3.40 quad combined) accounted for the 

remaining energy consumption. Industry used 6.80 quad of 

the fossil fuels for feedstocks – raw materials for plastics and 

chemicals – rather than as fuels. Energy expenditures in the 

manufacturing sector are approximately $104 billion annually. 

Energy-intensive industries such as forest products, 

chemicals, petroleum refining, nonmetallic minerals (glass 

and cement, especially), and primary metals account for 

about 83% of all manufacturing energy use. Many of the 

energy-intensive industries are limited in their choice of fuels 

because the technologies currently used in specific processes 

require a certain fuel. For example, aluminum production 

requires large amounts of electricity to reduce the alumina 

to metal. Paper pulping leaves a large residual of wood 

lignin that can be reprocessed for its chemical content and 

consequently supplies the industry with half of its primary 

energy. Therefore, the wide variety of fuels (and feedstocks) 

used in the industrial sector partially reflects the specific 

Electricity 

Generation and 

Transmission 

9.45 

Petroleum 

7.78 

Natural 

Gas 

7.58 

Coal and 

Coke 

1.37 

Renewable 

Energy 

2.02 

Fuel 

1.70 

Feedstocks 

6.08 

Fuel 

7.15 

Feedstocks 

0.43 

Fuel 

1.08 

Feedstocks 

0.29 

Electricity 

3.01 

Fossil Fuels 

16.73 

Consumption 

21.76 

Renewables 

2.02 

Energy-Intensive 

15.17 

Non-Energy-Intensive 

3.19 

Non-Manufacturing 

3.40 

Manufacturing 

18.36 

Electricity 

Losses 

6.44 

Source: EIA AER 2009, EIA MECS 2006 

Figure 1. Industrial Energy Flows (Quad), 2009 

4 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
IMPACTS 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 5

ITP Program Impacts 

requirements of the processes used to make particular goods 

or commodities. Because of these energy requirements, the 

industrial sector offers a wide variety of opportunities for 

energy-efficiency improvements that are specific to particular 

industries or that crosscut many industries (i.e., are common 

to many industries or are needed by many process-specific 

technologies). 

Figure 2. Historical Industrial Energy Intensity 

Sources: EIA Annual Energy Review, 2009, Table 2.1d and BEA, Value Added for Industry, 1990-1997 and 1998-2009, (Constant $2005) 

The energy intensity of the industrial sector has been 

declining over the past decade, in part because of investments 

in the development of energy-efficient technologies by the 

Industrial Technologies Program (ITP), previously the Office 

of Industrial Technologies (OIT). Since its peak in 1992, 

industrial sector energy intensity has declined more than 

40%, from 16,700 Btu/dollar of real industrial GDP to 9,450 

Btu/dollar of real industrial GDP in 2009 (see Figure 2). 

8 

9 

10 

11 

12 

13 

14 

15 

16 

17 

18 

1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 

Thousand Btu/$ Ind GDP 

Year 
ITP Program Impacts 

The Industrial Technologies Program Office 

ITP leads the federal government’s efforts to improve 

industrial energy efficiency and environmental performance. 

The program is part of the Office of Energy Efficiency and 

Renewable Energy (EERE) and contributes to its efforts to 

provide reliable, affordable, and environmentally sound energy 

for the nation’s future. 

Large opportunities to save energy still exist in U.S. industry. 

Putting current knowledge to use and continuing research 

can make a difference. American industry can increase the 

nation’s resilience in the face of current and future energy 

challenges. Advances in energy efficiency, fuel flexibility, 

and innovative technologies can enhance energy security, 

economic growth, and environmental quality. Potential 

areas for further reducing industry’s energy consumption and 

reliance on oil and natural gas include the following: 

u	 Development of Next-Generation Technology. 

Progress toward long-term national goals for energy 

and the environment rely on continuous technological 

innovation. The technologies required to address today’s 

challenges can take a decade or more to progress from 

basic science to commercialization. 

u	 More Efficient Operating and Maintenance Practices. 

Improved operating practices can be adopted rapidly 

at negligible cost to enhance both near- and mid-term 

operating efficiency in manufacturing facilities. 

u	 Increased Adoption of State-of-the-Art Technology. 

Energy efficiency can be improved in the near- and 

mid-term by increasing industries’ adoption of currently 

available advanced technologies. For example, waste heat 

recovery, combined heat and power (CHP), and advanced 

boiler technologies offer huge energy-saving opportunities. 

u	 Increased Fuel and Feedstock Flexibility. 

Manufacturers need the flexibility to adapt to dynamic 

energy prices and supply issues. Much of industry’s 

natural gas is used for boilers and process heaters, which 

present primary fuel switching opportunities. 

National energy security will require widespread industry 

adoption of innovative technologies and practices that reduce 

energy demand. ITP leads federal efforts to expedite novel 

technology research and accelerate market introduction 

of dramatically more efficient industrial technologies 

and practices. Over the next few years, ITP will build on 

accumulated knowledge and strategic partnerships to take 

full advantage of new opportunities to accelerate and broaden 

impacts on industrial energy use. New challenges call for 

innovative solutions. The development of energy-efficient 

IMPACTS 

technologies ready to enter the market in the near term must 

be accelerated; at the same time, groundbreaking research 

must be conducted on revolutionary technologies for the 

future. ITP’s focus on applied research and development 

(R&D) effectively turns knowledge and concepts initiated 

by others into real-world energy solutions. In addition, novel 

strategies to expand ITP’s partner base will boost program 

impacts by expediting technology commercialization and 

adoption of efficient energy management practices. ITP is 

currently evaluating a number of strategies to help industry 

respond to energy challenges today and tomorrow, including: 

u	 Investigate cross-cutting R&D to save energy in the top 

energy-consuming processes used across industry. ITP 

is focusing on a small number of widely used technology 

areas that could achieve large energy benefits throughout 

the manufacturing supply chain. 

u	 Exploit fuel and feedstock flexibility to give 

manufacturers options for responding to energy price and 

supply pressures. ITP is seeking to develop alternative 

fuel and feedstock technologies to replace oil and 

natural gas in the long term while supporting near-term 

deployment activities to reduce the impacts of fuel price 

hikes. By increasing the range of fuel options available 

to industry, ITP will foster energy independence and 

economic resilience. For more information, see www1. 

eere.energy.gov/industry/fuelflexibility. 

u	 Invest in “next-generation” technologies that are 

adaptable to processes throughout industry and that could 

dramatically change the way products are manufactured. 

ITP is funding research in nanomanufacturing, 

information and communications technology, and energy 

intensive processes that could bring new, cost-competitive 

options to American industry. 

u	 Strengthen planning and analysis to identify opportunities 

with the greatest potential for energy savings and 

develop a robust market transformation strategy. ITP 

is conducting a thorough analysis of industry market 

barriers and challenges that will allow more effective 

investment decisions with higher impacts. 

u	 Institute rigorous stage-gate project and portfolio 

management procedures to ensure sound project 

management and funding decisions. ITP has developed 

its own program management guidelines based on the 

conventional Stage-Gate ManagementTM concept of R.G. 

Cooper and Associates (see Figure 3). ITP is examining 

projects at critical gates throughout the R&D cycle based 

on carefully defined technical and business criteria. This 

program management tool provides ITP managers with 

a straightforward pathway for evaluating progress and 

6 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
ITP Program Impacts
 

IMPACTS 

imposes discipline in project management, raising the 

potential for commercial success of ITP’s R&D portfolio. 

u Emphasize commercialization planning throughout the 

R&D life cycle. ITP will work with its R&D partners to 

develop robust commercialization strategies and provide 

other support to ensure the market success of promising 

new technologies. 

u Encourage private investment in energy efficiency through 

new partnerships and strategies to reach industry. ITP 

will expand its alliance with equipment manufacturers 

who are well positioned to drive new technology to 

the market and publicize it to their customers. Private 

industry will also be challenged to increase their 

investment in advanced technologies, energy management 

and best operating practices, and the replacement of older, 

inefficient equipment. 

u Drive ambitious reductions in industrial energy intensity 

through the Save Energy Now Initiative (formerly the 

BestPractices program). For information on Save Energy 

Now, see www1.eere.energy.gov/industry/saveenergynow/. 

u Promote energy-efficiency improvements throughout the 

supply chain. 

u Help drive the development of energy management 

standards and the Superior Energy Performance 

certification program to provide a clear roadmap for 

continual improvement in energy efficiency. For 

information on the U.S. Council for Energy-Efficient 

Manufacturing, see www.superiorenergyperformance.net. 

In addition to these strategies, ITP partners with other 

program areas within EERE and performs ongoing program 

evaluation, including assessing past programs and the benefits 

that have accrued from investments. 

ITP’s website (http://www1.eere.energy.gov/industry) provides 

a wealth of information about the program, and 

the EERE Information Center (1-877-337-3463, eereic@ 

ee. doe.gov) fields questions and facilitates access to ITP 

resources for industrial customers. 

One of ITP’s major efforts is the Save Energy Now Initiative 

– a highly successful national initiative. Save Energy Now 

has developed a robust suite of energy-savings tools and 

services that ITP provides for partnering with industry to 

improve energy efficiency. As of September 2009 the Save 

Energy Now Initiative has completed over 2,300 assessments. 

More than 1,500 industrial facilities have implemented the 

assessment recommendations, achieving $218 million, 35 

trillion Btu, and 2.3 MMT of CO2 savings each year. In 2009, 

ITP recognized 140 companies for their energy savings. 

ITP is also working with U.S. industry to support the 

development of an emerging set of energy management 

standards and a related certification program anchored to 

a viable business case. Energy standards are considered 

by many to be the most effective and least costly approach 

to energy demand management. Similar to environmental 

or quality management systems in industry, changing how 

energy is managed will yield substantial energy efficiency 

improvements. A new energy management standard, ISO 

50001, will provide a method for integrating energy efficiency 

into existing industrial or commercial management systems 

Figure 3. Stage-Gate ManagementTM Process 

Stage 1 

Preliminary 

Investigation 

and Analysis 

Gate 1 

Stage 2 

Concept 

Definition

Gate 2 

Stage 3 

Concept 

Development 

Gate 3 

Stage 4 

Technology 

Development 

and Information 

Verification

Gate 4 

Stage 5 

Information 

Dissemination 

and 

Commercialization 

End 

User 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 7 
 

 

 

ITP Program Impacts
 

for continuous improvement. Once completed, ISO 50001 

promises to create a framework for all of industry to manage 

energy and improve cost savings. To facilitate the transition 

to the ISO standards the forthcoming industry-designed 

American National Standards Institute (ANSI)-accredited 

plant-certification program–known as Superior Energy 

Performance–will include provisions for conforming to the 

ISO 50001 energy management standard, as well as achieving 

a defined level of annual energy intensity performance 

improvement. A total of 50 countries are participating in 

developing this international standard. The International 

Organization for Standardization intends to release ISO 50001 

in 2011. 

An additional product of the Save Energy Now Initiative is 

an effort by ITP to aggressively drive progress on energy 

efficiency throughout the supply chain. As supply chains for 

companies have grown increasingly complex, understanding 

and managing energy waste within these chains can reduce 

energy prices and regulatory risk while simultaneously 

increasing a firm’s competitive advantage. Not only can it 

improve security in a company’s operations, it can enhance 

their suppliers’ businesses, as well as provide mentoring and 

support for these suppliers’ energy and emissions management 

systems. 

This report also quantifies the benefits of projects in the 

EERE portfolio now managed through other program offices 

but initiated in ITP. For example, partnerships with an 

emerging bio-based products industry, now managed through 

the Biomass Program, bring expertise and technology from 

several industries – agriculture, forest products, and chemicals 

– to create plastics, chemicals, and composite materials from 

renewable resources. Also, projects are included that were 

funded by the discontinued Inventions and Innovation (I&I) 

Program that provided grants to individual inventors and 

small companies for conducting early development through to 

prototyping for innovative energy-saving ideas. In addition, 

projects are included that were funded by the discontinued 

NICE3 (National Industrial Competitiveness through Energy, 

Environment, and Economics) Program that developed 

and demonstrated advances in energy efficiency and clean 

production technologies. 

IMPACTS 

Tracking Program Impacts 

ITP has assessed the progress of the technologies supported 

by its research programs for more than 20 years. ITP program 

managers recognize the importance of developing accurate 

data on the impacts of their programs. Such data are essential 

for assessing ITP’s past performance and guiding the direction 

of future research programs. 

Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) estimates 

energy savings associated with specific technologies 

using a process for tracking and managing data. When 

a technology’s full-scale commercial unit is operational 

in a commercial setting, that technology is considered 

commercially successful and is placed on the active tracking 

list. When a commercially successful technology unit has 

been in operation for about 10 years, that particular unit is 

then considered a mature technology and typically is no 

longer actively tracked. The active tracking process involves 

collecting technical and market data on each commercially 

successful technology, including details on the following: 

u	 Number of units sold, installed, and operating in the 

United States and abroad (including size and location) 

u	 Units decommissioned since the previous year 

u	 Energy saved 

u	 Environmental benefits 

u	 Improvements in quality and productivity achieved 

u	 Other impacts, such as employment and effects on 

health and safety 

u	 Marketing issues and barriers. 

Information on technologies is gathered through direct contact 

with either the technology’s vendors or end users. These 

contacts provide the data needed to calculate the technology’s 

unit energy savings, as well as the number of operating units. 

Therefore, unit energy savings are calculated in a unique 

way for each technology. Technology manufacturers or end 

users usually provide unit energy savings or at least enough 

data for a typical unit energy savings to be calculated. The 

total number of operating units is equal to the number of 

units installed minus the number of units decommissioned 

or classified as mature in a given year – information usually 

determined from sales data or end-user input. Operating units 

and unit energy savings can then be used to calculate total 

annual energy savings for the technology. 

8 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
	 	 	 	 	

 

	 	 	 	 

 

ITP Program Impacts
 

IMPACTS 

The cumulative energy savings measure includes the 

accumulated energy saved for all units actively tracked. 

These energy savings include the earlier savings from now 

mature and decommissioned units. 

Once cumulative energy savings have been determined, 

long-term impacts on the environment are calculated by 

estimating the associated reduction of air pollutants. This 

calculation is based on the type of fuel saved and the 

pollutants typically associated with combustion of that fuel 

and uses assumed average emission factors. 

Several factors make the tracking task challenging. Personnel 

turnover at developing organizations and user companies 

makes it difficult to identify applications. Small companies 

that develop a successful technology may be bought by larger 

firms or may assign the technology rights to a third party. As 

time goes on, the technologies may be incorporated into new 

products, applied in new industries, or even replaced by newer 

technologies that are derivative of the developed technology. 

Program benefits documented by PNNL are conservative 

estimates based on technology users’ and developers’ 

testimonies. These estimates do not include either derivative 

effects, resulting from other new technologies that spin 

off of ITP technologies, or the secondary benefits of the 

energy and cost savings accrued in the basic manufacturing 

industries downstream of the new technologies. Therefore, 

actual benefits are likely to be much higher than the numbers 

reported here. Nonetheless, the benefits-tracking process 

provides a wealth of information on the program’s successes. 

The process of tracking these benefits is shown in Figure 4. 

Over the past 30 years, ITP has supported more than 

600 separate R&D projects that have produced over 250 

technologies in commercial use. In 2009, there were 95 

technologies that were in commercial use and yielding 

benefits. Appendix 1 presents fact sheets on these 95 

technologies. The fact sheets include applications data, 

both technical and commercial, that may enable industry 

organizations to identify significant opportunities for adapting 

technologies to their particular practices. Table 1, on pages 

12 and 13, provides information on the 95 currently tracked 

technologies. This table shows energy savings in 2009, as 

well as cumulative energy savings and pollution reductions. 

Note that for some technologies, energy savings values are 

unavailable, very small, or too difficult to quantify. The 

95 commercial technologies in use during 2009 saved 53.1 

trillion Btu that year. Cumulatively, these technologies have 

saved 1,319 trillion Btu. 

Technologies that are likely to be commercialized within two 

or three years are identified in Appendix 2. Some of these 

132 emerging technologies have already yielded scientific 

information that has improved current industrial processes. 

Technology

Development 

Technology Deployment

Application/Pilots/Demonstrations 

Technology

Dissemination 

Technology Transfer is Integral to all ITP Programs 

Technology Transfer is Integral to all ITP Programs 

Emerging Commercialized Technology

Technologies Technologies Dissemination
 

Impact Tracking System—Database 

Key impact categories tracked: 

•	 Cumulative energy savings, current energy

savings, type of fuel saved, units operating 

•	 Cumulative and annual pollution reductions

(particulates, nitrogen oxides, volatile organic

compounds, sulfur dioxide, carbon dioxide) 

Figure 4. Technology Tracking Process 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 9 
ITP Program Impacts
 

After a commercial technology has contributed to energy 

and cost savings for about ten years, the technology is 

considered historical and presumed to be supplanted by newer, 

more effective technologies. Appendix 3 describes the 128 

historical technologies that have been used in commercial 

applications in the past. The technologies in this category 

are no longer tracked. While some may still be in use, new 

applications of the technologies are unlikely. During the time 

they were tracked, these technologies yielded benefits that are 

counted in the cumulative tallies shown in Table 1. The 128 

historical technologies cumulatively saved 2,367 trillion Btu. 

The method of calculating the results for the Industrial 

Assessment Centers (IACs) and the resulting benefits are 

described in Appendix 4. As Table 1 shows, the centers 

saved 246 trillion Btu in 2009 and cumulatively saved 2,203 

trillion Btu since the activity’s inception in 1977. The method 

of calculating the results for the Save Energy Now Initiative 

and the resulting benefits are described in Appendix 5. As 

shown in Table 1, Save Energy Now saved 224 trillion Btu 

in 2009 and has cumulatively saved 1,365 trillion Btu since 

its inception in 1998. The method of calculating the results 

attributable to DOE’s combined heat and power (CHP) 

activities and the resulting benefits are described in Appendix 

6. As shown in Table 1, CHP activities saved 210 trillion Btu 

in 2009 and have cumulatively saved 2,748 trillion Btu since 

1990. 

The determination of the net economic benefits of ITP 

programs is discussed in Appendix 7. Using the energy 

savings from the technologies as well as the IACs, Save 

Energy Now, and CHP activities, the cost savings are 

determined annually for the fuels saved. The annual energy 

savings by fuel type is multiplied by the fuel’s price, with 

prices adjusted to reflect the fuel’s current costs. The sum 

of all energy saved times the average energy price yields an 

estimate of the annual savings in that particular year. To 

arrive at the net economic benefits, the cumulative energy 

savings are reduced by the appropriation allocated by the 

government for ITP programs and by the cost of the industry 

of adopting the new technologies. Details of this methodology 

are provided in Appendix 7. In 2009, ITP programs were 

instrumental in saving industry 733 trillion Btu, equivalent 

to the 2008 energy consumption for the entire state of New 

Mexico, or $4.59 billion. Over ITP’s entire history, these 

cumulative net benefits are about 10.0 quad, equivalent to 

the 2008 energy consumption for all of California or $50.55 

billion (in 2009 dollars). In addition, the ITP programs have 

cumulatively reduced emissions of carbon by 221 million tons, 

of nitrogen oxides by 1.88 million tons, and of sulfur dioxides 

by 4.01 million tons, as Table 1 shows. 

IMPACTS
 

10 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
IMPACTS
 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 11 
 

 

Table 1. Technology Program Impacts
 

IMPACTS
 

Technologies Commercially Available 

Cumulative 

Energy

Savings

(1012 Btu) 

2009 

Energy

Savings

(1012 Btu) 

Cumulative Pollution Reductions (Thousand Tons) 

Particulates VOCs SOX NOX Carbon 

ALUMINUM 

Aluminum Reclaimer for Foundry Applications 0.004 0.001 - 0.000 - 0.000 0.063 

Isothermal Melting 0.011 0.001 0.000 0.000 0.002 0.002 0.213 

CHEMICALS 

Cavity-Enhanced Gas Analyzer for Process Control - - - - - - -

Hollow-Fiber Membrane Compressed Air Drying System 0.020 0.009 0.000 0.000 0.004 0.003 0.400 

Improved Methods for the Production of Polyurethane Foam 0.296 0.103 0.001 0.001 0.031 0.041 5.25 

Low-Cost, Robust Ceramic Membranes for Gas Separation 0.043 0.016 - 0.000 - 0.005 0.683 

Low-Frequency Sonic Mixing Technology - - - - - - -

Membranes for Reverse-Organic Air Separations 0.274 0.150 0.002 0.001 0.159 0.042 5.96 

Mixed Solvent Electrolyte Model - - - - - - -

Nylon Carpet Recycling 1.32 0.428 - 0.005 - 0.155 21.0 

Pressure Swing Adsorption for Product Recovery 0.626 0.111 - 0.002 - 0.073 9.93 

Process Heater for Stoichiometric Combustion Control 2.45 0.411 0.002 0.009 0.144 0.302 40.6 

Titania-Activated Silica System for Emission Control - - - - - - -

Total Cost Assessment Tool - - - - - - -

TruePeak Process Laser Analyzer - - - - - - -

FOREST PRODUCTS 

Advanced Quality Control (AQC) Solution for Thermo-Mechanical Pulping 1.27 0.192 0.006 0.004 0.274 0.204 24.9 

Biological Air Emissions Control 1.53 0.829 0.000 0.005 0.005 0.180 24.4 

Borate Autocausticizing 0.035 - 0.000 0.000 0.020 0.005 0.766 

Continuous Digester Control Technology 9.00 - - 0.032 - 1.05 143 

Detection and Control of Deposition on Pendant Tubes in Kraft Chemical Recovery 

Boilers 7.18 1.75 0.054 0.032 4.17 1.11 156 

MultiWaveTM Automated Sorting System for Efficient Recycling - - - - - - -

Screenable Pressure-Sensitive Adhesives - - - - - - -

ThermodyneTM Evaporator – A Molded Pulp Products Dryer 

GLASS 

High Luminosity, Low-NOX Burner 

0.476 

-

0.068 

-

-

-

0.002 

-

-

-

0.056 

-

7.56 

-

High Throughput Vacuum Processing for Producing Innovative Glass/Photovoltaic 

Solar Cells - - - - - - -

Process for Converting Waste Glass Fiber into Value-Added Products 0.385 0.140 - 0.001 - 0.045 6.11 

METAL CASTING 

CFD Modeling for Lost Foam White Side - - - - - - -

Die Casting Copper Motor Rotors 0.389 0.152 0.002 0.001 0.084 0.063 7.65 

Improved Magnesium Molding Process (Thixomolding) 0.223 0.075 - 0.001 - 0.026 3.54 

Improvement of the Lost Foam Casting Process 2.28 0.163 0.004 0.008 0.212 0.310 39.9 

Low Permeability Components for Aluminum Melting and Casting - - - - - - -

Rapid Heat Treatment of Cast Aluminum Parts - - - - - - -

Titanium Matrix Composite Tooling Material for Aluminum Die Castings 0.068 0.018 - 0.000 - 0.008 1.09 

MINING 

Belt Vision Inspection System - - - - - - -

Fibrous Monoliths as Wear-Resistant Components - - - - - - -

Horizon SensorTM 0.251 - 0.001 0.001 0.054 0.040 4.93 

Imaging Ahead of Mining 7.14 0.351 0.032 0.025 1.54 1.15 140 

Lower-pH Copper Flotation Reagent System 4.87 0.973 0.022 0.017 1.05 0.783 95.6 

STEEL 

Aluminum Bronze Alloys to Improve Furnace Component Life 0.074 0.010 - 0.000 - 0.009 1.18 

Automated Steel Cleanliness Analysis Tool (ASCAT) - - - - - - -

Electrochemical Dezincing of Steel Scrap 0.370 0.087 0.005 0.000 0.232 0.104 10.4 

H-Series Cast Austenitic Stainless Steels 0.001 0.000 - 0.000 - 0.000 0.009 

HotEye® Steel Surface Inspection System 8.29 - - 0.029 - 0.970 132 

Laser Contouring System for Refractory Lining Measurements - - - - - - -

Life Improvement of Pot Hardware in Continuous Hot Dipping Processes - - - - - - -

Low-Temperature Colossal Supersaturation of Stainless Steels - - - - - - -

Microstructure Engineering for Hot Strip Mills - - - - - - -

Shorter Spherodizing Annealing Time for Tube/Pipe Manufacturing 0.138 0.008 - 0.000 - 0.016 2.19 

Vanadium Carbide Coating Process 0.000 - - 0.000 - 0.000 0.000 

12 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
Table 1. Technology Program Impacts
 

IMPACTS
 

Technologies Commercially Available 

Cumulative 

Energy

Savings

(1012 Btu) 

2009 

Energy

Savings

(1012 Btu) 

Cumulative Pollution Reductions (Thousand Tons) 

Particulates VOCs SOX NOX Carbon 

CROSSCUTTING 

Adjustable-Speed Drives for 500 to 4000 Horsepower Industrial Applications 1.65 0.551 0.007 0.006 0.357 0.266 32.4 

Advanced Aerodynamic Technologies for Improving Fuel Economy in Ground 

Vehicles 0.093 0.052 0.001 0.000 0.054 0.014 2.02 

Advanced Reciprocating Engine Systems (ARES) - - - - - - -

Aerogel-Based Insulation for Industrial Steam Distribution Systems 0.163 0.132 - 0.001 - 0.019 2.59 

Autotherm® Energy Recovery System 0.137 0.037 0.001 0.001 0.080 0.021 2.99 

Barracuda® Computational Particle Fluid Dynamics (CPFD®) Software - - - - - - -

Callidus Ultra- (CUBL) Burner 95.1 26.4 - 0.333 - 11.1 1,510 

Catalytic Combustion - - - - - - -

Composite-Reinforced Aluminum Conductor - - - - - - -

Cromer Cycle Air Conditioner 1.13 0.458 0.005 0.004 0.243 0.181 22.1 

Electrochromic Windows - Advanced Processing Technology 0.002 0.001 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.044 

Energy-Conserving Tool for Combustion-Dependent Industries 0.022 0.006 0.000 0.000 0.005 0.004 0.428 

Fiber-Optic Sensor for Industrial Process Measurement and Control - - - - - - -

Fiber Sizing Sensor and Controller - - - - - - -

Force Modulation System for Vehicle Manufacturing 0.017 0.017 0.000 0.000 0.005 0.003 0.357 

Freight WingTM Aerodynamic Fairings 0.711 0.493 0.005 0.003 0.413 0.110 15.5 

Functionally Graded Materials for Manufacturing Tools and Dies - - - - - - -

Ice Bear® Storage Module 0.003 0.001 0.000 0.000 0.001 0.000 0.053 

Improved Diesel Engines 1,160 16.3 8.70 5.22 674 179 25,300 

In-Situ, Real Time Measurement of Elemental Constituents 0.927 - - 0.003 - 0.108 14.7 

Materials and Process Design for High-Temperature Carburizing - - - - - - -

Mobile Zone Optimized Control System for Energy-Efficient Surface-Coating 0.059 0.007 0.000 0.000 0.005 0.008 1.02 

Nanocoatings for High-Efficiency Industrial Hydraulic and Tooling Systems - - - - - - -

Portable Parallel Beam X-Ray Diffraction System - - - - - - -

Predicting Corrosion of Advanced Materials and Fabricated Components - - - - - - -

Process Particle Counter - - - - - - -

Pulsed Laser Imager for Detecting Hydrocarbon and VOC Emissions 1.77 0.360 - 0.006 - 0.207 28.0 

Simple Control for Single-Phase AC Induction Motors - - - - - - -

Solid-State Sensors for Monitoring Hydrogen - - - - - - -

SpyroCorTM Radiant Tube Heater Inserts 7.46 2.24 - 0.026 - 0.873 118 

Three-Phase Rotary Separator Turbine 0.036 - 0.000 0.000 0.008 0.006 0.704 

Ultra-Low NOX Premixed Industrial Burner - - - - - - -

Ultrananocrystalline Diamond (UNCD) Seal Faces - - - - - - -

Uniform Droplet Process for Production of Alloy Spheres - - - - - - -

Uniformly Drying Materials Using Microwave Energy 0.211 0.024 0.000 0.001 0.008 0.026 3.49 

Vibration Power Harvesting - - - - - - -

Wear Resistant Composite Structure of Vitreous Carbon Containing Convoluted 

Fibers 0.007 0.002 0.000 0.000 0.004 0.001 0.156 

Wireless Sensors for Condition Monitoring of Essential Assets - - - - - - -

Wireless Sensors for Process Stream Sampling and Analysis - - - - - - -

OTHER INDUSTRIES 

Advanced Membrane Devices for Natural Gas Cleaning - - - - - - -

Clean Energy from Biosolids - - - - - - -

Deep Discharge Zinc-Bromine Battery Module - - - - - - -

High-Intensity Silicon Vertical Multi-Junction Solar Cells - - - - - - -

Long Wavelength Catalytic Infrared Drying System 0.012 0.003 - 0.000 - 0.001 0.185 

Plant Phenotype Characterization System - - - - - - -

Plastics or Fibers from Bio-Based Polymers 0.124 0.018 0.001 0.001 0.072 0.019 2.69 

Commercial Technologies Total 1,319 53.1 8.85 5.78 683 199 27,900 

IAC Total 2,203 246 10.6 8.07 700 337 43,700 

Save Energy Now Total 1,365 224 6.56 5.05 437 208 27,100 

CHP Total 2,748 210 35.3 3.03 1,717 759 76,400 

Historical Technologies Total 2,367 N/A 9.05 17.0 468 378 45,800 

GRAND TOTAL 10,002 733 70.4 38.9 4,005 1,881 220,900 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 13 
IMPACTS
 

14 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
DOE Industrial Technologies Program 15

Appendix 1:

ITP-Sponsored Technologies Commercially Available 

Aluminum ........................................................................................................................................... 19 

u Aluminum Reclaimer for Foundry Applications .................................................................................................................................. 20 

u Isothermal Melting................................................................................................................................................................................ 21 

Chemicals........................................................................................................................................... 23 

u Cavity-Enhanced Gas Analyzer for Process Control............................................................................................................................ 24 

u Hollow-Fiber Membrane Compressed Air Drying System .................................................................................................................. 25 

u Improved Methods for the Production of Polyurethane Foam ............................................................................................................ 26 

u Low-Cost, Robust Ceramic Membranes for Gas Separation................................................................................................................ 27 

u Low-Frequency Sonic Mixing Technology .......................................................................................................................................... 28 

u Membranes for Reverse-Organic Air Separations ................................................................................................................................ 29 

u Mixed Solvent Electrolyte Model......................................................................................................................................................... 30 

u Nylon Carpet Recycling ....................................................................................................................................................................... 31 

u Pressure Swing Adsorption for Product Recovery ............................................................................................................................... 32 

u Process Heater for Stoichiometric Combustion Control ...................................................................................................................... 33 

u Titania-Activated Silica System for Emission Control......................................................................................................................... 34 

u Total Cost Assessment Tool .................................................................................................................................................................. 35 

u TruePeak Process Laser Analyzer......................................................................................................................................................... 36 

Forest Products ................................................................................................................................. 37 

u Advanced Quality Control (AQC) Solution for Thermo-Mechanical Pulping..................................................................................... 38 

u Biological Air Emissions Control......................................................................................................................................................... 39 

u Borate Autocausticizing........................................................................................................................................................................ 40 

u Continuous Digester Control Technology ............................................................................................................................................ 41 

u Detection and Control of Deposition on Pendant Tubes in Kraft Chemical Recovery Boilers............................................................ 42 

u MultiWaveTM Automated Sorting System for Efficient Recycling........................................................................................................ 43 

u Screenable Pressure-Sensitive Adhesives ............................................................................................................................................. 44 

u ThermodyneTM Evaporator – A Molded Pulp Products Dryer.............................................................................................................. 45 

Glass................................................................................................................................................... 47 

u High Luminosity, Low-NOX Burner..................................................................................................................................................... 48 

u High Throughput Vacuum Processing for Producing Innovative Glass/Photovoltaic Solar Cells........................................................ 49 

u Process for Converting Waste Glass Fiber into Value-Added Products................................................................................................ 50 

Metal Casting ..................................................................................................................................... 51 

u CFD Modeling for Lost Foam White Side ........................................................................................................................................... 52 

u Die Casting Copper Motor Rotors........................................................................................................................................................ 53 

u Improved Magnesium Molding Process (Thixomolding) .................................................................................................................... 54 

u Improvement of the Lost Foam Casting Process .................................................................................................................................. 55 

u Low Permeability Components for Aluminum Melting and Casting................................................................................................... 56 

u Rapid Heat Treatment of Cast Aluminum Parts ................................................................................................................................... 57 

u Titanium Matrix Composite Tooling Material for Aluminum Die Castings ........................................................................................ 58 

Mining ................................................................................................................................................. 59 

u Belt Vision Inspection System.............................................................................................................................................................. 60 

u Fibrous Monoliths as Wear-Resistant Components.............................................................................................................................. 61 

u Horizon SensorTM.................................................................................................................................................................................. 62 

u Imaging Ahead of Mining..................................................................................................................................................................... 63 

u Lower-pH Copper Flotation Reagent System....................................................................................................................................... 64 
ITP-Sponsored Technologies Commercially Available
 

IMPACTS 

Steel.................................................................................................................................................... 65
 u Aluminum Bronze Alloys to Improve Furnace Component Life ......................................................................................................... 66
 

u Automated Steel Cleanliness Analysis Tool (ASCAT)......................................................................................................................... 67
 

u Electrochemical Dezincing of Steel Scrap ........................................................................................................................................... 68
 

u H-Series Cast Austenitic Stainless Steels ............................................................................................................................................. 69
 

u HotEye® Steel Surface Inspection System............................................................................................................................................ 70
 

u Laser Contouring System for Refractory Lining Measurements.......................................................................................................... 71
 

u Life Improvement of Pot Hardware in Continuous Hot Dipping Processes......................................................................................... 72
 

u Low-Temperature Colossal Supersaturation of Stainless Steels........................................................................................................... 73
 

u Microstructure Engineering for Hot Strip Mills ................................................................................................................................... 74
 

u Shorter Spherodizing Annealing Time for Tube/Pipe Manufacturing.................................................................................................. 75
 

u Vanadium Carbide Coating Process...................................................................................................................................................... 76
 

Crosscutting ...................................................................................................................................... 77
 u Adjustable-Speed Drives for 500 to 4000 Horsepower Industrial Applications................................................................................... 79
 

u Advanced Aerodynamic Technologies for Improving Fuel Economy in Ground Vehicles.................................................................. 80
 

u Advanced Reciprocating Engine Systems (ARES) .............................................................................................................................. 81
 

u Aerogel-Based Insulation for Industrial Steam Distribution Systems.................................................................................................. 82
 

u Autotherm® Energy Recovery System.................................................................................................................................................. 83
 

u Barracuda® Computational Particle Fluid Dynamics (CPFD®) Software............................................................................................. 84
 

u Callidus Ultra-Blue (CUBL) Burner .................................................................................................................................................... 85
 

u Catalytic Combustion ........................................................................................................................................................................... 86
 

u Composite-Reinforced Aluminum Conductor...................................................................................................................................... 87
 

u Cromer Cycle Air Conditioner.............................................................................................................................................................. 88
 

u Electrochromic Windows – Advanced Processing Technology............................................................................................................ 89
 

u Energy-Conserving Tool for Combustion-Dependent Industries ......................................................................................................... 90
 

u Fiber-Optic Sensor for Industrial Process Measurement and Control.................................................................................................. 91
 

u Fiber Sizing Sensor and Controller....................................................................................................................................................... 92
 

u Force Modulation System for Vehicle Manufacturing.......................................................................................................................... 93
 

u Freight WingTM Aerodynamic Fairings .................................................................................................................................................. 94
 

u Functionally Graded Materials for Manufacturing Tools and Dies...................................................................................................... 95
 

u Ice Bear® Storage Module .................................................................................................................................................................... 96
 

u Improved Diesel Engines...................................................................................................................................................................... 97
 

u In-Situ, Real Time Measurement of Elemental Constituents ............................................................................................................... 98
 

u Materials and Process Design for High-Temperature Carburizing....................................................................................................... 99
 

u Mobile Zone Optimized Control System for Energy-Efficient Surface-Coating ............................................................................... 100
 

u Nanocoatings for High-Efficiency Industrial Hydraulic and Tooling Systems ...................................................................................101
 

u Portable Parallel Beam X-Ray Diffraction System ............................................................................................................................ 102
 

u Predicting Corrosion of Advanced Materials and Fabricated Components........................................................................................ 103
 

u Process Particle Counter ..................................................................................................................................................................... 104
 

u Pulsed Laser Imager for Detecting Hydrocarbon and VOC Emissions.............................................................................................. 105
 

u Simple Control for Single-Phase AC Induction Motors ..................................................................................................................... 106
 

u Solid-State Sensors for Monitoring Hydrogen ................................................................................................................................... 107
 

u SpyroCorTM Radiant Tube Heater Inserts............................................................................................................................................. 108
 

u Three-Phase Rotary Separator Turbine............................................................................................................................................... 109
 

u Ultra-Low NO Premixed Industrial Burner .......................................................................................................................................110
 X
 u Ultrananocrystalline Diamond (UNCD) Seal Faces............................................................................................................................111
 

u Uniform Droplet Process for Production of Alloy Spheres.................................................................................................................112
 

u Uniformly Drying Materials Using Microwave Energy......................................................................................................................113
 

u Vibration Power Harvesting.................................................................................................................................................................114
 

u Wear Resistant Composite Structure of Vitreous Carbon Containing Convoluted Fibers...................................................................115
 

u Wireless Sensors for Condition Monitoring of Essential Assets .........................................................................................................116
 

u Wireless Sensors for Process Stream Sampling and Analysis.............................................................................................................117
 

16 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
ITP-Sponsored Technologies Commercially Available
 

IMPACTS 

Other Industries................................................................................................................................119
 u Advanced Membrane Devices for Natural Gas Cleaning................................................................................................................... 120
 

u Clean Energy from Biosolids.............................................................................................................................................................. 121
 

u Deep Discharge Zinc-Bromine Battery Module................................................................................................................................. 122
 

u High-Intensity Silicon Vertical Multi-Junction Solar Cells................................................................................................................ 123
 

u Long Wavelength Catalytic Infrared Drying System.......................................................................................................................... 124
 

u Plant Phenotype Characterization System.......................................................................................................................................... 125
 

u Plastics or Fibers from Bio-Based Polymers...................................................................................................................................... 126
 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 17 
IMPACTS
 

18 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
Aluminum
 IMPACTS 

u Aluminum Reclaimer for Foundry Applications .................................................................................................................................. 20
 

u Isothermal Melting................................................................................................................................................................................ 21
 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 19 
 

 

 

20 

IMPACTS 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 

Aluminum Reclaimer for Foundry Applications 

Affordable Metallic Recovery System Saves

Energy and Reduces Landfill Waste Streams 

Aluminum foundries and melters typically generate rich metallic skimmings 

and drosses during industrial processes. While equipment is commercially 

available to recover a portion of the contained metallics from skimmings and 

drosses, the capital investment for the previous equipment has precluded its 

application with smaller melting units such as crucible or reverb melters. With 

assistance from ITP, Q.C. Designs, Inc., developed an improved reclaiming 

process specifically to recover the metallics from small quantities of dross and 

skim. Recent advances in the technology permit an increase in the quantity 

of drosses being processed and allow the recovered metal to be returned to the 

generating furnace in molten form, in some cases. The process has recovered as 

much as 80% of the contained metal at the point of generation. 

In operation, the process may be run either manually, with power-assisted 

stirring, or with a fully automatic programmed cycle. All operations are 

environmentally friendly, reducing the amount of smoke and fumes normally 

associated with dross processing and furnace cleaning. Foundries reduce their 

melting losses by the in-plant recovery of drosses and their contained metals, 

which can then be reused directly without realloying. 

Overview 

u Available from Q.C. Designs, Inc. 

(www.qcdesignsinc.com) 

u Commercialized in 2001 

u Twenty units installed in the United States 

Capabilities 

u Processes hot dross in quantities from 10 

to 500 lb. 

u Allows automatic processing or manual 

operation. 

u Features sizes for applications in different 

foundry installations. 

Applications 

In-plant aluminum foundry dross and 

skimming recovery 

Portable Aluminum Reclaimer 

Benefits 

Productivity 

Contributes directly to profits by decreasing 

melting losses. Typical compensation for 

dross materials from outside processors 

is 10% to 20% of true value because the 

generating foundry has to bear the costs 

of transportation, remelt and processing, 

landfill of the waste, and return of the 

recovered material. In-plant processing 

eliminates a large portion of these costs. 

Waste Reduction 

Minimizes the volume of material requiring 

landfilling and recovers a higher percentage 

(up to 80%) of metallics than current 

methods. 

Skimmings 

Mixing 

Recovered 

Metal 

Returned 

to Process 

Furnace 

Low-Metallic-Content 

Dross Sent to Remote 

Processor 

Dross Bins 

U.S. Emissions Reductions 

(Thousand Tons, 2009) 

Particulates SO X NO X Carbon 

0.0 0.0 0.0 0.012 

U.S. Energy Savings 

(Trillion Btu) 

Cumulative through 2009 2009 

0.004 0.001 
 

 

 

Isothermal Melting
 

IMPACTS 

New Energy-Efficient Melting Process Saves 

Energy and Reduces Production Losses 

Aluminum melting is an energy intensive process that exhibits a 2% to 3% loss 

rate due to the generally open heating method for melting. A new immersion 

heating process, Isothermal Melting (ITM), has been developed by Apogee 

Technology, Inc., with support from ITP. The system uses immersion heaters in 

a closed loop multiple bay arrangement. Each bay contributes to an efficiency 

improvement. The pumping bay provides circulation that provides better 

mixing for purifying and alloying and more uniform temperature profiles 

throughout the molten pool. The heating bay is the major source of efficiency 

gain, where electricity is converted into heat through the immersion heaters and 

conducted directly to the molten metal. The heating bay raises the molten metal 

temperature (typically less than 90°F) just high enough to melt the solid metal 

being charged into the pool. Compact charging and treatment bays provide 

control and introduce solid charge or alloying and purifying elements in a more 

energy efficient manner compared with opening hearth doors and exposing the 

entire surface of the pool and refractory to the plant environment. 

The challenge to developing the ITM system was the creation of immersion 

heaters that could provide the high heat flux and the chemical, thermal, and 

mechanical robustness required in an industrial molten aluminum environment. 

Apogee Technology’s research program developed new materials, fabrication 

techniques, and quality control systems to build immersion heaters with high 

heat flux (approximately 70,000 Btu/hr-ft2), approximately 5 to 10 times more 

than commercially available heaters. These new heater designs are based on 

highly thermally conductive, impact resistant ceramic coating on a metallic 

sheath and a highly conductive dielectric integral coupling medium between the 

sheath and the heat producing element. This allows heat transfer by conduction 

to be the dominant mode, rather than particle to particle radiation heat transfer 

that prevails in conventional processes. The composite refractory coating is 

resistant to corrosive attack by the molten aluminum, yet sufficiently thin 

enough to provide a high heat flux. 

Molten Aluminum Pool Metal to 

Process
 

Pumping Immersion Solid Treatment 

Bay Conduction Aluminum Bay 

Heating Input Bay 

Element 

Bay 

The Isothermal Melting System 

Overview 

u Developed by Apogee Technology, Inc. 

(www.apogeetechinc.com) 

u Installed at one plant in Ohio 

U.S. Energy Savings 

(Trillion Btu) 

Cumulative through 2009 2009 

0.011 0.001 

U.S. Emissions Reductions 

(Thousand Tons, 2009) 

Particulates SO X NO X Carbon 

0.0 0.0 0.0 0.010 

Applications 

Can be used in aluminum melting processes 

and other metal melting processes 

Capabilities 

u Can be retrofitted to existing furnaces. 

u Applies to multiple types of molten metal 

heating operations. 

Benefits 

Cost Savings 

Reduces metal lost to oxidation to <1%. 

Environmental Emissions Reductions 

Produces zero in-plant emissions compared 

with natural gas process heating. 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 21 
IMPACTS
 

22 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
Chemicals
 IMPACTS
 

u Cavity-Enhanced Gas Analyzer for Process Control............................................................................................................................ 24
 

u Hollow-Fiber Membrane Compressed Air Drying System .................................................................................................................. 25
 

u Improved Methods for the Production of Polyurethane Foam ............................................................................................................ 26
 

u Low-Cost, Robust Ceramic Membranes for Gas Separation................................................................................................................ 27
 

u Low-Frequency Sonic Mixing Technology .......................................................................................................................................... 28
 

u Membranes for Reverse-Organic Air Separations ................................................................................................................................ 29
 

u Mixed Solvent Electrolyte Model......................................................................................................................................................... 30
 

u Nylon Carpet Recycling ....................................................................................................................................................................... 31
 

u Pressure Swing Adsorption for Product Recovery ............................................................................................................................... 32
 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 23

u Process Heater for Stoichiometric Combustion Control ...................................................................................................................... 33 

u Titania-Activated Silica System for Emission Control......................................................................................................................... 34 

u Total Cost Assessment Tool.................................................................................................................................................................. 35 

u TruePeak Process Laser Analyzer......................................................................................................................................................... 36 
Cavity-Enhanced Gas Analyzer for Process Control
 

Ultrasensitive Analyzer Provides Real-Time Quantification

of Acetylene and Reduces Operating Costs
 

Ethylene is the largest volume, largest revenue-generating organic chemical 

produced. Ethylene finds widespread use, serving as the building block 

for 50% of all organic chemicals and polymers. However, manufacturers 

who produce polymer-grade ethylene must constantly monitor, and if 

necessary, hydrogenate any acetylene that may be present in ethylene flows. 

Such measures are imperative because too high an increase in acetylene 

concentration has the potential to contaminate both the catalytic bed and the 

stored finished product, and if left unchecked, acetylene contamination can 

cost a chemical manufacturer more than $200,000 in losses per event. As a 

result, the ability to quickly and accurately monitor trace levels of acetylene is a 

critical need for ethylene manufacturers. 

Los Gatos Research, in partnership with Dow Chemical and Analytical 

Specialties, Inc., has developed an industrial gas process control monitor 

that can replace gas chromatography. Through support funding provided 

by DOE’s SBIR program, the new gas analyzer uses a patented technology 

having a variation of absorption spectroscopy. The new technology increases 

the path-length up to several kilometers of effective path using two highly 

reflective mirrors in the sample cavity and a diode laser that is not sensitive 

to alignment. The compact robust technology, Off-Axis ICOS (Integrated 

Cavity Output Spectroscopy), retains the sensitivity of older detection methods, 

while providing an absolute, accurate measurement of acetylene contamination 

that is fifty times faster and one-third less expensive than traditional gas 

chromatography. 

The Off-Axis ICOS technology can be completely integrated into gas handling 

and computing subsystems. The analyzer is field serviceable to permit 

long-term deployment in the gas processing environment. Additionally, the 

highly reflective mirrors can be periodically replaced without any need for 

realignment or adjustment, which further increases the instrument’s lifetime. 

Outlet 

Inlet (to pump) 

Cavity-Enhanced Gas Analyzer System 

Lens 

Gas Sample 

Laser Control 

Electronics 

Mirrors 

Fiber-Coupled

Diode Laser
 

Detector 

Data Collection
 

and
 

Analysis System
 

IMPACTS 

Overview 

u Developed by Los Gatos Research in 

partnership with Dow Chemical Co., and 

Analytical Specialties, Inc. 

(www.lgrinc.com) 

u Commercialized in 2006 with more than 

fifteen units in operation 

Applications 

Can be used to measure trace acetylene 

concentrations in ethylene gas flows, 

providing a real-time measurement of 

potential contamination. 

Capabilities 

u Provides measurements 50 times faster 

than conventional gas chromatography. 

u Reduces the capital cost for analytical 

support technologies. 

u Allows for the optimization of the 

hydrogenation reactor and minimizes 

product contamination. 

Benefits 

Applicability 

Integrates into complete gas handling, 

sampling, and computing systems with a 

compact, robust design. 

Product Quality 

Minimizes off-specification ethylene 

product quality through improved process 

control. 

Profitability 

Improves raw material conversion 

to finished product and minimizes 

reprocessing and potential system 

contamination due to excess acetylene in the 

gas. 

24 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
 

 

 

Hollow-Fiber Membrane Compressed Air Drying System
 

IMPACTS 

New Membrane Allows Drying of Compressed 

Air at Lower Energy and Higher Productivity
 

With the support of a NICE3 grant, a new hollow-fiber membrane for 

dehydrating gases has been developed by Air Products and Chemicals, Inc. 

The membrane has 5 times higher water vapor permeation coefficient and 

25 times higher water vapor/air selectivity compared with first-generation 

membrane dryers. The membrane produces higher flow capacity and lower 

purge loss in compressed air drying, which enables high productivity and 

low energy consumption in drying compressed air. The membrane module 

contains a bundle of hollow-fiber membranes in a plastic shell with aluminum 

end caps. The feed air flows through the fiber bores; selective permeation of 

water vapor produces dry nonpermeate gas, a fraction of which is metered via 

a flow restrictor such as an orifice to provide a low-pressure purge gas that 

carries away the permeated moisture. 

Compressed air is widely used as a utility in many industries and most often 

must be dried to avoid condensation or freezing in lines and to meet the needs 

of many processes. Whereas refrigerant dryers are used at pressure dew points 

of 35°F and desiccant dryers are used at dew points of -40°F, membranes 

can be used to cover the range between 35°F and -40°F. The membrane can 

achieve the necessary degree of drying while requiring less purge air and 

therefore achieves lower energy consumption than a heatless desiccant dryer. 

Modular membrane dryer systems with large flow capacity can be used to 

produce pressure dew points between 35°F and -40°F, consuming less energy 

than that of desiccants. Unlike desiccant systems, membrane operation is 

continuous, requiring only one control valve versus at least 5 valves for flow 

diversion/de-pressurization in the desiccant system. 

Benefits 

Cost Savings 

Provides purge control for additional power and cost savings. 

Environmental 

Reduces solid waste production. 

Operation and Maintenance 

Operates without valves or moving parts and is maintenance-free. Requires 

no electrical wiring or external power and operates silently. 

Overview 

u Developed by Air Products and 

Chemicals, Inc. 

(www.airproducts.com) 

u Commercialized in 2004 

u 8913 units operating in the United States 

in 2009 

U.S. Energy Savings 

(Trillion Btu) 

Cumulative through 2009 2009 

0.020 0.009 

U.S. Emissions Reductions 

(Thousand Tons, 2009) 

Particulates SO X NO X Carbon 

0.0 0.002 0.001 0.167 

Applications 

Can be used by manufacturing industries 

that use compressed air 

Capabilities 

u Is compact and lighter in weight than 

heatless desiccants, allowing flexibility in 

packaging the unit into a compressed air 

system. 

u Is rated for operation up to 150°F and 200 

psig. 

u Provides excellent turndown capability, 

all the way down to zero feed. 

Outlet Purge 

Wet Gas Dry Gas 

Inlet Purge 

Outlet Purge 

Hollow-Fiber Membrane Dryer Module 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 25 
 

 

 

Improved Methods for the Production of Polyurethane Foam
 

IMPACTS
 

New Surfactants Result in a More
 Environmentally Benign Production Process
 

Methylene chloride, a toxic chemical that contributes to air pollution, was 

recently eliminated from use in the U.S. polyurethane industry. This mandated 

elimination did not permit production of as large a range of foam grades as was 

possible using methylene chloride, thus placing U.S. industry at a competitive 

disadvantage. Air Products and Chemicals, Inc., with financial assistance from 

ITP, developed new silicone surfactants enabling the efficient production of the 

full range of foam grades using a more environmentally benign CO2 blowing 

agent. In addition to lowering toxicity, the new process uses less energy and 

reduces the net release of CO2, which is implicated in global warming. 

The challenges in using liquid CO2 as a blowing agent include rapid 

vaporization, rapid bubble nucleation, and difficulty in maintaining fine 

cell structure in the foam. The new surfactants address these challenges by 

emulsifying the blowing agent, thereby maintaining fine cells during foaming. 

The silicone surfactants have achieved superior performance, resulting in 

finer cell structure (better yield), higher bun heights (better yield), better 

top to bottom physical property gradient (product consistency), and better 

compatibility with flame retardants. 

Benefits 

Productivity 

Increases yield through finer foam cell structure, higher bun heights, and 

improved top to bottom physical property gradients. 

Safety 

Improves compatibility with flame retardants. 

Waste Reduction 

Reduces the toxicity of the process and uses the CO2 blowing agent more 

effectively for reduced CO2 release to the atmosphere. 

Conventional Method 

Overview 

u Developed by Air Products and 

Chemicals, Inc., and being used in seven 

plants in the United States 

(www.airproducts.com) 

u Commercialized in 2006 

U.S. Energy Savings 

(Trillion Btu) 

Cumulative through 2009 2009 

0.296 0.103 

U.S. Emissions Reductions 

(Thousand Tons, 2009) 

Particulates SO X NO X Carbon 

0.0 0.011 0.014 1.83 

Applications 

Can be used in polyurethane foam 

production 

Capabilities 

u Eliminates use of toxic methylene 

chloride. 

u Increases foam yield through finer foam 

structure. 

u Improves compatibility with flame 

retardants. 

Electricity + Steam MeCl Polyurethane Low Density Foam 

New Method 

CO Polyurethane 2 All Foam 

Silicone Surfactant 

Polyurethane Foam Production 

26 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
 

 

 

 

IMPACTS 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 27

Innovative Ceramic Membrane Reduces 

Energy and Cost of Industrial Gas Separation 

Overview 

u Developed in joint venture among 

Media and Process Technology, Inc., 

Gas Control Engineering Corporation 

(GCE), Southern California Gas, and the 

University of Southern California 

(www.mediaandprocess.com) 

u Commercialized in 2005 and being 

marketed by the Gas Technology Institute 

u Installed in four U.S. locations for 

recovery of water vapor and energy, 

with multiple units planned for future 

installations. 

Capabilities 

u Separates gases and vapors at 

temperatures up to 600°C. 

u Simplifies chemical production 

processes. 

u Enhances conversion of chemical 

reactions. 

Applications 

Can be used in natural gas processing, 

landfill gas recovery, hydrogen production, 

and water and energy recovery. Liquid 

phase separations are also possible. Can be 

used as low cost substrates for deposition of 

various membrane layers. 

Low-Cost, Robust Ceramic Membranes for Gas Separation 

Ceramic membranes offer great potential for industrial gas separation. Without 

a ceramic membrane, gases must be cooled before separation. Unfortunately, 

even though ceramic membranes can improve the productivity for many 

reactions and separations in the chemicals and refining industries, they are 

costly. 

Media and Process Technology, Inc., with ITP support and industrial partners 

Gas Control Engineering Corporation, Southern California Gas, and the 

University of Southern California, developed a new technology that has 

overcome the cost barrier by using a low-cost, robust ceramic membrane. This 

membrane separates gases and vapors at temperatures up to 600°C. Significant 

energy savings are possible because cooling prior to gas separation can be 

eliminated and valuable components removed from the gas stream can be 

recycled. 

Applications are targeted toward hydrogen production, water and energy 

recovery from flue gas, and CO2 removal in natural gas processing. In addition, 

this low-cost membrane is currently under consideration as substrate for a 

wide range of thin films capable of industrial gas separations and is being used 

commercially without the gas separating layer for a wide range of liquid phase 

separations. 

Energy Savings 

Allows gas separation at higher temperatures, eliminating the need to cool 

gases beforehand and therefore saving cooling energy. 

Profitability and Productivity 

Offers a low-cost material that reduces time and money spent for gas 

separation and allows valuable chemicals to be recycled rather than being 

disposed of. 

Benefits 

U.S. Emissions Reductions 

(Thousand Tons, 2009) 

Particulates SO X NO X Carbon 

0.0 0.0 0.002 0.254 

U.S. Energy Savings 

(Trillion Btu) 

Cumulative through 2009 2009 

0.043 0.016 

Media and Process Technology’s Ceramic Membrane Tubes and Elements 
 

Low-Frequency Sonic Mixing Technology
 

New Acoustic Mixing Technology Improves 

Productivity Using Low-Frequency, High-Intensity

Sound Energy
 

Typical mixing technology uses a drive mechanism—usually an electric, 

hydraulic, or pneumatic motor—to rotate a shaft with one or more impellers. 

While many other mixer designs are available, including static mixers that do 

not use motors, the motor-driven mixer is the most prevalent mixing method. 

Resodyn Corporation’s ResonantAcoustics® mixing (RAM) technology, 

developed with the aid of a grant from DOE’s Inventions and Innovation 

Program, is an improved approach to solving mixing and dispersion problems 

associated with conventional impeller agitation and ultrasonic mixing. Rather 

than mix by inducing bulk fluid flow, such as impeller agitation, RAM agitation 

mixes by inducing microscale turbulence through propagating acoustic waves 

throughout the medium. The RAM system has a lower frequency of acoustic 

energy and larger scale of mixing than ultrasonic agitation. Another distinct 

difference from ultrasonic technology is that the RAM devices are simple, 

mechanically driven agitators that can be made large enough to perform 

industrial-scale tasks at reasonable cost. 

RAM introduces acoustic vibrations into liquids and slurries via the resonant 

vibration of a mechanical system. The impedance of the vibrating system is 

matched to that of the load, i.e., the process fluid. The entire system vibrates in 

resonance, which allows efficient energy transport to the fluid, creating smallscale eddies. Although the eddies are microscale, the entire reactor is well 

mixed in an extremely short time because the acoustic streaming, generated by 

the acoustic field, causes the microscale vortices to be distributed uniformly 

throughout the fluid. Multiple mixing regimes are possible by using the RAM 

system and the controls developed exclusively for it. 

Since the commercialization of the technology, Resodyn has sold tens of 

laboratory-scale mixers to both U.S. and international customers and has 

extended the product line by adding 5-gallon and 55-gallon capacity mixers for 

production applications. Industries that use mixers in their production process 

are extremely receptive to new mixing technologies that could help improve 

efficiency and lower their manufacturing costs. 

IMPACTS 

Overview 

u Developed by Montec Research, Inc. 

u Commercialized in 2007 

u Marketed by Resodyn Acoustic Mixers, 

Inc. 

(www.resodynmixers.com) 

Applications 

Can be used in a number of industries, 

including ceramics, biotechnology, 

agriculture, chemical manufacturing and 

processing, food, mining, municipal waste 

treatment, petroleum, pharmaceutical, pulp 

and paper, aerospace, microelectronics, and 

water treatment. 

Capabilities 

u Uses acoustic energy rather than 

impellers to mix gases, liquids, and 

slurries. 

u Mixes a wide viscosity range (1cP to 

100+million cP). 

u Can mix in a shipping container using a 

LabRAM 500 ml mixer. 

Benefits 

Productivity 

Enhances mass transport and improves 

reaction rates on both macro- and micromixing levels. Can easily tune to different 

frequencies, making them suitable for 

multiple applications, such as heat- or masstransfer limited systems, those that expend 

inordinate mixing energy, or those that 

require mixing uniformity. 

Profitability 

Reduces mixing time up to 62% and 

competes with current mixer prices in many 

applications. 

Resonant/Acoustics® Mixing vs. Impeller Mixing 

28 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
 

 

 

Membranes for Reverse-Organic Air Separations 

IMPACTS 

New Membranes Use Reverse Separation to Reduce 

Pollutant Emissions
 

Many industrial applications need a process to separate pollutants known 

as volatile organic compounds (VOCs) from air in order to protect the 

environment and save energy. One such application is the venting of vapor 

from underground storage tanks (UST) used in gasoline storage and dispensing. 

These vapors, which can build up and create high pressure within the UST, 

contribute to ground-level ozone and smog upon release. 

Traditional separation of VOCs uses rubber-based polymer membranes; 

however, these membranes are inadequate for applications requiring pressure 

relief by venting or low-pressure condensation of VOCs because they permeate 

VOCs more rapidly than air. To address this shortcoming, Compact Membrane 

Systems, Inc., in conjunction with project partners and support from DOE’s 

SBIR program, has developed a novel reverse separation membrane that can be 

used to discharge clean air at low to slightly negative pressure, while leaving the 

VOCs fully contained in the fuel storage tank. 

In addition to recovering the fugitive emissions from storage tanks, the system 

enables the UST and associated piping to operate under negative pressure while 

providing continuous diagnostics of the refueling system, such as storage tank 

structural integrity. Maintaining a slight vacuum on the UST ensures that any 

potential leaks within the system are contained within the tank and are not 

accidentally released to the environment. Continuing research and development 

are focused on applications where robust membranes are deployed in gas 

separation from both vapor and liquid streams. 

Compact Membrane Systems’ Vapor Recovery System 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 

Overview 

u Invented by Compact Membrane 

Systems, Inc. 

(www.compactmembrane.com) 

u Commercialized in 2007 

U.S. Energy Savings 

(Trillion Btu) 

Cumulative through 2009 2009 

0.274 0.150 

U.S. Emissions Reductions 

(Thousand Tons, 2009) 

Particulates SO X NO X Carbon 

0.001 0.087 0.023 3.27 

Applications 

Can be used by gasoline storage and 

dispensing facilities, pharmaceutical 

processes, and fuel oil tank farms engaged 

in preventing the unintended release of 

VOCs from storage tanks. 

Capabilities 

u Reduces VOC emissions below the 

California Air Resources Board limit of 

0.38 lb/month/1000 gallon capacity. 

u Enables continuous monitoring of storage 

tank internal conditions, structural 

integrity, and leak-checking. 

Benefits 

Energy Savings 

Prevents fuel vapor escape from a gasoline 

storage tank, thereby potentially saving 

180 million gallons of gasoline per year 

domestically. 

Environmental 

Decreases VOC emissions to the atmosphere 

by limiting gasoline tank leakage. 

29 
 

Mixed Solvent Electrolyte Model
 

Software Tool to Predict Solubility of Solids

and Other Thermophysical Properties 

With assistance from ITP, OLI Systems, Inc., developed the mixed-solvent 

electrolyte model, a comprehensive physical property package that can predict 

the properties of electrolyte systems ranging from dilute solutions to fused 

salts in water, nonaqueous, or mixed solvents. The model accurately predicts 

the solubility of solids in complex multicomponent systems, thus providing a 

tool for designing crystallization processes. In addition, the model predicts 

other properties such as vapor-liquid and liquid-liquid equilibria, densities, heat 

effects, viscosity, electrical conductivity, and diffusivity. 

The model incorporates chemical equilibria to account for chemical speciation 

in multiphase, multicomponent systems. For this purpose, the model combines 

standard-state thermochemical properties of solution species with an expression 

for the excess Gibbs energy. The model can accurately reproduce various types 

of experimental data for systems of aqueous electrolyte solutions. Separate 

formulations have been developed for predicting transport properties in the 

same range of temperature and compositions. 

The model has been implemented in OLI Systems’ commercial software, 

including the Electrolyte Simulation Program (a flowsheet simulator), 

StreamAnalyzer (a desktop chemical laboratory), CorrosionAnalyzer (a tool for 

predicting the tendency of metals to corrode), and selected interfaces to thirdparty process simulation programs. In its various implementations, the mixedsolvent electrolyte model is already used by more than 50 chemical process 

companies that lease OLI’s software. 

Electrolyte Process 

Simulation (ESP) 

OLI Engine Including Mixed Solvent Electrolyte Model 

Stream and 

Corrosion Analyzers 

Oil and Gas Well 

Scaling (ScaleChem) 

Simulator Interfaces Callable Interfaces 

Integration of the Mixed Solvent Electrolyte Model with OLI Software 

IMPACTS 

Overview 

u Developed and marketed by OLI 

Systems, Inc. 

(www.olisystems.com) 

u Commercialized in 2005 

u Sold 146 U.S. licenses and 128 non-U.S. 

licenses 

Applications 

Can be used to optimize crystallization and 

other separation processes throughout the 

chemical and pharmaceutical industry 

Capabilities 

u Predicts crystallization and other 

separation processes. 

u Predicts solubility of solids and other 

thermophysical properties. 

Benefits 

Efficiency 

Improves process control, filterability, and 

mixing efficiency. 

Energy Savings 

Substitutes crystallization for more 

energy-intensive process units. 

Product Quality 

Improves process control and product 

quality and minimizes lab and plant testing 

costs and risks (by using simulations). 

30 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
 

 

 

IMPACTS 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 31

New Process Recovers and Reuses Nylon from Waste 

Carpeting Saving Energy and Costs 

Overview 

u Developed by Honeywell International, 

Inc., and DSM Chemicals North 

America, Inc. 

u Evergreen Nylon Recycling facility in 

Augusta, GA, is owned and operated by 

Shaw Industries, Inc. 

(www.shawfloors.com) 

u Recycled over 165 million pounds of 

post-consumer carpeting since reopening of the facility in 2007 

u Produced in excess of 24 million pounds 

of virgin quality caprolactam in 2009 

Capabilities 

u Produces virgin quality pure caprolactam 

using the closed-loop depolymerization 

and purification system. 

u Enables processing of whole Nylon-6 

carpets and eliminates mechanical 

separation. 

u Enables reuse of recovered raw materials 

in Nylon-6 as carpeting, fibers, and 

resins. 

Applications 

Can be used to recover and reuse the 

primary constituents of reclaimed carpeting 

and carpet fibers including caprolactam, 

calcium carbonate, and other polymers 

Nylon Carpet Recycling 

With a desire to keep materials out of the landfill, Shaw Industries, Inc., has 

incorporated a novel process developed by Honeywell International, Inc., and 

DSM Chemicals North America, Inc., into the largest Nylon-6 carpet recycling 

facility in the United States. The recovery process not only reduces the amount 

of carpet-based material destined for landfill, but produces virgin quality 

caprolactam, the monomer building block of Nylon-6 resin used to make carpet 

fiber. 

With proof-of-principal financial assistance provided by ITP, the closed-loop 

depolymerization and purification process allows Nylon-6 recyclers to recover 

and reuse a significant percentage of the raw materials used to make carpeting 

while consuming less total energy compared with the conventional production 

of caprolactam. In addition to caprolactam recovery, the process can reclaim 

calcium carbonate used for carpet backing and other polymers used in carpet 

manufacturing for future use. 

Shaw Industries’ Evergreen Nylon Recycling (ENR) facility is the largest 

commercial-scale Nylon-6 recycling plant in the world. With the plant currently 

in operation, ENR is drawing from over 40 carpet collection facilities across 

the nation and has collectively kept over 165 million pounds of carpet out of 

landfills. The Cradle to CradleTM process recovers approximately 24 million 

pounds of caprolactam and 35 million pounds of calcium carbonate filler and 

recovers up to 400 billion Btu each year. 

Energy 

Reduces energy consumption in the production of Nylon-6 resin and carpet 

fiber. 

Environmental 

Reduces landfilling of nylon waste carpets and other Nylon-6-based materials 

and reduces raw material demand for the production of Nylon-6. 

Benefits 

Shaw Industries’ Nylon Carpet Recycling Loop 

U.S. Emissions Reductions 

(Thousand Tons, 2009) 

Particulates SO X NO X Carbon 

0.0 0.0 0.050 6.79 

U.S. Energy Savings 

(Trillion Btu) 

Cumulative through 2009 2009 

1.32 0.428 
 

 

 

Pressure Swing Adsorption for Product Recovery
 

Highly Selective Pressure Swing Adsorption Technology 

Recovers Valuable Components from Waste Streams 

Many polyolefin plant designs use a polymer degassing step to remove 

unreacted monomer, solvents, and additives from the product polymer fluff 

before it is processed in downstream pelletizing operations. When nitrogen 

is used as the stripping gas, the operation produces a low-pressure gas stream 

that typically contains nitrogen and valued hydrocarbons that can be recovered 

and recycled to the plant. If the gas is not processed for recovery, it is typically 

flared. The flaring step results in volatile organic compounds, NOX, and 

CO2 emissions. Flaring can also be costly, roughly equal to the value of the 

purchased nitrogen. 

With assistance from ITP, Air Products and Chemicals has developed a 

single unit operation to recover these gases. Pressure swing adsorption (PSA) 

is combined with partial condensation to essentially recover 100% of the 

hydrocarbons from the vent gas. In addition, PSA produces a high purity 

N2 stream, with nearly 100% recovery of nitrogen. The recovered nitrogen 

can be recycled to the stripping operation or used elsewhere in the facility. 

Air Products’ high recovery system eliminates waste streams and therefore 

emissions. 

In this new process, the vapor stream from the partial condensation section 

flows into a PSA unit. Within the PSA, specially selected adsorbent materials 

extract hydrocarbons, thereby refining the nitrogen to a high purity with 

minimal pressure drop. Over time the adsorbent material in the bed becomes 

saturated and must be regenerated. Lowering the pressure in the saturated bed 

desorbs the hydrocarbon components from the adsorbent material in the PSA. 

The hydrocarbons are released and recovered in a low-pressure tail gas, which 

is recycled back to the compressor suction so the hydrocarbons are not lost. 

This technology provides a significant opportunity for energy and cost savings 

and reduced waste. 

2 

Pressure Swing Adsorption Recovery 

Feed 

PSA 

Partial 

CW Condensation 

Equipment 

Recovered 

Hydrocarbons Product 

(Vapor or Liquid) N

IMPACTS 

Overview 

u Developed by Air Products and Chemicals 

(www.airproducts.com) 

u Commercialized in 2003 

u Installed in three locations in Texas 

U.S. Energy Savings 

(Trillion Btu) 

Cumulative through 2009 2009 

0.626 0.111 

U.S. Emissions Reductions 

(Thousand Tons, 2009) 

Particulates SO X NO X Carbon 

0.0 0.0 0.013 1.76 

Applications 

Can be used by chemical and refining 

industries, including polyethylene and 

polypropylene production processes that use 

N2 for degassing the polymer fluff and for 

treating refinery off-gas streams. Could be 

adapted to recover valuable products from 

other waste streams throughout the industry. 

Capabilities 

u Recovers hydrogen, nitrogen, and 

hydrocarbons for reuse. 

u Is flexible enough to operate using an 

external refrigeration source. 

Benefits 

Pollution Reduction 

Can collect and separate for reuse exit 

streams from certain processes, eliminating 

the emissions and need for disposal. Can 

save energy and costs by eliminating flaring 

of waste streams, which is typically part of 

disposal. 

Profitability and Productivity 

Reduces operating and emission costs 

by eliminating flaring and increases 

productivity by reusing products in the feed 

streams. 

32 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
 

 

 

Process Heater for Stoichiometric Combustion Control
 

IMPACTS 

An Enhanced, CO-Based, Low Excess Air Control System 

Saves Energy While Reducing Emissions 

To heat liquids and induce chemical reactions during production processing, 

the refining and chemicals industries rely on process heaters and boilers that 

consume large amounts of fuel. Bambeck Systems and Valero Energy received 

a grant from ITP to demonstrate how fuel can be saved by fully automating 

the available air to the three types of heaters typical to a refinery. Using a 

Bambeck fast CO analyzer to monitor the heater flue gas, a control scheme is 

installed to reduce the oxygen until a small amount of CO is produced. Using 

this parameter in the control scheme optimizes the air needed for combustion, 

thereby not wasting fuel to heat unneeded air. 

The three requirements to successfully implement this technology are the fast 

CO analyzer, a new control strategy, and operator education. The analyzer 

provides CO data to the existing heater control system. The current control 

strategy is then modified to reduce the air to the heater via the controllable 

entrances, including stack dampers, fans, and burner registers. When a small 

amount of CO is generated, the control system automatically maintains that 

point, changing the controllable entrances as more or less air is required as 

indicated by the CO analyzer. Since fuel Btu content can change rapidly, the 

fast CO analyzer responds to the change in demand for O2 and, through the 

control system, sends commands to the dampers, fans, and registers to open 

or close. Because operators historically used an O2 monitor to ensure that the 

combustion process has excess air, the operators need to be educated to feel 

comfortable seeing very low O2 readings. The heater is safer because CO is a 

precursor to a combustible condition and O2 is not. In addition, reducing the 

excess O2 also reduces both NOx and CO2 (greenhouse gas). 

CO Analyzer 

Draft Transmitter 

Burner Registers 

Damper Actuator 

O 2

 Analyzer 

Distributed 

Control 

System

with 

Bambeck 

Controls 

Heater 

Limits 

Bambeck Ultra-Low Excess Air Control System 

Overview 

u Developed and being marketed by 

Bambeck Systems, Inc. 

(www.bambecksystems.com) 

u Commercialized in 2002 with over 700 

of the original technology installed 

u Seven enhanced ultra-low versions 

installed 

U.S. Energy Savings 

(Trillion Btu) 

Cumulative through 2009 2009 

2.45 0.411 

U.S. Emissions Reductions 

(Thousand Tons, 2009) 

Particulates SO X NO X Carbon 

0.0 0.024 0.051 6.82 

Applications 

Can be used by the chemicals, 

petrochemicals, and refining industries 

Capabilities 

Monitors the unburned fuel gases and 

controls the amount of air available for 

the combustion process, providing the 

minimum amount needed. 

Benefits 

Reduced Emissions 

Reduces NOx emissions from 30% to 45% 

and CO2 in proportion to the size of the 

heater. 

Safety 

Eliminates the possibility of any dangerous 

combustible conditions developing in the 

heater. 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 33 
Titania-Activated Silica System for Emission Control
 

Silica-Titania Composite (STC) Technology Safely and 

Cost-Effectively Removes Mercury from End-Box Exhaust 

in Chlor-Alkali Facilities 

The chlor-alkali industry produces valuable chemicals such as chlorine, 

hydrogen, and caustic soda. In 2001, between 150 and 200 chlor-alkali facilities 

throughout the world used the mercury-cell process. Although this process uses 

the mercury in a closed-loop system, mercury is released to the environment 

through entrainment in byproduct streams, end-box ventilation systems, and 

fugitive emissions. An average of about 3 tons of mercury per year must be 

added to the production process at each mercury-cell facility in the United 

States to account for losses. The National Emissions Standard for Hazardous 

Air Pollutants (NESHAP) for mercury-cell chlor-alkali plants requires these 

facilities to drastically reduce mercury emissions from their gas-phase exhaust 

streams. 

With assistance from ITP, Sol-gel Solutions, LLC, has developed silica-titania 

composite (STC) technology for removing mercury from end-box exhaust in 

chlor-alkali facilities. The technology focuses on the synergistic combination 

of adsorption and simultaneous photocatalytic oxidation to remove pollutants. 

STC technology can be regenerated in place, avoiding the cost and risk of 

continuously replacing and disposing of typical adsorbent materials such as 

activated carbon. Sol-gel Solutions has installed two full-scale reactors at a 

U.S. chlor-alkali facility. The reactors were installed in parallel so that one 

could operate while the other was regenerated. After a period of successful 

operation, an economic analysis showed the STC technology to have a lower 

cost per pound of mercury removed than activated carbon. In addition to 

applications in the chlor-alkali industry, Sol-gel Solutions is continuing efforts 

to commercialize the technology for indoor air purification and the coal-fired 

power industry. 

IMPACTS 

Overview 

u Developed at the University of Florida 

u Commercialized by Sol-gel Solutions, 

LLC 

(www.sol-gel-solutions.com) 

u Two units operating at a U.S. chlor-alkali 

facility since 2006 

Applications 

Can be used in the chlor-alkali industry for 

removing mercury from caustic exhaust 

streams and in coal-fired power plants for 

mercury removal from flue gas 

Capabilities 

Uses ultraviolet light to oxidize elemental 

mercury to more stable mercuric oxide. 

Benefits 

Cost Savings 

Reduces the cost per pound of mercury 

removed compared with activated carbon. 

Safety 

Eliminates the risk of disposing of mercuryladen activated carbon. 

Sol-gel Solutions’ Silica-Titania Composite System 

34 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
Total Cost Assessment Tool
 

IMPACTS 

New Decision-Making Software Integrates Costs into 

Environmental Decisions and Life Cycle Assessments
 

The Total Cost Assessment (TCA) methodology enables industry to include all 

environmental, health, and safety costs in decision-making. In particular, TCA 

includes contingent liabilities such as fines and cleanup costs and intangible 

costs such as damage to corporate or brand image and reduced employee 

morale. External costs, such as costs to society, can also be included in the 

TCA methodology. In traditional industry decision-making, environmental 

health and safety (EHS) assessments have been conducted separately from 

life cycle cost analyses. This customary separation has limited the influence 

and relevance of life cycle assessment for decision-making and has left 

uncharacterized the important relationships and tradeoffs between the economic 

and environmental performance of alternative decisions. 

The TCA methodology was developed by an industry collaboration of ten 

companies led by the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) 

Center for Waste Reduction Technologies (CWRT) with support from ITP and 

the National Business Roundtable Industrial Pollution Prevention Council. 

The Total Cost Assessment Tool (TCAce), developed and sold by Sylvatica, 

manages the TCA process by enabling the company to use sliding ranges and 

probabilities to reflect the true nature of contingencies. TCAce integrates 

scenario case studies and sensitivity/uncertainty/risk analysis into a company’s 

existing economic evaluation framework to enable sound decisions. It identifies 

all conventional, hidden, human health, and environmental impact costs, both 

internal and external. TCAce requires an operating system of Windows 98 or 

better and recommends at least a 24MB hard drive. 

Organization

Goals 

Define 

Project 

The Total Cost Assessment Process 

Select 

Alternatives 

to Evaluate 

Develop

Financial 

Inventory 

Run TCAce 

Financial 

Analysis 

Review 

Cost 

Results 

Feedback to 

Company’s Main

Decision Loop 

TCAce provides many 

potential environmental

costs in associated data 

summaries, based on 

literature research and 

interviews. Each cost 

is assigned a probability 

by the user, since precise 

valuation of many of these 

cost types is not achievable 

at this time. 

Type I 

Type II 

Type III 

Type IV 

Type V 

Strategic

Evaluation 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 

Overview
 

u Software developed by Sylvatica of North 

Berwick, Maine 

(www.earthshift.com) 

u Has sold 14 units to date: 4 in the United 

States and 10 internationally 

u Commercialized in 2005 

Applications 

Can be used throughout industry in 

considering all the environmental and 

health costs associated with a business 

decision, such as process, project, or 

corporate-level investment alternatives. 

The software performs and addresses the 

following activities: estimating baseline 

costs, benchmarking, process development, 

product mix, waste management decisions, 

pollution prevention alternatives, 

remediation alternatives, environmental 

management, research budget allocations, 

materials/supplier selection, facility 

location/layout, outbound logistics, marketbased environmental options, and public 

relations/lobbying. 

Capabilities 

u Identifies best environmental and 

economic options in business decisionmaking. 

u Aligns environmental goals with good 

business strategies. 

u Integrates internal costs and externalities 

into a single assessment process. 

Benefits 

Environmental Benefits 

Selects waste management investment 

decisions that are environmentally sound 

and reduces long-term liabilities. 

Profitability 

Reduces manufacturing costs by integrating 

life cycle assessment with life cycle cost 

analysis and facilitating collaborative 

scenario planning. 

35 
 

TruePeak Process Laser Analyzer
 

In-Situ Sensors Provide Real-Time Measurements Enabling

Better Control and Process Optimization 

Current chemical process controls use few in-situ sensors, relying instead 

on analytic techniques that require sample conditioning and transport, and 

significant turnaround time. With few exceptions, these techniques lack speed 

of measurement, accuracy of measurement, sensitivity of measurement, and 

economical measurement. In-situ sensors can provide real-time measurements, 

enabling better understanding and control of the process and improving process 

optimization, product quality, and plant economics. Supported with a grant 

from ITP, Analytical Specialties, Inc., since acquired by Yokogawa Electric 

Corporation, has developed a system of in-situ sensing for more efficient process 

operation. 

The system, called TruePeak, is a tunable diode laser analyzer that directly 

measures the concentration of O2, H2O, and potentially several other gasses. 

TruePeak measures across an infrared absorbance region, which makes 

it useable in high dust and corrosive environments and provides a true 

interference-free analysis. The system is characterized by rapid measurement 

(as fast as 1 second), high process pressure capability (up to 20 bar), high 

temperature (up to 1500°C), and no contact with the process. The system 

operates at the required process conditions (pressure, temperature, etc.), 

provides real-time or near real-time data, and significantly reduces installation 

and operational costs compared with currently available products. 

Appropriate applications for TruePeak include combustion oxygen analysis 

of process heaters, furnaces, and incineration operations. The technology is 

also applicable to processes where reducing errors in oxygen concentration 

measurements can reduce plant process shutdown. The need for this technology 

and its measurements are driven by advances in process control systems and 

the need to “close the loop” in modern control systems. This rugged unit can 

be used in a variety of chemical process applications and can provide real-time, 

accurate measurements in harsh environments, which can improve process 

efficiency, reliability, and productivity. 

IMPACTS 

Overview 

u Developed by Analytical Specialties, Inc. 

u Commercialized in 2004 and being sold 

by Yokogawa Electric Corporation 

(www.yokogawa.com) 

Applications 

Can be used for gas sensing in chemical 

processes 

Capabilities 

u Provides in-situ analysis, eliminating 

errors and costs associated with 

extractive analyzers. 

u Can be used in harsh environments. 

Benefits 

Applicability 

Operates with processes up to 1500°C and 

20 bar and virtually interference-free. 

Productivity 

Reduces downtime for maintenance and 

provides near real-time measurements with 

improved accuracy for better control. 

TruePeak Process Laser Analyzer 

36 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
Forest Products
 IMPACTS 

u Advanced Quality Control (AQC) Solution for Thermo-Mechanical Pulping..................................................................................... 38
 

u Biological Air Emissions Control......................................................................................................................................................... 39
 

u Borate Autocausticizing........................................................................................................................................................................ 40
 

u Continuous Digester Control Technology ............................................................................................................................................ 41
 

u Detection and Control of Deposition on Pendant Tubes in Kraft Chemical Recovery Boilers............................................................ 42
 

u MultiWaveTM Automated Sorting System for Efficient Recycling........................................................................................................ 43
 

u Screenable Pressure-Sensitive Adhesives ............................................................................................................................................. 44
 

u ThermodyneTM Evaporator – A Molded Pulp Products Dryer.............................................................................................................. 45
 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 37 
 

 

 

Advanced Quality Control (AQC)

Solution for Thermo-Mechanical Pulping 

Optimal Pulping Using an Advanced 

Control System and Sensors
 

Thermo-mechanical pulping (TMP) has become the pulping method of choice 

for many pulp and paper mills. Electrical energy accounts for 23% of the 

total production cost, with over 70% of that dedicated to the TMP process. In 

2001, with financial and technical support provided by ITP, Pacific Simulation 

assessed and implemented their AQC model-predictive controls in a TMP plant. 

In this demonstration, the plant realized gains in three key areas: reduced peak 

and specific energy consumption, reduced production line transition times, and 

improved freeness targets. 

Commercial implementation of AQC involves coordinating advanced quality 

control in multiple areas of the paper mill: mainline refiners, reject refiners, 

screen room, and pulp quality. Sensors are used to measure controlled variable 

outputs for freeness, consistency, shive content, fiber length, motor load, screw 

speed, refiner temperature and pressure, and reject rate. The heart of the 

AQC system is the multivariable predictive controller (MPC) and associated 

software that compares “current” data against “historical” data to determine the 

predictive model. The MPC, coupling pulp line output with plant productivity 

and power consumption, can make real-time optimization changes to 

manipulated variables to efficiently manage pulp and finished paper quality and 

production capabilities while reducing specific energy consumption. The AQC 

Solution has been implemented on over 73 refiners in the United States, Canada, 

Sweden, Norway, New Zealand, and Chile. 

Pulp 

AQC System Schematic for Pulp Refining 

Secondary

Refiner 

• Consistency

•	Motor Load

Ratio 

Screw Speed 

Process Inputs Sensor Outputs 

Sensors 

Latency

Chest 

Refined 

Pulp 

Primary

Refiner 

Transfer 

Screw 

Sensors 

MPC 

Controller 

•	Motor Load

•	Dilution Flow

•	Motor Load

•	Quench Flow

•	Average Production

•	Total MillPower

From the Plant 

• Consistency

•	Freeness

•	Fiber Length

•	Shives

IMPACTS 

Overview 

u Developed and commercialized by Metso 

Automation’s Pacific Simulation in 1995 

u Expanded under DOE grant in 2001 

u Purchased and marketed by Metso 

Automation in 2004 

(www.metso.com) 

U.S. Energy Savings 

(Trillion Btu) 

Cumulative through 2009 2009 

1.27 0.192 

U.S. Emissions Reductions 

(Thousand Tons, 2009) 

Particulates SO X NO X Carbon 

0.001 0.042 0.031 3.78 

Applications 

Can be used to link final product quality 

with the thermo-mechanical pulping process 

optimizing production, quality, and cost. 

Capabilities 

u Reduces peak and specific energy demand 

by matching real-time pricing from local 

electrical utilities. 

u Reduces raw material costs by limiting the 

required amount of purchased Kraft pulp. 

u Improves final pulp quality by optimizing 

refiner operation and output. 

Benefits 

Energy Savings 

Reduces specific peak energy from 8 

MW to 6.5 MW; uses an average of 125 

horsepower days/ton in the plant down from 

145 horsepower days/ton. 

Production 

Uses stock blending quality control to 

optimize the blend of feedstock quality 

and final paper grade to allow mills to 

match pulp quality production to the exact 

requirements of the paper machine on a 

grade basis. 

38 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
 

 

 

Biological Air Emissions Control
 

IMPACTS 

Innovative Technology Enables Low-Cost, Energy-Efficient 

Treatment of Industrial Exhaust Streams 

Air quality standards are becoming more stringent for the U.S. wood products 

industry. Emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and hazardous 

air pollutants (HAPs) (including methanol, formaldehyde, acetylaldehyde, 

and acrolein) during production of wood products must be tightly controlled. 

Conventional VOCs and HAPs emission control techniques such as regenerative 

thermal oxidation and regenerative catalytic oxidation require significant 

amounts of energy and generate secondary pollutants such as nitrogen oxides 

and excess carbon dioxide. 

With assistance from ITP, BioReaction Industries, LLC, has developed a novel 

biological treatment system that integrates two types of bio-oxidation to achieve 

energy-efficient emissions reduction. The technology uses microorganisms to 

degrade air toxins without the extensive consumption of natural gas required 

by thermal oxidation. The process employs a three-stage treatment process for 

the VOC, HAP, and particulate emissions in an exhaust airstream: (1) water 

soluble compound and particulate removal in the bioscrubber/biotrickling 

filter, (2) biodegradation in the biofilm of the biotrickling filter and the sump 

waters, and (3) hydrophobic compound adsorption and biodegradation in the 

multi-layer biofilter. As of 2009, ten units have been installed across the U.S. 

forest products industry, with an average air flow of approximately 100,000 

CFM. BioReaction Industries is also pursuing applications of the technology for 

the automobile industry, particularly with paint emission streams using water 

soluble solvents. 

Benefits 

Adaptability 

Modular and expandable design allows for easy adjustment to meet new process 

flow rate requirements. 

Cost Savings 

Reduces the labor and materials required for maintenance compared with 

traditional thermal oxidation systems. 

Overview 

u Developed by BioReaction Industries, 

LLC, with technical and scientific 

assistance from Texas A&M University 

u Commercialized by BioReaction 

Industries, LLC 

(www.bioreaction.com) 

u Ten units operating in the U.S. forest 

products industry as of 2009 

U.S. Energy Savings 

(Trillion Btu) 

Cumulative through 2009 2009 

1.53 0.829 

U.S. Emissions Reductions 

(Thousand Tons, 2009) 

Particulates SO X NO X Carbon 

0.0 0.003 0.098 13.2 

Applications 

Can be used as an energy-efficient 

alternative to thermal oxidation of industrial 

process exhaust streams 

Capabilities 

u Enables reliable operation through 

control panel adjustment of temperature, 

humidity, fan, and pump parameters. 

u Uses patented Bio·airSPHERESTM media 

for digestion and final breakdown of 

contaminants. 

BioReaction Industries’ Advanced Bio-Oxidation Process 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 39 
 

 

 

40 

IMPACTS 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 

New Technology Increases Energy Efficiency of Kraft 

Chemical Recovery Process and Causticizing 

Overview 

u Developed by U.S. Borax/Rio Tinto 

Minerals 

(www.borax.com) 

u Commercialized in 2004 

u Installed in one U.S. plant and in several 

international plants. 

Capabilities 

u Reduces the load on lime causticizing 

plants, improving the performance of 

clarifiers or filters and reducing the extra 

alkali circulated in the weak wash (weak 

white liquor) stream. 

u Reduces fresh lime usage and lime 

mud disposal associated with lime kiln 

production constraints. 

Applications 

Can be used to replace all or part of the 

kraft causticizing-calcining process, 

therefore providing supplemental lime kiln 

and causticizing capacities 

Borate Autocausticizing 

Boron-based autocausticizing is a new, cost-effective technology to recover 

kraft pulping chemicals. Conceptually, the technology can be used to 

supply part or all of the sodium hydroxide requirements of the kraft process, 

supplementing or replacing the lime cycle. Because the de-carbonating 

reactions take place directly in the recovery boiler, instead of the lime kiln, this 

process reduces energy consumption and increases causticizing and calcining 

capacities. 

The technology uses sodium metaborate to react with sodium carbonate in 

the kraft furnace. Once the reacted salts are dissolved in the green-liquor 

dissolving tank, sodium hydroxide is formed, and the sodium metaborate 

is regenerated. The technology provides more energy-efficient hydroxide 

production, increases the causticizing equilibrium, and, when used in 

conjunction with the conventional lime cycle, increases the causticizing/ 

calcining capacity. 

Rio Tinto Minerals, with ITP support, has developed partial borate 

autocausticizing, which is being implemented in pulp mills worldwide to 

supplement conventional lime causticizing with almost no capital investment. 

The one U.S. application is in the P.H. Gladfelter Co. mill in Spring Grove, 

Pennsylvania, where it increased production by roughly 5% in 2007. 

Cost Savings 

Decreases the load on causticizing and lime 

reburning to reduce either lime purchases or 

kiln energy and maintenance costs. 

Productivity 

Increases the causticizing capacity of the 

mill to increase pulp production without 

investment in lime kilns or recausticizing 

equipment. 

Benefits 

Borate Autocausticizing Process 

U.S. Emissions Reductions 

(Thousand Tons, 2009) 

Particulates SO X NO X Carbon 

0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 

U.S. Energy Savings 

(Trillion Btu) 

Cumulative through 2009 2009 

0.035 0.000 
 

 

 

Continuous Digester Control Technology
 

IMPACTS
 

Pulp Process Model Identifies Improvements

that Save Energy and Improve Productivity 

The pulp digester is known as the bottleneck unit in the pulp mill flow sheet 

because it can require 5% to 50% of typical on-line operation time, making this 

component of the pulping process very capital intensive. Improving digester 

performance can significantly reduce production losses, operating costs, and 

negative environmental effects while increasing paper quantity and quality. 

Using a computer-based model and control system for continuous digesters 

could regulate the pulping process, thereby minimizing mill downtime caused 

by digester problems and fostering continuous operation and pulp production. 

Previous work conducted at the University of Delaware (UD) indicated that 

fundamental computer models could manage the internal conditions within the 

digester. The UD resolved the major challenge to designing such a model by 

developing a fundamental digester model that manages production rate changes 

and grade swings between hardwood and softwood feedstocks. 

The digester’s fundamental process model integrates physical and chemical 

properties as system “states” (i.e., points in the digester process) to track grade 

transitions. This model allows appropriate material, energy balance, and 

diffusion simulations to be calculated as various-origin chips pass through 

the digester. The observation and tracking of these data help identify process 

improvements. The model’s first commercial application in a Texas mill 

allowed the temperature to be reduced in part of the pulping process, thereby 

saving 1% of the process energy. 

Sluice 

Black
 

Liquor
 

White 

Cook 

Steam 

Chips 

Modified 

Continuous 

Cooking

(MCC)

Steam 

Digester

Vessel 

Extended 

MCC 

Trim 

EMCC 

Zone 

MCC 

Zone 

Cook 

Zone 

Upper

Liquor Extract 

Lower 

Extract 

Impregnation

Vessel 

Modified Wash 

Continuous Liquor 

Cooking EMCC Sluice (EMCC) Trim Trim Steam Blow 

Dual Vessel EMCC Continuous Digester 

Overview
 

u Developed at the University of Delaware 

u Commercialized in 2003 

u Being marketed by IETEK 

(www.ietek.net) 

U.S. Energy Savings 

(Trillion Btu) 

Cumulative through 2009 2009 

9.00 0.00 

U.S. Emissions Reductions 

(Thousand Tons, 2009) 

Particulates SO X NO X Carbon 

0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 

Applications 

Can be used in all types of pulp digesters 

and provides the basis for developing more 

model-based methods of soft sensing, 

diagnostics, and control 

Capabilities 

u Uses a computer model to evaluate the 

pulping process. 

u Provides operational data through the 

model to identify process improvements. 

Benefits 

Environmental Impact 

Minimizes the amount of chemicals used. 

Productivity 

Improves operator control, thus raising 

productivity and process reliability. Also 

improves system operability through rate 

and grade transitions. 

Product Quality 

Reduces pulp and paper quality variations. 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 41 
 

 

 

Detection and Control of Deposition on Pendant

Tubes in Kraft Chemical Recovery Boilers 

IMPACTS 

Advanced Imaging System Improves Boiler Overview 

Efficiency, Reduces Sootblowing Costs, u Developed by Enertechnix, Inc. 

and Improves Operational Safety (www.enertechnix.com) 

The kraft chemical recovery boilers used for pulp processing are large and u Commercialized a hand-held device in expensive and can be the limiting factor for mill capacity. Improvements in 2002 boiler efficiency with better control of deposits on heat transfer surfaces (e.g. 

pendant tubes) and reductions in boiler downtime (due to pluggage or slag u 159 units in use in 2009 impact) can improve boiler capacity and reduce operating costs. 

U.S. Energy Savings With assistance from DOE’s Inventions and Innovation Program, Enertechnix, (Trillion Btu) Inc., has developed a hand-held infrared inspection system. Using the 

inspection system technology, they have also established the feasibility of and 

are developing a continuous integrated monitoring sootblower control system 

to detect and control buildup of deposits. The early detection of deposits can 

extend the intervals between boiler shutdowns. The resulting improved boiler 

Cumulative through 2009 2009 

7.18 1.75 

U.S. Emissions Reductions 

operation and reduced maintenance provide energy savings and productivity (Thousand Tons, 2009) improvements to the pulp processing industry. 

Sootblowers use steam to clean the soot from the fire side of heat exchanger 

pendant tube surfaces. The hand-held inspection system has demonstrated 

reductions in sootblower steam use of up to 20% because the frequency of 

Particulates SO X NO X Carbon 

0.013 1.02 0.270 38.1 

Applications sootblower operation is reduced, sootblowers can be repositioned based on data 

obtained from the inspection, and sootblower malfunction can be detected. Can be used by kraft recovery boilers in the 

Reduced pluggage and deposition in the boiler have also led to improved heat pulp and paper industry and also for boilers 

transfer rates. The integrated observation camera and sootblower control system in the coal power, cement, steel, and glass 

(under development) are expected to reduce sootblower steam usage by 30-35% industries 

and improve heat transfer efficiency by 20%. Capabilities 

u Produces clear video images of boiler 

interiors despite highly particle-laden 

environments. 

u Produces images at distances up to 100 

feet, enabling inspection anywhere in 

the combustion chamber including the 

convection pass and economizer. 

Benefits 

Productivity 

Reduces boiler downtime through early 

detection of defective fixtures (tube leaks 

or damaged sootblower). Without shutting 

down the boiler, also detects slag formation 

at an early stage, preventing impact damage 

and enabling cleaning before deposits 

harden. 

Safety 

Enables early detection and elimination of 

sizable slag deposits on boiler internals, 

which can lead to severe damage and 

Hand-Held Inspection System on a Kraft Recovery Boiler potential injury. 

42 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
MultiWaveTM Automated Sorting System for Efficient Recycling
 

IMPACTS 

Advanced Sensor Detects Paper’s Unique

Spectral Signature at High Speed
 

The primary challenge in recycling paper has been to obtain raw material with 

the highest purity. Ideally, creating a paper stream sorted by purity would 

facilitate a high-quality end product, thereby saving processing chemicals and 

energy. Unfortunately, previous manual sorting techniques were not effective 

in meeting this challenge. With financial assistance from ITP, North Carolina 

State University, Weyerhaeuser, and MSS Corporation developed sensors for 

automatically sorting grades of paper from a mixed stream at high speed for 

more efficient recycling. Using technology developed by North Carolina State 

University, MSS commercialized the MultiWaveTM sensor in 2006, providing 

proprietary full spectrum color and near infrared (NIR) spectroscopy in 

one compact module at scanning speeds that are more than double those of 

other NIR sensor systems. The new sensor also provides gloss and lignin 

identification. 

The new sensor provides manual recycling facilities, as well as paper and 

plastics processors, with a solution for automated optical separation at levels not 

possible before. At up to 15 tons/hr, the incoming stream is uniformly fed in 

a single layer on high-speed conveyors at velocities of 1,200 ft/min (6 meters/ 

sec). Besides increased speed, the sensor works in machine widths of up to 96" 

(2440 mm), which allows significantly higher throughput rates to be processed 

than any other sorting module available on the market – more than 160 ft2 per 

second (15 m2/sec). 

The sensor starts the process by analyzing all items and classifying them 

according to specific “signatures.” Then, the master computer processes the 

signals and fires compressed air jets. Depending on the setup, the targeted 

materials can be ejected together into one chute (upwards) or separately into 

two chutes (one upward, one downward). An auto-calibration feature ensures 

consistently high sorting accuracy. The result is a paper stream that is sorted by 

purity, thereby meeting the original challenge and reducing landfill waste. 

Overview 

u Developed by North Carolina State 

University 

u Commercialized and marketed by MSS 

Corporation in 2006 

(www.magsep.com) 

Applications 

Can be used for high-speed sorting of mixed 

recycled paper streams and gloss and lignin 

identification 

Capabilities 

u Works in machine widths up to 96 inches, 

up to 15 tons per hour. 

u Analyzes and classifies paper type at 

1,200 feet per minute. 

Benefits 

Profitability 

Sorts recycled paper using a high-speed 

machine instead of hand sorting. 

Waste Reduction 

Reduces rejected recycled pulp up to 5%. 

Reject

Paper
 

Sensor Microcontroller Air Valve 

Conveyor

Belt 

Compressed

Air 

Paper Paper Paper Paper Recyclable

Paper 

Paper Recycling Using the MultiWave Sensor System 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 43 
Screenable Pressure-Sensitive Adhesives
 

IMPACTS
 

Improving Recycled Paper Production Energy Efficiency 

Pressure-sensitive adhesives (PSAs) in recycled paper create a number of 

problems for the recycling process, including lost production and diminished 

product quality. Unlike conventional PSAs, a new adhesive material was 

developed at the University of Minnesota, with the assistance of ITP funding, 

that is effectively removed from the papermaking process during the furnish 

screening process. The new adhesive possesses properties that enhance its 

removal without impacting its performance in PSA products. 

To develop the new adhesive materials, new screenable PSAs were synthesized 

and characterized, and performance measures were created. In addition, 

modified adhesive substrates were tested, and test methods were designed 

to gauge disintegration inhibition of adhesive labels and relative removal 

efficiencies of developed polymers. The new adhesives break down into larger, 

harder, nontacky particles that are more easily removed through conventional 

screening, and the cross linking reactions may be controlled through external 

stimuli allowing the reactions to be initiated during recycling. 

The technology was commercialized in 2006 and is the industry’s first 100% 

recyclable label. Currently, the Pinnacle Label Company is selling a portion of 

their labels under their recyclable label brand utilizing this technology. Using 

100% recycled paper stock and a recyclable permanent adhesive, Pinnacle now 

has an environmentally friendly product. Pinnacle Label supplies the needs 

of its national customer base from its headquarters and production facility in 

Buffalo, New York, and other distribution centers around the nation. 

Conventional Process 

Repulping Disintegrated

Adhesive 

Screenable Process 

Paper/Adhesive 

Paper/Screenable

Adhesive
 

Repulping Nonadhesive
 Lumps
 

Overview 

u Developed by Dr. Steven Severtson of the 

University of Minnesota in 2000 

u Commercialized in 2006 and being 

marketed by H. B. Fuller Company 

(www.hbfuller.com) 

Applications 

Can be used for all press-on type labels and 

sticker products 

Capabilities 

u Allows easier adhesive removal in paper 

recycling. 

u Reduces machine downtime by reducing 

jams due to adhesives and reduces process 

chemical needs. 

Benefits 

Energy Savings 

Improves the energy efficiency of recycled 

paper production. 

Productivity 

Reduces paper recycling re-manufacture 

processing downtime and lowers fiber loss. 

Waste Reduction 

Allows for the recycling of more postconsumer paper trash and reduces process 

chemical needs. 

Gumming 

Passes Through

a Screen 

Lumps Caught

in a Screen 

No Gumming 

The Effect of Benign Pressure-Sensitive Labels on Paper Recycling 

44 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
 

 

 

ThermodyneTM Evaporator – A Molded Pulp Products Dryer
 

IMPACTS 

Thermodyne Evaporator–A Substantially

Improved Molded Pulp Products Dryer
 

With assistance from DOE’s Inventions and Innovation Program, Merrill Air 

Engineers demonstrated that its Thermodyne dryer outperforms conventional 

molded pulp dryers. Unlike other dryers, the Thermodyne dryer reheats water 

vapor released from the product being dried to create superheated steam that is 

directed onto the material being dried. Conventional paper dryers exhaust this 

liberated water outdoors, causing a large visible plume and dumping valuable 

heat. The Thermodyne dryer is sealed so internal vapor (moisture) cannot 

escape into the insulated dryer walls. The retained water vapor passes through 

indirect integral heaters to raise its temperature to a level that allows for 

substantially faster drying rates than if drying in relatively dry air. An absence 

of oxygen in the dryer also means the drying temperature can be higher and 

the retained water vapor can help protect and evenly dry the material. Fires are 

prevalent with standard dryers, but lower oxygen levels in a Thermodyne dryer 

eliminates this hazard. The released water vapor also helps control internal 

temperatures by mixing with the superheated steam, dropping its temperature 

to a more desirable level. Finally, the system recovers heat and harmful volatile 

organic compounds (VOCs) from the dryer’s condensate, substantially reducing 

the amount released into the atmosphere. 

Benefits 

Productivity 

Promotes easier stacking and wrapping. 

Product Quality 

Suppresses oxygen, reducing the chance of scorching or burning the product 

under higher and faster drying temperatures; offers less warping, reduced 

case hardening, and no discoloration. 

Profitability 

Promotes lower shipping costs and lowers product losses. 

Thermodyne Evaporator–A Molded Pulp Products Dryer 

Overview 

u Developed by Merrill Air Engineers 

(http://merrill-air-engineers.com/) 

u Commercialized in 1997 

u Two units in service in the U.S., one in 

Ireland, and one in Columbia 

U.S. Energy Savings 

(Trillion Btu) 

Cumulative through 2009 2009 

0.476 0.068 

U.S. Emissions Reductions 

(Thousand Tons, 2009) 

Particulates SO X NO X Carbon 

0.0 0.0 0.008 1.07 

Applications 

Can be used by the forest products industry 

for manufacturing molded fiber articles and 

for drying pulp, wood, cotton, cellulose, or 

torrefied wood and wood veneers 

Capabilities 

u Can replace conventional drying systems 

in the forest products industry. 

u Handles a wide variety of forest products 

and can be applied to agricultural 

applications. 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 45 
IMPACTS
 

46 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
Glass
 IMPACTS 

u High Luminosity, Low-NO Burner..................................................................................................................................................... 48
 X

u High Throughput Vacuum Processing for Producing Innovative Glass/Photovoltaic Solar Cells........................................................ 49
 

u Process for Converting Waste Glass Fiber into Value-Added Products................................................................................................ 50
 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 47 
48 

IMPACTS 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 

High Luminosity, Low-NOX Burner 

High-Efficiency Burner Lowers Costs and

Emissions in Oxy-Fuel Glass Melters 

Overview 

u Developed and marketed by Eclipse, Inc. 

(www.combustiontec.com) 

u Commercialized in 2002 

u Operating in seven U.S. plants in 2009 

Capabilities 

u Can be used on new furnaces or retrofit to 

older ones. 

u Improves furnace production rates as a 

result of a more than 12% increase in heat 

transfer rates. 

Applications 

Can be used in existing and new oxy-fuel 

glass melters, with the largest demand 

currently existing in the container, fiber, and 

specialty glass sectors of the glass industry 

Glass melters use combustion systems to produce molten glass. While 

significant progress has been made in developing oxy-fuel combustion systems, 

current technologies provide low flame luminosity and generate relatively 

high NOX emissions in the presence of even small mounts of nitrogen in the 

combustion process. 

With the help of a grant from ITP, Combustion Tec Inc., now Eclipse, Inc., 

has developed an innovative burner that increases luminosity and radiant heat 

transfer in high-temperature glass furnaces. The burner improves performance 

by modifying the fuel prior to combustion and then forming and burning soot 

in the flame. The burner increases heat transfer rates while decreasing flame 

temperatures to improve furnace production rates and thermal efficiency. 

The high-luminosity, low-NOX burner combines a preheating zone with two 

combustion zones. First, a small fraction of the natural gas is burned. The 

products of this combustion are then mixed with the main supply of natural 

gas, resulting in hydrocarbon soot precursors generated in an oxygen-free 

heating environment. Next, the preheated natural gas enters the first, fuelrich combustion zone in which soot forms in the flame. However, most of the 

combustion occurs in the second, fuel-lean combustion zone. The burning soot 

particles create a highly luminous flame that is more thermally efficient and 

cooler than a typical oxy-fuel flame. 

Energy Saving and 

Pollution Reduction 

Reduces NOX emissions from glass melters 

up to 50% and improves thermal efficiency 

up to 20% over traditional oxygen fuel 

burners. 

Productivity 

Allows cost-effective compliance with 

emissions regulations and provides 

flexibility for compliance in existing 

furnaces without major modifications. 

Reliability 

Produces a lower flame temperature and 

lower exit temperatures, which could extend 

the furnace life. 

Benefits 

High Luminosity, Low-NOX Burner Design 

Natural 

Gas 

O 2 

O Natural Gas 2

Fuel Preheat and Mixing 
High Throughput Vacuum Processing for Producing Innovative

Glass/Photovoltaic Solar Cells 

IMPACTS 

Continuous Manufacturing Process

Reduces Cost of Solar Power
 

The sun has long been known to be a boundless source of energy. More solar 

energy hits the earth in one hour than is used by the entire world’s population in 

one year. Unfortunately, the high manufacturing cost of solar photovoltaic (PV) 

modules has prevented solar from competing with other forms of electricity 

generation. 

With assistance from DOE’s Inventions and Innovation Program, Abound 

Solar, Inc., has developed an improved manufacturing process for producing 

thin-film cadmium telluride (CdTe) solar cells encapsulated with a protective 

layer of glass. The manufacturing process is dry, in-line, continuous, and fully 

automated. A glass panel enters the semiconductor chamber every 10 seconds, 

and emerges from the end of the line as a complete product module in less than 

two hours. Abound Solar’s proprietary in-line semiconductor deposition tool 

significantly improves PV film quality, device efficiency, device stability, and 

product yield. Because the semiconductor layers are applied in a single piece of 

equipment, capital equipment costs, factory space, and manufacturing costs are 

reduced. In addition, the fast cycle time increases product volume per capital 

dollar invested. 

The Abound Solar modules are ideally suited for solar installations ranging 

from commercial-scale (tens of kilowatts) to utility-scale (hundreds of 

megawatts). Designed for use worldwide in a variety of climates, the modules 

perform better than crystalline silicon PV under real-world conditions such as 

high temperatures and low or diffuse lighting. 

Abound Solar’s CdTe Solar Modules on a Commercial Building Rooftop 

Overview 

u Developed and marketed by Abound 

Solar, Inc. 

(www.abound.com) 

u Commercialized in 2009 with one 

facility in Longmont, Colorado, selling 

commercial units in the U.S. and 

internationally. 

Applications 

Can be used to produce next-generation, 

thin-film PV modules that deliver a low 

levelized cost of electricity. 

Capabilities 

u Produces completed solar modules in less 

than two hours. 

u Produces thin-film CdTe PV cells that 

have achieved efficiencies of 12 to 13%. 

Benefits 

Cost Savings 

Reduces costs by using continuous, highthroughput manufacturing techniques in a 

single piece of equipment. 

Emissions Reductions 

Reduces emissions of air pollutants and 

greenhouse gases by 92 to 98% compared 

with fossil-fuel-based electricity. 

Environmental 

Avoids disposal issues because Abound 

Solar pays for packaging and shipping of 

solar modules to be recycled at the end of 

their life. More than 95% by weight of each 

module is recycled. 

Product Quality 

Offers a 5-year materials and workmanship 

warranty, with power output guarantees of 

90% of nominal output during the first 10 

years and 80% over 25 years. 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 49 
 

 

 

Process for Converting Waste Glass Fiber into Value-Added Products
 

IMPACTS
 

New Process Reduces Glass
 Fiber Waste Stream to Landfills
 

Solid wastes are generated at glass fiber manufacturing facilities. With the 

help of a grant from DOE’s Inventions and Innovation Program, Albacem, 

LLC, developed a new process that converts these waste streams into VCASTM 

(vitrified calcium alumino-silicate) pozzolans that can be used in cement and 

concrete applications. This technology can help divert up to 250,000 tons 

per year of discarded glass fiber manufacturing wastes for use in the concrete 

construction industry. This technology can also be used for processing glass 

fiber waste materials reclaimed from existing landfills at manufacturing 

facilities. Both sources can help supply over 500,000 tons per year of glass 

fiber waste for processing into value-added products. 

In the new process, waste glass fiber is ground to a fine powder that effectively 

functions as a reactive pozzolanic admixture for use in Portland-cement-based 

building materials and products, such as concrete, mortars, terrazzo, tile, and 

grouts. Because the waste fiber from the glass manufacturing industry is 

vitreous, clean, and low in iron and alkalis, the resulting pozzolan is white and 

highly consistent in chemical composition. This white pozzolan is especially 

suited for white concrete applications, providing increased long-term strength 

and improved long-term durability. This new pozzolan is being manufactured 

and marketed by Vitro Minerals, Inc. While this additive is targeted towards 

white concrete applications, it can also be applied to other concrete applications 

where environmental benefits are desired. 

Conventional Process 

Glass Fiber 

Manufacturing 

Glass 

Waste 

Landfill 

Overview 

u Developed by Albacem, LLC 

u Commercialized and marketed by Vitro 

Minerals in 2006 

(www.vitrominerals.com) 

U.S. Energy Savings 

(Trillion Btu) 

Cumulative through 2009 2009 

0.385 0.140 

U.S. Emissions Reductions 

(Thousand Tons, 2009) 

Particulates SO X NO X Carbon 

0.0 0.0 0.016 2.22 

Applications 

Can be used for waste streams in the glass 

fiber industry and to replace part of the 

cement used in concrete 

Capabilities 

u Decreases water used to cure concrete. 

u Imparts white color to concrete. 

Benefits 

Energy Savings 

Decreases the amount of cement used in 

concrete and the amount of water needed to 

cure concrete while imparting white color to 

the concrete. 

Tile Environmental 

Reduces the carbon footprint of a product 

when used as a cement additive. 

New Technology 

White 

Concrete 

Reduces the waste stream from current glass 

fiber manufacturing and reclaims glass fiber 

waste from old landfills. 

Glass Fiber 

Manufacturing 

Glass Conversion 

Waste Technology 

Grout 

Waste Reduction 

Glass Waste Conversion Process 

50 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
Metal Casting
 IMPACTS 

u CFD Modeling for Lost Foam White Side ........................................................................................................................................... 52
 

u Die Casting Copper Motor Rotors........................................................................................................................................................ 53
 

u Improved Magnesium Molding Process (Thixomolding) .................................................................................................................... 54
 

u Improvement of the Lost Foam Casting Process .................................................................................................................................. 55
 

u Low Permeability Components for Aluminum Melting and Casting................................................................................................... 56
 

u Rapid Heat Treatment of Cast Aluminum Parts ................................................................................................................................... 57
 

u Titanium Matrix Composite Tooling Material for Aluminum Die Castings ........................................................................................ 58
 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 51 
CFD Modeling for Lost Foam White Side
 

New Modeling Program Provides

Higher Quality Lost Foam Molds
 

The lost foam casting process produces clean, high-quality castings with close 

tolerances. The most important advantage is that no cores (with binders) are 

required. One challenge in lost foam casting is maintaining the uniformity 

and quality of the expandable polystyrene (EPS) pattern. This has often been 

the cause of defects in casting. An estimated 80% or more of lost foam defects 

can be attributed to the pattern, or the so-called white side. Foam molds are 

complex, and beads must flow through complex passages to completely fill the 

mold. The process is further complicated by the expansion of the beads. 

General Motors Powertrain and others in the metal casting industry have 

successfully used advanced computational fluid dynamics (CFD) tools to 

improve foundry processes. These efforts have yielded significant cost savings 

and improvements in the casting processes. The industry has recognized that 

mathematics-based tools are needed to design and build consistent, quality EPS 

patterns for lost foam casting. 

Arena-flow, LLC, in conjunction with the American Foundry Society, ITP, 

and the metal casting industry, have extended existing flow modeling software 

to simulate the air-driven blowing of pre-expanded beads into a mold and the 

subsequent steaming (expansion) of beads as they form a lost foam pattern. 

They developed a CFD tool for improving design and development of EPS 

patterns for lost foam castings. 

Expandable Polystyrene Pattern Volume Fraction

During Filling of a General Motors Test Box
 

IMPACTS 

Overview 

u Invented by Arena-flow, LLC, and 

marketed by CPFD Software, LLC 

(www.cpfd-software.com) 

u Being used by 2 U.S. manufacturers in 3 

locations 

Applications 

u Can be used in modeling fluid/particle 

applications for mold creation in the lost 

foam casting industry 

u Can be used in analysis of other 

industrial fluid/particle processes, 

including cyclones or fluidized bed 

reactors 

Capabilities 

u Provides visualization of the mold by 

using CFD modeling prior to the mold 

creation. 

u Optimizes pattern quality as affected by 

fill guns, beads, and tool venting. 

Benefits 

Productivity 

Results in fewer casting defects, requires no 

cores, and produces higher-quality castings. 

Waste Reduction 

Reduces casting defects on the white side, 

caused by pattern difficulties. 

52 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
 

 

 

IMPACTS 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 53 

Die Casting Copper Technique Improves

Energy Efficiency of Electric Motors 

Overview 

u Invented by the ThermoTrex Corporation 

and commercialized by the Copper 

Development Association 

(www.copper.org) 

u Marketed by SEW Eurodrive, FAVI 

S.A, and Siemens Corp. with more than 

275,000 in use in the U.S. in 2009 

Capabilities 

u Reduces electric motor total energy loss by 

15% to 20%. 

u Decreases operating costs compared with 

conventional motors. 

Applications 

Can be used in electric motors throughout 

U.S. industry, which account for more than 

60% of all electricity use in the nation. 

Die Casting Copper Motor Rotors 

Though it conducts electricity less efficiently than copper, aluminum is the 

industry’s preferred fabrication material in electric induction motor rotors. 

Traditional tool steel casting molds suffer thermal shock, shortening mold 

life and increasing operating costs when used for die casting copper rotors. 

ThermoTrex Corporation, with the assistance of a NICE3 grant, proposed a 

process for copper die casting using molds from high-temperature, thermal 

shock-resistant materials. The copper industry successfully tested these mold 

materials for copper die casting at higher temperatures (copper melts at 1083°C, 

aluminum at 660°C). 

The copper die-casting technology developed by the copper industry is now 

in commercial use. The process replaces the tool steel molds used for the 

aluminum die casting with molds made from high-temperature die materials. 

In addition, the new process preheats the die inserts, reduces the temperature 

differential between the mold surface and the cooler interior, and avoids mold 

failure from thermal shock and thermal fatigue. 

In 2003, SEW Eurodrive of Bruchsal, Germany, was the first company, 

worldwide, to bring the technology to market. A line of high-efficiency 

gear motors (1.1-5.5 kW) use copper rotors at a competitive price. Although 

traditional high-efficiency motors are larger than standard motors, gear boxes 

using copper rotor technology provide efficiency without increasing motor size. 

In 2004, FAVI S.A., a major French supplier of copper and copper alloy die 

castings, began offering custom-designed, copper-based rotors for squirrel-cage 

electric motors in sizes ranging from fractional to 100 hp. Siemens Corporation 

began commercial production and sales domestically in 2006 in the 1 to 20 hp 

range. 

Benefits 

Productivity 

Reduces production time and hand labor 

compared with former methods of producing 

copper motor rotors. 

Profitability 

Decreases operating costs compared with 

conventional motors. 

Squirrel-Cage Motor with Die Cast Copper Rotors 

U.S. Emissions Reductions 

(Thousand Tons, 2009) 

Particulates SO X NO X Carbon 

0.001 0.033 0.024 2.99 

U.S. Energy Savings 

(Trillion Btu) 

Cumulative through 2009 2009 

0.389 0.152 
 

 

 

Improved Magnesium Molding Process (Thixomolding)
 

IMPACTS
 

Improved Die Casting Process Substantially

Reduces Energy, Waste, and Operating Costs
 

Traditionally, die-cast molding results in product yields of 50% and creates 

waste – scrap, slag, and dross. The Thixomolding process, developed and 

demonstrated by Thixomat, Inc., with the help of a NICE3 grant, improves 

product yields to 90% while eliminating waste and loss of product to melting. 

The process is worker and environmentally friendly and can be integrated 

into automated manufacturing processes to produce metal and metal/plastic 

assemblies. 

In Thixomolding, room-temperature magnesium chips are fed through a 

volumetric feeder into the back end of a heated barrel that contains an argon 

atmosphere to prevent oxidation. Within the barrel, a rotating screw propels the 

material forward as the screw retracts. Resistance heaters on the outside of the 

barrel, arranged in 10 separately controlled zones, heat the material to the semisolid region (approximately 560°C to 630°C). Once the magnesium is heated, 

the screw rotation provides the necessary shearing force to divide the dendrites 

from the root solid particles. This action creates a thixotropic slurry consisting 

of spherical solid particles in a continuous liquid matrix. The slurry is forced 

through a non-return valve and into the accumulation zone. When the proper 

amount of slurry is in front of the non-return valve, the screw proceeds forward 

at a speed of 1.8 to 5 m/s, forcing the metal into a preheated metal mold to 

produce a net or near-net shape part requiring few, if any, secondary operations. 

The process offers numerous cost advantages over other production methods, 

including higher yield, increased die life, lower utility costs, consistency of 

process, tighter dimensional tolerances, and improved manufacturing agility. 

Benefits 

Cost Savings 

Reduces operating costs by 20%. 

Environmental 

Significantly reduces pollutant emissions and eliminates the use of sulfur 

hexafluoride. Eliminates slag and dross and their disposal problems. 

Waste Reduction 

Reduces scrap that must be recycled and subsequently reheated by 50%. 

Overview 

u Developed by Thixomat, Inc. 

(www.thixomat.com) 

u 50 Thixomolding machines in use in 

2009 

U.S. Energy Savings 

(Trillion Btu) 

Cumulative through 2009 2009 

0.223 0.075 

U.S. Emissions Reductions 

(Thousand Tons, 2009) 

Particulates SO X NO X Carbon 

0.0 0.0 0.009 1.18 

Applications 

Can be used in automotive, electronics, 

communications, sports, and hand tool 

industries 

Capabilities 

u Produces thinner, lighter, and stronger 

parts than possible with engineered 

plastics. 

u Provides excellent dimensional stability 

(0.001 mm/mm), low porosity, tighter 

part tolerances, minimum shrinkage 

(0.5%), low residual stress, and virtually 

no component distortion. 

Thixomolding Process 

54 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
 

 

 

IMPACTS 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 55

Improved Process Reduces Energy Use, Waste and 

Emissions, While Lowering Product Defects and Costs 

Overview 

u Developed by General Motors 

Corporation 

(www.gm.com) 

u Commercialized in 2004 

u Employed at 1 General Motors casting 

facility 

Capabilities 

Significantly reduces aluminum and sand 

scrap rates during production of the complex 

General Motors L61 engine. 

Applications 

Can be used in metal casting and aluminum 

industries 

Improvement of the Lost Foam Casting Process 

Casting is an energy-intensive manufacturing process within the metal 

casting and aluminum industries, requiring natural gas to melt aluminum and 

electricity to run equipment. The higher-than-acceptable faults and scrap rates 

in the lost foam casting process for the complex L61 engine previously resulted 

from the inability to control and measure refractory coating thickness and to 

control particle size and the shape of the unbonded sand. Remelting defective 

castings adds to overall energy costs, emissions, and use of resources. 

The lost foam casting process starts with a foam pattern of the desired endproduct made out of polystyrene beads. The foam pattern is coated with a 

thin refractory film and placed into dry, unbonded sand that is compacted by 

vibration. Molten metal, poured into the sand casting, evaporates and replaces 

the foam, producing a metal casting that is nearly identical to the foam pattern. 

The foam vapor passes through the pores in the refractory coating and the sand. 

This process enables the joining of several components within a single casting, 

thereby reducing downstream machining and assembly. 

With the assistance of a NICE3 grant and the New York State Energy Research 

and Development Authority, General Motors Corporation has developed tools 

to precisely measure dried coating thickness and pore size distribution, more 

accurately measure the size and shape of sand used in casting, and better 

understand the rheology of coatings. Rheology affects both coating thickness 

and uniformity on foam patterns. Coating thickness controls the permeability 

of gaseous expanded polystyrene by-products, which is directly related to 

casting defects such as porosity and folds. Therefore, measuring the rheological 

properties of the lost foam coating is critical to minimizing casting defects. 

Cost Savings 

Reduces costs for polystyrene beads, glue, coating, sand, aluminum, cleaning 

media, and labor by $900,000 to $1.5 million annually. 

Environmental 

Reduces harmful incinerator emissions and sand waste by 2.2 to 3.5 tons 

annually. 

Product Quality 

Improves product quality 5% to 8% over conventional lost foam casting and 

significantly reduces scrap rates. 

Benefits 

U.S. Emissions Reductions 

(Thousand Tons, 2009) 

Particulates SO X NO X Carbon 

0.0 0.015 0.022 2.85 

U.S. Energy Savings 

(Trillion Btu) 

Cumulative through 2009 2009 

2.28 0.163 
56 

IMPACTS 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 

New Low Permeability Coating Improves Durability 

and Life of Aluminum Casting Components 

Overview 

u Developed by Pyrotek, Inc. 

(www.pyrotek-inc.com) 

u Commercialized in 2005 

Capabilities 

u Extends tube component life 3-4 times. 

u Increases component reliability. 

Applications 

Can be used in aluminum casting and 

chemical reaction processes where riser 

tube and other material flow components 

are subject to extreme temperatures or 

caustic chemical streams and replacement 

of process components is costly and timeconsuming 

Low Permeability Components for Aluminum Melting and Casting 

Materials for low-pressure casting operations typically have limited lifetimes. 

New, optimized coatings for ceramics and refractory components have been 

developed by Pyrotek, Inc., Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and the University 

of Missouri with support from ITP. The new materials exhibit low permeability 

to gases for applications involving low-pressure casting and contact with molten 

aluminum. The products treated with this new technology will have improved 

coatings, functionally graded materials, and monolithics that will hold gas 

pressure. 

The new materials include enhanced combinations of properties, including 

resistance to thermal shock, erosion, corrosion, and wetting. As these materials 

are successfully deployed in aluminum smelting and casting operations, their 

superior performance and durability will achieve marked improvements in 

uptime, defect reduction, scrap/rework costs, and overall energy savings. Initial 

applications of this technology, labeled “XL” glaze, include riser tubes in lowpressure die casting of aluminum products. The reduced porosity of the new 

ceramic coating material improves the component’s air tightness, which reduces 

tube failures. Testing shows that the improved tube coatings increase the life of 

the component 3-4 times the standard, depending on the application and coating 

material. Additional work is underway on a castable material system that will 

incorporate the benefits of the “XL” coating in the cast material itself. This 

product is expected to increase component life by up to 7 times the standard. 

Energy Savings 

Eliminates reheating energy by reducing 

waste. 

Productivity 

Reduces production downtime because 

components have longer lifetimes. 

Product Quality 

Increases the life of process components. 

Benefits 

Aluminum Casting Riser Tube with Pyrotek’s Low-Permeability Coating 

Mold Cavity 

Gas 

Pressure 

Gas 

Pressure 

Riser Tube 

Molten Metal 

Crucible 
Rapid Heat Treatment of Cast Aluminum Parts
 

IMPACTS 

Automated In-Line Fluidized Bed Aluminum Heat Treatment 

System Improves Efficiency and Reduces Pollution 

Arizotah Global Enterprises, LLC, in conjunction with the NICE3 Program and 

the Minnesota Office of Environmental Assistance, has developed a system that 

reduces the time and energy required to heat treat cast aluminum components 

by up to 90%. 

Unlike existing technologies where components are stacked in baskets and 

placed in a convection or vacuum furnace, this process uses a fluidized bed in 

a continuous process mode. Because each component is individually heated in 

the fluidized bed, the components reside in the bed only as long as necessary, 

thus reducing the process time. 

The technology offers additional benefits by using microprocessor-controlled 

pulse-fired burners, which allow for precise temperature control that reduces 

rejection rates and increases product consistency. The fluidized bed also allows 

the casting sand that is traditionally disposed of to be captured and recycled in 

the fluidized bed and removed for use in new castings. 

Benefits 

Cost Savings 

Reduces the number of personnel required for loading, unloading, and 

transfer and eliminates the disposal of sand contaminated with binders. 

Energy Savings 

Substantially increases energy efficiency, reducing heat treating energy 

use by up to 90%. 

Product Quality 

Reduces component rejection rates and improves product performance, 

while simultaneously reducing the amount of aluminum needed 

to achieve performance standards. Eliminates problems of media 

Overview 

u Developed and commercialized by 

Arizotah Global Enterprises, LLC 

u Commercialized in 2006 

u 11 units operating in the United States in 

2009 

Applications 

Can be used in the wrought and cast 

aluminum heat treatment industry 

Capabilities 

u Allows for short-cycle heat treating of 

aluminum castings and forgings. 

u Brings the heat treating process into 

the production flow with the forming 

operation. 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 57

dispersion into the facility and volatility in the heat chamber. 

Automated Fluidized Bed Heat Treatment System 

Age Bed 

Quench Tank

Robot 

Product raised into 

robot and ready 

for transport into 

heat treat bed 

Product in 

load position 
 

 

 

Titanium Matrix Composite Tooling

Material for Aluminum Die Castings 

Innovative Material Saves Energy and Extends

Product Life In Aluminum Die-Casting Components
 

In aluminum die-casting, molten aluminum is forced under high pressure into 

a die cavity. First a “shot” of molten aluminum is ladled into a shot sleeve and 

the shot of molten aluminum is forced by a plunger through the shot sleeve 

into the die cavity. Shot sleeves are subject to severe conditions. For example, 

impingement of the shot can cause erosion at the surface across from the pour 

hole, and delivering and then expelling the shot can subject the shot sleeve to 

cyclical heating. 

Currently, H-13 tool steel is used to fabricate shot sleeves and other aluminum 

die-casting components. However, the useful life of H-13 is limited because 

molten aluminum adheres (called “aluminum soldering”) to the surface of the 

steel, eventually causing the sleeve to fail. Also, H-13 has poor resistance to 

heat checking, thermal fatigue, erosion, and distortion. The poor performance 

of H-13 results in frequent shot sleeve replacements. 

With the help of a NICE3 grant, Dynamet Technology, Inc., developed 

CermeTi®, a titanium-alloy metal matrix composite material that is used as a 

liner inserted into an H-13 shot sleeve. This new technology has significant 

advantages over the conventional technology, especially in its resistance to 

aluminum soldering and erosion. In addition, the reduced thermal conductivity 

of the CermeTi liner reduces heat loss during the injection phase of the casting 

process. Slower cooling permits the use of lower pouring temperatures 

(less preheat energy) or slower plunger-tip speeds (less turbulence or surface 

impingement problems within the die). As a result, the useful life of the shot 

sleeve is dramatically improved, reducing downtime, improving product quality, 

and saving energy. 

Molten Metal 

Out to Die 

Molten Metal Input 

Molten Metal 

Out to Die 

CermeTi Liner 

Shot Sleeve 

CermeTi Liner 

Aluminum Die-Casting Shot Sleeves with CermeTi® Liners 

IMPACTS 

Overview 

u Developed by Dynamet Technology, Inc. 

(www.dynamettechnology.com) 

u Commercialized in 2005 and being used 

by 35 die-cast machines in the U.S. 

U.S. Energy Savings 

(Trillion Btu) 

Cumulative through 2009 2009 

0.068 0.018 

U.S. Emissions Reductions 

(Thousand Tons, 2009) 

Particulates SO X NO X Carbon 

0.0 0.0 0.002 0.286 

Applications 

Can be used in metal casting applications 

currently using H-13 shot sleeves, including 

squeeze casting, conventional die-casting, 

and semi-solid processing 

Capabilities 

u Enhances thermal shock resistance 

through excellent resistance to aluminum 

soldering and lower thermal conductivity 

than H-13 steel. 

u Reduces the tendency of premature metal 

solidification that impedes the flow of 

molten metal needed to feed the casting 

properly. 

Benefits 

Cost Savings 

Reduces total process costs by 3%. 

Productivity 

Extends sleeve life by 4 to 10 times over 

H-13 steel, reduces downtime as a result of 

fewer shot sleeve changeovers, and enables 

longer plunger tip life. 

58 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
Mining
 IMPACTS 

u Belt Vision Inspection System.............................................................................................................................................................. 60
 

u Fibrous Monoliths as Wear-Resistant Components.............................................................................................................................. 61
 

u Horizon SensorTM ................................................................................................................................................................................. 62
 

u Imaging Ahead of Mining..................................................................................................................................................................... 63
 

u Lower-pH Copper Flotation Reagent System....................................................................................................................................... 64
 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 59 
Belt Vision Inspection System
 

Low-Cost System Identifies Defects in Mining

Conveyor Belts, Reducing Unscheduled

Maintenance and Downtime
 

Mining operations rely on conveyor belts to move mined material from the 

working face of the mine to a processing plant. When a conveyor belt breaks 

or stops for unscheduled maintenance, production generally halts because the 

belt is the only cost-effective way to carry material away from the mining unit 

and stockpiling is typically not available at the point of extraction. Longwall 

mining operations can produce revenue at $1000/minute; a mainline belt break 

will stop production for a minimum of four hours, resulting in $240,000 of lost 

revenue. 

The Belt Vision system, developed by the Beitzel Corporation and Carnegie 

Mellon University’s National Robotics Engineering Consortium, with support 

from ITP, uses high-speed line scanning cameras and a computer system 

to monitor mechanical splice deterioration in moving conveyer belts. The 

computer system, located on the belt or a remote desktop, digitizes and records 

continuous imaging of the belt and splices. Mine personnel can review live 

or historical images several times a day with minimal effort and take action 

before belt splices fail. The Belt Vision system helps eliminate costly repairs to 

conveyor belts, keeps production running, and helps reduce costs. 

The Belt Vision system’s hardware consists of cameras for imaging the belt, 

lighting for illuminating the belt, a computer for digitizing and analyzing the 

camera image, a flat panel touch screen display for a local user interface, and 

components for power distribution. Mines using the system can measure cost 

savings from avoided downtime, plan maintenance effectively, review the real 

time splice status of beltlines more easily, and plan action items for a splice. 

Components of Beitzel’s Belt Vision System 

IMPACTS 

Overview 

u Developed by the Beitzel Corporation 

(www.beitzelcorp.com) 

u Marketed by Pillar Innovations, LLC 

(www.pillarinnovations.com) 

u Commercialized in 2007, with more than 

10 systems used in U.S. mines in 2009. 

Applications 

Can be used to provide images of the belt 

splices to mine personnel, who evaluate 

these images and take action before the belt 

splice fails 

Capabilities 

u Allows mine personnel to monitor 

deterioration in operating conveyor belts 

in underground and surface mines. 

u Reduces deterioration in mining 

conveyance systems. 

u Provides a user interface for belt 

inspection at installation points using 

software that controls the cameras, 

collects encoder data, and captures 

images. 

u Stores images in a database and 

distributes them to a web server that can 

be accessed on a remote computer. 

Benefits 

Cost Savings 

Helps eliminate costly repairs to conveyor 

belts by finding potential problem points 

before the belt fails. 

Productivity 

Keeps production running and eliminates 

the need for periodic manual shutdowns to 

inspect the belt’s condition. 

60 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
Fibrous Monoliths as Wear-Resistant Components
 

IMPACTS 

New Composite Material Improves the 

Cost/Performance Ratio of Drill Bits
 

Advanced Ceramics Research (ACR) led a collaborative effort of component 

manufacturers, end users, a national laboratory, and universities to develop 

fibrous monoliths (FMs) for mining applications. ACR licensed the 

technology to Smith Bits of Houston, Texas, one of the world’s largest oil and 

drill bit manufacturers. Smith Bits demonstrated nearly a 3 to 1 oil drilling 

performance increase using FM technology compared with state-of-the-art 

diamond-coated drill bits. ACR also started a joint commercialization program 

with Kyocera Corporation to apply FM technology to industrial cutting tools. 

Smith Bits uses the FM composites in Cellular DiamondTM inserts for drilling 

and high-impact applications. FMs are produced using a simple process in 

which sets of inexpensive, thermodynamically compatible ceramic and/or metal 

powders are blended with thermoplastic polymer binders and then co-extruded 

to form a green fiber. The green composite fiber is extruded and thermoformed 

into the shape of the desired component, pyrolyzed to remove the polymer 

binder, and consolidated at ultra-high pressure and temperature to obtain the 

final FM product. The new FM manufacturing process produces ultra-hard 

inserts for roller cone bits. 

Closeup of Fibrous 

Monolith Microstructure 

Detail of Blowup 

Roller Cone Drill Bit 

Roller Cone Drill Bit with Fibrous Monolith Inserts 

Overview 

u Collaboratively developed by a national 

laboratory, universities, and private 

companies led by Advanced Ceramics 

Research, Inc. 

u Currently licensed to Smith Bits, a 

subsidiary of Schlumberger, Ltd., for use 

on drill bits 

(http://slb.com) 

Applications 

Can be used for wear-resistant components 

for drilling 

Capabilities 

Offers very high fracture energies, damage 

tolerance, and graceful failure. 

Benefits 

Energy Savings 

Reduces energy consumption by more 

efficient use of the drill machinery and less 

downtime. 

Productivity 

Increases the cost/performance ratio of wear 

materials and components and increases 

employee output. 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 61 
 

 

 

62 

IMPACTS 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 

Remote Sensing Cuts Coal and

Other Minerals More Efficiently 

Overview 

u Developed by Stolar Horizon, Inc. 

(www.stolarhorizon.com) 

u Commercialized in 2002 

u Used in 10 different U.S. mines 

Capabilities 

u Improves the quality of coal extracted 

from mines. 

u Allows for deeper mining. 

u Is used remotely for miner safety. 

Applications 

Can be used in both underground and 

surface mining operations. Primarily used 

in the coal industry but is also used to mine 

trona and potash. 

Horizon SensorTM 

Future mining will be from deeper and thinner seams; profiles of deep coal 

seams reveal multiple levels of coal and sediment strata or layers. Some of 

these layers contain greater levels of pollutants than others, which results in 

more effort to clean the coal once it is removed from the ground and more 

emissions when it is burned for fuel. 

With the aid of ITP, Stolar Horizon, Inc., developed the Horizon Sensor to 

distinguish between the different layers of coal. Miners can use this technology 

at remote locations to cut only the clean coal, resulting in a much more efficient 

overall process. The sensor, located inches from the cutting bits, is based on 

the physics principle of resonant microstrip patch antenna (RMPA). When it is 

in proximity of the rock-coal interface, the RMPA impedance varies depending 

on the thickness of uncut coal. The impedance is measured by the computercontrolled electronics and then is sent by radio waves to the mining machine. 

The worker at the machine can read the data via a graphical user interface, 

which displays a color-coded image of the coal being cut, and can direct the 

machine appropriately. 

Productivity 

Increases productivity by reducing 

or eliminating the cleaning step after 

extraction. Allows for deeper mining, 

resulting in more material obtained from 

one location and results in longer bit life 

keeping the cutting bits out of rock. 

Safety 

Allows workers to operate the machinery 

away from the hazards of cutting coal, 

including noise, dust and gases, and coal and 

rock splintering and outbursts. 

Benefits 

Functions Performed by the Horizon Sensor Mounted

on the Cutting Edge of a Continuous Mining Machine 

U.S. Emissions Reductions 

(Thousand Tons, 2009) 

Particulates SO X NO X Carbon 

0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 

U.S. Energy Savings 

(Trillion Btu) 

Cumulative through 2009 2009 

0.251 0.000 

Roof or 

Floor 

Proximity 

Sump

Depth 

Data 

Transmission 

Forward 

Detector 
Antenna 

Pattern

Imaging Ahead of Mining
 

IMPACTS 

Radio-Imaging Method (RIMTM)

Improves Mine Planning and Products
 

Coal mining is becoming more difficult as machines must extract the coal 

from deeper, thinner, and more geologically complex coal beds. This type of 

mining also includes the need to reduce risk and costs. 

To address these mining issues, Stolar Horizon, with support from ITP, 

redesigned and improved a technology developed twenty years ago. The 

Radio-Imaging Method (RIM) uses wireless synchronization between a 

transmitter and remote imaging receiver to detect geologic formations up to 

1,800 feet ahead. 

In layered sedimentary geology, a natural coal seam waveguide occurs 

because of the 10:1 contrast in conductivities between coal and surrounding 

materials. The electromagnetic wave sent by RIM through the rock reacts 

to these properties with a detectable change in magnitude because it is very 

sensitive to changes in the waveguide geology. 

The information from RIM can be used to produce an image that maps out 

the dikes, faults, and paleochannels for more targeted mining. Areas of high 

signal loss represent geologic anomalies and can be imaged to high resolution 

using tomographic reconstructions similar to CAT scans. 

Benefits 

Productivity and Profitability 

Reduces the risk of interrupting production because of adverse geologic 

conditions. When RIM is integrated into the planning of underground mining, 

forecasting production can improve 10 percent, which in turn increases profits. 

RIM 

Receiver Anomaly 

RIM 

Transmitter 

Antenna 

SYNC Pattern 

Receiver SYNC 

Transmitter 

Overview 

u Developed by Stolar Horizon, Inc.

(www.stolarhorizon.com) 

u Commercialized in 2002 

u Used in over 20 different mines in the 

United States through 2009 

U.S. Energy Savings 

(Trillion Btu)

 Cumulative through 2009 2009

7.14 0.351 

U.S. Emissions Reductions 

(Thousand Tons, 2009)

Particulates SO NO Carbon X X

 0.002 0.076 0.057 6.90 

Applications 

Can be used in both underground and 

surface mining operations. Primarily used 

in the coal industry but has also been used 

for metalliferous mining, environmental 

research, and civil engineering applications. 

Also has been used to confirm the location 

of old and abandoned mine works and the 

integrity of barrier pillars. 

Capabilities 

u Detects ore seams and geologic 

anomalies. 

u Delineates ore bodies, monitors heap 

leaches, and detects voids in coal seams. 

u Detects voids and confirms geologic 

anomalies. 

In-Mine RIM Detection System 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 63 
 

 

 

Lower-pH Copper Flotation Reagent System
 

New Reagent System Improves Recovery, Reducing 

Energy Use and Air Emissions in the Mining Industry
 

In the mining industry, flotation is a process that concentrates minerals from 

their ores prior to metal recovery. Current practice uses slurry pHs in excess 

of 10, achieved by adding burnt lime (CaO). However, lime production is an 

energy-intensive process that releases large quantities of carbon dioxide into 

the atmosphere. Furthermore, lime has several undesirable properties once 

it is in the flotation circuit. Lime produces scaling in piping and equipment, 

requiring the use of descaling reagents. It flocculates fine material and may 

occlude fine copper-sulfide particles. Lime increases the viscosity of the 

mineral slurry and tends to hinder aeration, slowing flotation kinetics. In 

addition, the calcium ion also has been shown to decrease recoveries of lead 

and molybdenum-sulfides and to reduce the recovery of free gold. 

A new reagent system, developed by Versitech, Inc., with assistance from 

DOE’s Inventions and Innovation Program, recovers copper minerals at a 

much lower pH than conventional reagents and avoids floating pyrite. The 

process reduces or even eliminates both the lime used in copper flotation and 

the accompanying carbon dioxide. The result is immediate cost, energy, and 

environmental savings along with improved recovery of copper and other 

minerals. 

Benefits 

Cost Savings 

Reduces annual operating costs in a 50,000 ton per day plant by $1.3 million. 

Productivity 

Improves mineral recovery in the mill 

flotation processes and decreases 

the amount of waste rock. Air 

IMPACTS 

Overview 

u Developed by Versitech, Inc. 

u Commercialized in 2005 

U.S. Energy Savings 

(Trillion Btu) 

Cumulative through 2009 2009 

4.87 0.973 

U.S. Emissions Reductions 

(Thousand Tons, 2009) 

Particulates SO X NO X Carbon 

0.004 0.210 0.157 19.1 

Applications 

Can be used in mining processes using a 

lime additive in the separation process 

Capabilities 

u Reduces or eliminates lime and descaling reagents. 

u Increases the amount of copper recovered 

per ton of mined ore. 

Feed 

Rotor Stator

Tails 

Froth 

Collection 

Froth 

Collection 

Motor 

Driven 

Copper Flotation Reagent System 

64 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
Steel
 IMPACTS 

u Aluminum Bronze Alloys to Improve Furnace Component Life ......................................................................................................... 66
 

u Automated Steel Cleanliness Analysis Tool (ASCAT)......................................................................................................................... 67
 

u Electrochemical Dezincing of Steel Scrap ........................................................................................................................................... 68
 

u H-Series Cast Austenitic Stainless Steels ............................................................................................................................................. 69
 

u HotEye® Steel Surface Inspection System............................................................................................................................................ 70
 

u Laser Contouring System for Refractory Lining Measurements.......................................................................................................... 71
 

u Life Improvement of Pot Hardware in Continuous Hot Dipping Processes......................................................................................... 72
 

u Low-Temperature Colossal Supersaturation of Stainless Steels........................................................................................................... 73
 

u Microstructure Engineering for Hot Strip Mills ................................................................................................................................... 74
 

u Shorter Spherodizing Annealing Time for Tube/Pipe Manufacturing.................................................................................................. 75 

u Vanadium Carbide Coating Process...................................................................................................................................................... 76 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 65 
 

 

 

66 

IMPACTS 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 

Aluminum Bronze Alloys to Improve Furnace Component Life 

Improved System Increases Steelmaking Furnace 

Efficiency, Safety, and Productivity 

Hoods, roofs, and sidewall systems in basic oxygen furnaces (BOFs) and 

electric arc furnaces (EAFs) enable effluent gases in excess of 3000°F to be 

properly captured, cooled, and processed prior to delivery to the environmental 

control equipment. Traditionally, these carbon steel components have been 

considered standard “repair and replace” items by the industry. During the 

steelmaking process, large amounts of waste heat, particulates, and waste gases 

are generated in the furnace. The interaction of these waste streams with the 

carbon steel components of the furnace can result in metal failure from erosion, 

corrosion, and thermal stress cracking. 

With ITP support, the Energy Industries of Ohio, Oak Ridge National 

Laboratory, Republic Engineered Products, and Amerifab, Inc., developed 

and installed several components of a BOF with aluminum bronze alloy 

material. Replacing carbon steel components with those manufactured from 

aluminum bronze alloy reduces metal failure, increases productivity, improves 

operating safety, and reduces energy consumption in the steel making process. 

Additionally, slag from the steel making process does not adhere to the 

aluminum bronze alloy, which eliminates all cleaning time, equipment damage, 

and operational difficulties associated with the accumulation of slag on the 

skirt. 

Overview 

u Developed by AmeriFab, Inc., in 2002 

(www.amerifabinc.com) 

u Commercialized in 2004 

u Components being used on five furnaces 

in Ohio and Illinois 

Capabilities 

u Provides superior performance compared 

with industry standard carbon, chromemoly, and weld overlayed steels. 

u Improves production throughput and 

limits energy consumption by reducing 

forced outages and downtime due to 

thermal fatigue, particulate erosion, and 

chemical corrosion. 

u Reduces issues related to slag buildup. 

Applications 

Can be used for BOF/EAF hood, roof, 

and side wall systems that are exposed to 

aggressive heat, particulate, and corrosive 

waste gas from the steelmaking process 

Basic Oxygen Furnace Components 

Benefits 

Environmental 

Reduces chance of air permit violations associated with improper skirt 

positioning in suppressed combustion furnaces, thereby optimizing primary 

capture of vessel emissions. 

Productivity 

Reduces maintenance 

on skirts, chutes, hoods, 

and other water-cooled 

steel furnace components. 

U.S. Emissions Reductions 

(Thousand Tons, 2009) 

Particulates SO X NO X Carbon 

0.0 0.0 0.001 0.162 

U.S. Energy Savings 

(Trillion Btu) 

Cumulative through 2009 2009 

0.074 0.010 

Skirt 

Tap Hole 

Refractory

Lining 

Fluxes 

and 

Coolant 

Water-Cooled 

Lance 

Water-Cooled 

Fume Hood 

Fumes to 

Environmental 

Control 
Automated Steel Cleanliness Analysis Tool (ASCAT)
 

IMPACTS 

New Microscopy System Improves Steel Mill Performance 

and Allows Production of Higher Quality Steel 

Inclusions are particles of insoluble impurities formed during steelmaking 

and casting operations that are entrapped during solidification of metal. 

Characterizing inclusions is important because of an increasing demand 

for cleaner steels with low inclusion (defect) content. The composition, 

and therefore the properties, of the inclusions can be controlled through the 

chemistries of the metal and slag. Controlling the properties of the inclusions 

allows higher quality steel to be made. However, despite the major advances 

in inclusion control, no rapid and accurate method is available to determine the 

type, size, and number of inclusions present in steel samples. 

RJ Lee Group, Inc., with ITP and steel industry support, has developed the 

ASCAT, an inclusion analysis tool based on a highly capable scanning electron 

microscope combined with specially developed hardware and software. The 

ASCAT provides a way to understand the complicated effects of inclusions 

in the steel making process and on the resulting properties of steel. The 

instrument uses an innovative state-of-the art silicon drift detector to acquire 

x-ray composition information that is about an order of magnitude faster than 

previously used equipment. The ultimate goal is to develop the system so that 

analysis time is reduced to 10-15 minutes, which would enable the ASCAT to be 

used as an “on-line” analysis tool. The ASCAT uses “intelligent” software to 

emulate specialized knowledge that can be used to evaluate causes of clogging/ 

erosion, slag treatment practices, castability, degasser circulation optimization, 

and slab disposition. One ASCAT system is now in use at the U.S. Steel 

Munhall Research and Technology Center. 

Benefits 

Energy Savings 

Improves energy efficiency by minimizing steel rejection and subsequent 

remelting of the rejected steel. 

Productivity 

Increases production and reduces downgrades, with significant cost savings. 

Product Quality 

Allows for the increased production of high-grade steels and alloys. 

Overview 

u Developed and being marketed by the RJ 

Lee Group, Inc. 

(www.rjlg.com) 

u Commercialized in 2007 

u Employed at the U. S. Steel Munhall 

Research and Technology Center 

Applications 

Can be used in the steel manufacturing 

process, including in castability of calcium 

treated steel; interstitial free degasser grade 

slag conditioning practice; tundish clogging 

and erosion minimization; degasser 

circulation and optimization; quality 

assessment/steel cleanliness; slab, billet, or 

bloom disposition; and alloy development. 

Capabilities 

u Collects statistically meaningful data on 

inclusions in a steel sample and addresses 

a market need to monitor the effects of 

inclusions in the steel making process. 

u Uses fast inclusion identification software 

with advanced statistical algorithms 

to automatically sort inclusions into 

meaningful classifications. 

u Provides intuitive graphics-based output, 

which can be integrated to plant control 

rooms and computer databases. 

Classification of Steel Inclusions Using ASCAT 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 67 
 

 

 

Electrochemical Dezincing of Steel Scrap
 

Dezincing of Steel Scrap Reduces Concerns

of Recyclability and Waste Streams 

Half of the steel produced in the United States is derived from scrap. With 

zinc-coated prompt scrap increasing fivefold since 1980, steelmakers are feeling 

the effect of increased contaminant loads on their operations. The greatest 

concerns are the cost of treatment before disposal of waste dusts and the water 

associated with remelting zinc-coated scrap. 

With financial assistance from ITP, Argonne National Laboratory with Metal 

Recovery Technologies, Inc., and CMA Corporation (formerly Meretec 

Corporation) have developed a technology that separates steel scrap into 

dezinced steel scrap and metallic zinc. The removal of zinc from steel scrap 

increases the recyclability of the underlying steel, decreases steelmaking dust, 

and decreases zinc in wastewater streams. 

The process consists of two stages: dissolving the zinc coating from scrap in a 

hot, caustic solution and recovering the zinc from the solution electrolytically. 

Through a galvanic process, the zinc is removed from the steel and is in solution 

as sodium zincate ions rather than zinc dust. The steel is then rinsed with water 

and ready for reuse. Impurities are removed from the zinc solution, and then 

a voltage is applied in order to grow metallic zinc via an oxidation-reduction 

reaction. All waste streams in this process are reused. 

Benefits 

Pollution Reduction 

Decreases steelmaking dust released to the air as well as pollutants in 

wastewater streams. The process itself does not consume any chemicals, other 

than drag-out losses, and produces only a small amount of waste. 

Productivity 

Removing zinc prior to processing of scrap saves time and money in disposal 

of waste dusts and water. Without the zinc, this high-quality scrap does not 

require extra handling, blending, or sorting for remelting in steelmaking 

furnaces. 

Shredded 

Galvanized Scrap Regenerated Caustic 

IMPACTS
 

Overview 

u Developed by Argonne National 

Laboratory 

u Commercialized in 2003 by Meretec 

Corporation (now CMA Corporation) 

(www.cmacorp.net) 

u Steel scrap sold to several dealers, 

steelmakers, and foundries after 

dezincing 

U.S. Energy Savings 

(Trillion Btu) 

Cumulative through 2009 2009 

0.370 0.087 

U.S. Emissions Reductions 

(Thousand Tons, 2009) 

Particulates SO X NO X Carbon 

0.001 0.055 0.024 2.44 

Applications 

Can be used primarily in the steel and 

foundry industries 

Capabilities 

u Improves quality of steel scrap that 

steelmakers can use. 

u Produces 99.8% pure zinc for resale. 

Degalvanizing

Reactor 

Process 

Heat 

Electric 

Powder 

Purification 

Circuit 

Electrowinning

Cells 

Rinsing Separation,

Drying,

and Packing 

Dezinced Scrap Zinc Powder Product 

Electrochemical Dezincing of Galvanized Steel Scrap 

68 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
H-Series Cast Austenitic Stainless Steels
 

IMPACTS 

Scientific Design Methodology Used to Develop Stronger 

Stainless Steels for High-Temperature Applications 

Cast H-Series austenitic steels are used extensively in several industries for a 

broad range of high-temperature applications. The H-Series stainless steels 

have evolved over many years of complex alloy development that added various 

alloying elements by trial-and-error methods. The native microstructure 

established in these austenitic alloys consists of dendritic structures of austenite 

matrix with finer dispersions of carbides. With the support of a grant from 

ITP, a combination of thermodynamic modeling, developed at the Oak Ridge 

National Laboratory, micro-structural characterization, and mechanical 

property measurements was used to derive composition-structure-property 

relationships for this class of alloys. With these relationships, Duraloy 

Technologies, Inc., successfully developed new alloy compositions with 

improved properties at higher temperatures. 

The combined approach of micro-characterization of phases and computational 

phase prediction permits rapid improvement of a current class of alloy 

compositions and allows alloys to be customized across steel grades for 

specific applications. The results of this work increased the high-temperature 

creep strength and the upper-use temperature range of H-Series stainless steel 

material, including HP and HK alloys. Application of these new products 

is best suited to radiant burner tubes for annealing furnaces in the steel heat 

treating industry, tubes for the chemical industry, and transfer rolls and kilns 

for various high-temperature furnace operations. Other applications in other 

industries would apply where high-temperature operations are required. 

Chemical Processing Coils Composed of H-Series Stainless Steel 

Overview
 

u Developed by Duraloy Technologies, Inc. 

(www.duraloy.com) 

u Commercialized in 2003 

u As of 2009, 197 U.S. applications were 

operating in 10 processing plants 

Applications 

Can be used in the chemicals, forest 

products, heat treating, petrochemical, and 

steel industries, including burner tubes for 

heat-treating furnaces, transfer rolls for 

heat-treating furnaces, coiler drums and 

rolls for Steckel mills, and tubes for ethylene 

cracking and other processes 

Capabilities 

u Offers superior toughness over standard 

H-series steel. 

u Applies to multiple heating processes. 

Benefits 

Energy Savings 

Could save an estimated 35 trillion Btu/year 

and $185M/year by 2020. 

Productivity 

Improved process efficiencies from higher 

operating temperatures reduces downtime 

of the production equipment, reduces 

replacement of components, and increases 

productivity with reduced rejection. 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 69 
 

 

 

70 

IMPACTS 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 

Unique Measurement System Enhances

Process Control, Cuts Scrap by Half, and Saves Energy 

Overview 

u Developed by OG Technologies, Inc. 

(www.ogtechnologies.com) 

u Commercialized in 2004 

u Installed in five U.S. and multiple foreign 

steel mills in 2009 

Capabilities 

u Inspects 100% of product surface on-line. 

u Identifies defects as small as 0.025 mm. 

u Performs inspections while the product 

is at temperatures of up to 1550°C and 

moving at 100 m/second. 

Applications 

Can be used in steel hot rolling mills and 

continued casting processes 

HotEye® Steel Surface Inspection System 

A new inspection system, the HotEye® Rolled Steel Bar (RSB) System, has 

been developed and demonstrated by OG Technologies (OGT) Inc., with the 

help of both a NICE3 grant and a project under the ITP Sensors and Automation 

Program. The HotEye RSB System is based on OGT’s HotEye System and 

integrates it with a dynamic control plan (DCP) for hot steel processes. The 

HotEye System accurately and reliably measures a part’s dimensions and 

detects its surface features, including defects, while it is still red hot, i.e., at 

temperatures of up to 1550°C. Current measurement systems cannot be used 

until the parts cool down, which results in higher scrap rates once defects are 

detected. The DCP classifies some defects from production and identifies 

their root causes and corrective actions. The DCP’s effectiveness depends on 

instruments that can detect quantitative quality information in real-time in a 

hostile operating environment. The HotEye RSB System provides real-time 

process control to increase yields 2.5% in continuous casting and hot rolling 

steel mills, saving energy, improving quality, and increasing productivity. 

The HotEye RSB System consists of three HotEye imaging sensors, four 

powerful PCs, modulating devices for the lighting system, proprietary image 

processing software, the software version of the steel rolling DCP, and 

an enclosure to protect the hardware and software from the effects of the 

harsh operating environment in a steel mill. The HotEye RSB System will 

automatically (1) inspect 100% of the surface of the product in-line; (2) identify 

defects as small as 0.025 mm; (3) analyze and record the size, nature, and 

location of the defects; (4) measure 100% of the dimensions of the product; and 

(5) generate process correction advice based on the DCP, while the product is at 

a temperature up to 1550°C and moving at a speed up to 100 m/second. 

Benefits 

Employee Safety 

Allows the inspection of parts at 

temperatures of up to 1550°C remotely, 

reducing employee burns. 

Profitability and Productivity 

Detects and identifies production flaws 

quickly and reduces the scrap rate from the 

process by 50%. 

Design of the HotEye RSB Sensor System 

U.S. Emissions Reductions 

(Thousand Tons, 2009) 

Particulates SO X NO X Carbon 

0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 

U.S. Energy Savings 

(Trillion Btu) 

Cumulative through 2009 2009 

8.29 0.00 

HotEye

Sensor 

Lighting Reflector 

Lighting 

Steel Rod 

Water Cooled 

Reflective System 

Steel Rod 

Guide 
Laser Contouring System for Refractory Lining Measurements
 

IMPACTS 

Optical Sensor Provides Real-Time Process Control, 

Resulting in Reduced Costs and Improved Performance
 

A suite of new robust sensors and control systems for base oxygen furnace 

(BOF) and molten steel transfer ladles makes possible dynamic process control 

and rapid assessment of the effectiveness of operations. With ITP support, 

Process Metrix and the American Iron and Steel Institute developed the Laser 

Contouring System (LCS) now being sold by Process Metrix. The LCS is a 

high-speed, laser-based technology that measures the refractory lining thickness 

of furnace vessels for manufacturing steel, copper, and aluminum. With a 

laser scan rate of over 8,000 points per second, the LCS provides exceptionally 

detailed contour resolution and accurate bath height determination. Moreover, 

measurement time ranges between 1 to 6 minutes or ten times faster than 

prior units. Quick on-line feedback eliminates downtime costs due to off-line 

inspection and unnecessary relining, increases equipment life, and ensures 

operational safety. 

Contour maps of both vessel wall and bottom clearly illustrate lining thickness 

over the entire vessel interior. Thickness values are displayed both numerically 

and by color key, immediately revealing regions that might require attention. 

The report generator automatically prints all of the views and screens needed 

by the mill to make informed process decisions. New software releases, that 

include upgrades and feature requests from customers, are made twice annually. 

Two principle objectives are emphasized in the mobile platform design: 

speed and simplicity. Fast measurement times are achieved using a laserbased navigation system. Working from three reflectors mounted on the 

building structure behind the cart, this system automatically measures the cart 

position relative to the BOF and reports position information directly to the 

LCS computer. The navigation system is completely automatic and updates 

8 times per second. Process Metrix has also implemented a radio frequency 

(RF) link that continuously broadcasts the vessel tilt to a receiver located in 

the cart. The RF-link incorporates 2.4 gigahertz spread-spectrum technology 

for interference-free transmission. During the measurement, the RF receiver 

automatically reports the vessel tilt to the LCS computer. Together, the laser 

navigation system and RF link enable fast, error-free measurement of the vessel 

lining thickness. Single measurements can be made in 20-30 seconds. An 

entire map of the vessel interior, consisting of 4-6 measurements and 500,000+ 

data points, can be completed in less than 6 minutes. 

Fixed position installation is available for converter and ladle applications. 

This type of installation, coupled with the high measurement speed of the LCS, 

enables measurements after every heat with little or no loss of process time. 

Overview 

u Commercialized in 2001 by Process 

Metrix 

(www.processmetrix.com) 

u Nine units in operation at seven U.S. 

installations in 2009 and additional units 

in use overseas 

Applications 

Can be used for rapid measurements of 

vessel wall and bottom lining thickness in 

steel converters, ladles, electric arc furnaces, 

copper smelters – in short, any refractorylined vessel that has line-of-sight optical 

access 

Capabilities 

u Is available as a mobile platform or a 

fixed position installation. 

u Maps the entire vessel interior in less 

than 6 minutes. 

u Provides detailed contour resolution and 

vessel lining thickness with over 500,000 

individual contour measurements. 

Benefits 

Cost Savings 

Saves up to $1 million per year for 

manufacturers. 

Energy Savings 

Reduces energy usage via rapid real-time 

measurements for process control and with 

no loss of process time. 

Productivity 

Reduces maintenance on BOF refractory via 

automated furnace inspection. 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 71 
72 

IMPACTS 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 

Improved Galvanizing Bath Hardware and Materials 

Result in Energy and Cost Savings 

Overview 

u Developed by West Virginia University 

in partnership with numerous steel 

manufacturing support companies 

u Commercialized in 2006 by Pyrotek, Inc. 

(www.pyrotek-inc.com) 

Capabilities 

u Provides up to 10 times the corrosion and 

wear resistance compared with baseline 

materials. 

u Reduces the potential for bearing 

instability due to improved hardware 

alloys. 

u Improves surface characteristics of sheet 

steel from reduced dross formation. 

Applications 

Can be used to improve the life of 

pot hardware, which applies to the 57 

continuous hot dipping process lines in the 

U.S. 

Life Improvement of Pot Hardware in

Continuous Hot Dipping Processes 

Flat-rolled surface-coated steel, including galvanized and aluminized sheet, 

is one of the fastest growing, most profitable sectors of the U.S. steel industry. 

Coating steel sheets by continuous hot dipping in a molten metal bath of zinc 

and aluminum is an efficient and economical method of protecting most steel 

sheet compositions from corrosion. However, corrosion, wear, and dross 

buildup on bath hardware such as bearings, sink rolls, and stabilizing rolls can 

lead to frequent downtime of production lines and can significantly reduce 

energy efficiency. 

West Virginia University, with support from ITP and numerous private 

sectors partners, developed a new generation of bath hardware components. 

The components are made with several entirely new materials, such as an 

iron-aluminum-cobalt alloy, which provide 10 times the corrosion and wear 

resistance in the Zn/Al bath compared with baseline materials. The advanced 

bath hardware materials provide longer life in the corrosive galvanizing bath by 

minimizing crystal growth, corrosion attack, and bearing surface degradation, 

all of which can lead to surface impurities on the final product, lowering the 

market value of the finished galvanized steel. 

Delivering new roll and bearing designs, along with bath hardware materials 

developed with these new alloys, has extended component life by an order of 

magnitude, while remaining cost effective at only 10% to 15% higher than 

comparable components. 

Cost Savings 

Reduces waste and process scrap volume by 

limiting the frequency of downtime in the 

galvanizing process. 

Environmental 

Reduces emissions from sheet steel 

manufacturing plants. 

Productivity 

Limits the formation of surface 

imperfections on the finished sheet steel. 

Benefits 

Steel Sheet Manufacturing Process 

Sink Rolls 

Hot-Dipping Bath 

Stabilizing Rolls 

Snout 

Gas Knives 
Low-Temperature Colossal Supersaturation of Stainless Steels
 

IMPACTS 

New Process Improves Hardness and Corrosion

Resistance of Stainless Steel Components
 

Austenitic stainless steels in the 300 Series are the primary materials used 

for a very broad range of applications when corrosion resistance is needed in 

aqueous solutions at ambient temperatures. While austenitic stainless steels 

have excellent corrosion-resistance properties, they possess low hardness values 

and cannot be heat-treated to increase their hardness. In materials science, 

it has been generally understood that carbon atoms cannot be introduced 

into austenitic stainless steel through heat treatment without the formation of 

chromium carbides, which compromise the corrosion-resistant properties of 

the alloy. Until now, hardness and corrosion resistance have been typically 

regarded as tradeoffs. 

With assistance from ITP and the Ohio Department of Development, Swagelok 

Company contributed to research using its patented heat treating process 

known as low-temperature colossal supersaturation (LTCSS). This process 

dramatically improves surface hardness without losing corrosion resistance. 

By contrast, the traditional methods of heat treating stainless steel promote 

the formation of chromium carbides that compromise the corrosion-resistant 

properties of the alloy. LTCSS introduces carbon atoms into the austenitic, 

or face-centered-cubic, crystal structure without the formation of chromium 

carbides. Testing has shown the carbon absorption to be about 80,000 times 

greater than thermodynamics and kinetics would suggest being possible. At the 

same time, there is evidence of improved corrosion resistance, wear resistance, 

and increased fatigue strength. 

Swagelok Company launched their LTCSS business by forming a subsidiary, 

Swagelok Technology Services Co., to treat steel parts supplied by their 

customers. Swagelok is pursuing individual licensing of the technology. 

An Application of Swagelok’s LTCSS to Tube Fittings 

Overview 

u Developed by Swagelok Company 

(www.swagelok.com) 

u Research performed in conjunction 

with Case Western University, Energy 

Industries of Ohio, Oak Ridge National 

Laboratory, and Spirax Sarco, Inc. 

u Used by Swagelok since 1999 and 

commercialized to the public in 2007 

u Used by the U.S. Naval Research Lab for 

treating stainless steel components 

Applications 

Can be used anywhere stainless steel 

parts are used, e.g., pump and circulation 

equipment, industrial components, and 

medical devices 

Capabilities 

u Imparts higher hardness to stainless steel 

components. 

u Provides nickel-like corrosion resistance 

for a part that will cost less than an 

expensive high-nickel alloy. 

u Allows sheet metal to be treated and still 

retain its ductility. 

u Treats finished components without 

distortion or change of dimension. 

u Avoids carbide formation. 

Benefits 

Durability 

Increases the corrosion/erosion resistance 

of stainless steel components to levels 

previously attainable only by expensive 

high-nickel or high-molybdenum alloys. 

Product Quality 

Allows ordinary stainless steels to adopt 

performance characteristics of more 

expensive alloys. 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 73 
Microstructure Engineering for Hot Strip Mills 

Innovative Model Provides a More Detailed Insight into

Mill Operations to Reduce Costs and Improve Quality
 

Many hot rolled products must achieve strict strength and toughness 

requirements, making control of the microstructure critical. This causes these 

products to be difficult to make and requires many costly full production trials 

before the range of both chemical composition and hot strip mill processing 

parameters can be defined. The Hot Strip Mill Model (HSMM) is an invaluable 

tool to cost effectively assist in determining the optimum processing conditions 

to achieve the desired product properties. This model runs in an off-line mode, 

thereby saving many tons of wasted product that might be scrapped in trying to 

identify the proper mill set-up. 

The HSMM also provides additional savings in grade consolidation, 

control optimization for new grades, and improvement of mechanical and 

microstructure properties for downstream processing. The model can 

consolidate grades by allowing the user to develop different processing setups 

for the same steel grade that will then achieve the various mechanical properties 

needed for the different finished products. The HSMM can improve on-line 

control optimization for new grades by using what is learned from the HSMM 

to help set up the on-line models so they learn faster how to optimize the 

processing of the new grade. And finally, processing the steel to achieve the 

optimum or specific microstructure attributes further improves processing of 

the product in downstream operations. 

User Interface 

Microstructure Evolution 

and Mechanical Properties 

Tracking 

Rolling Mill

Thermal-Mechanical 

Run Out Table 

Thermal-Mechanical 

IMPACTS 

Overview 

u Developed by The American Iron and 

Steel Institute as part of its Advanced 

Process Control Program 

u Marketed and sold by INTEG Process 

Group, Inc. 

(www.integpg.com) 

u Acquired by 28 companies or universities 

around the world, including five U.S. 

steel companies 

Applications 

Can be used in any hot rolling mill that 

produces sheet or plate products (flat rolled 

material). The model can handle a variety 

of rolling mill configurations, including 

roughing mills, coil boxes, finishing mills, 

run out tables, and coilers 

Capabilities 

u Allows the user to easily modify the mill 

configuration or processing parameters 

to see its impact on the end results of the 

product being rolled (simulated). 

u Can be used as a training tool, allowing 

operators to see the end result for 

different processing conditions or grades 

of steel. 

Benefits 

Competitiveness 

Improves industrial competitiveness through 

product optimization and cost savings. 

Productivity 

Decreases product variability through the 

development of a predictive tool, which 

can quantitatively link the properties of hot 

rolled product to the operating parameters 

of the hot strip mills. 

Components of the HSMM 

74 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
 

 

 

IMPACTS 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 75

New Process Results in Productivity

Improvements and Energy Savings 

Overview 

u Developed by The Timken Company 

(www.timken.com) 

u Used at one U.S. steel plant in 2009 

Capabilities 

Shortens annealing cycles and saves energy. 

Applications 

Can be used by steel tube and pipe 

manufacturers and specialty metal 

manufacturers 

Shorter Spherodizing Annealing Time for Tube/Pipe Manufacturing 

The steel industry is working to improve the manufacturing of tubes and pipes 

while maintaining key steel parameters and reducing the amount of energy used 

in the process. The Timken Company developed an enhanced spherodized 

annealing cycle for through-hardened steel. This technology is a by-product of 

a larger ITP-sponsored project, the “Controlled Thermo-Mechanical Processing 

(CTMP) of Tubes and Pipes for Enhanced Manufacturing and Performance.” 

The spherodized annealing process changes the hard, elongated carbide 

particles in the steel to be spherical with a preferred diameter. The size and 

shape of the original elongated carbides produced by the previous hotworking 

process influence the ability to spherodize the carbides. The spherodized 

annealing process consists of heating the carbide particles to temperatures at 

which they form spherical shapes. This entire heating and holding cycle takes 

20 to 50 hours. Various combinations of temperatures and times can be used to 

achieve the desired shape and distribution of the carbide spheres. In this ITPsponsored project, experimentation was conducted to characterize the effect of 

the original elongated carbides and the annealing times and temperatures on the 

resulting spheroid size and distribution. 

The experimental results helped the Timken Company shorten the annealing 

cycle time by 20% and condense the number of plant trials to achieve that. The 

result was an optimized cycle that reduced energy consumption and improved 

productivity while generating a quality product with the desirable metallurgical 

properties for forming and machining. 

Energy Savings 

Reduces fuel requirements by reducing 

annealing cycle time by 20%. 

Productivity 

Increases productivity approximately 10% 

due to the reduced cycle time. 

Product Quality 

Provides the end user with steel that is 

easily formed and machined with the same 

desirable metallurgical properties. 

Benefits 

Tube Making Process 

U.S. Emissions Reductions 

(Thousand Tons, 2009) 

Particulates SO X NO X Carbon 

0.0 0.0 0.001 0.133 

U.S. Energy Savings 

(Trillion Btu) 

Cumulative through 2009 2009 

0.138 0.008 

Burnout Zone Pierce Elongate Cool 

Final Cool 

Heat Treat 

Heat Reduce Size 
Vanadium Carbide Coating Process
 

Innovative Process Enhances Wear Resistance 

of Metals, Saving Energy, Waste, and Costs 

Traditional methods of coating steel surfaces with a layer of hard metal carbide 

require large capital investment, produce toxic and hazardous gases, are 

costly to operate, and require multiple heat-treatment steps during processing. 

Vanadium carbide (VC) coating technology provides a superior protective 

coating for steel surfaces and eliminates the need for multiple heat-treatment 

steps during processing, thereby eliminating harmful gas emissions. 

The coating system, developed by Metlab-Potero with assistance from the 

NICE3 program, is based on a thermal diffusion technology, which forms a VC 

surface layer that can be made up to 15 microns thick in 12 hours. Process steps 

include cleaning, preheating, coating, cooling, or quenching, and subsequent 

tempering as required. Cleaned parts are preheated and then immersed in 

an environmentally benign fused salt bath in an 800°C to 1200°C furnace 

at ambient pressure until the required coating thickness is achieved. The 

work piece is then removed from the furnace for quenching, slow cooling, or 

additional hardening and tempering. The process protects steel surfaces with a 

thick, well-controlled layer of VC while eliminating the need for multiple heattreatment steps that increase energy use and the chance of production defects. 

Reducing the number of processing steps eliminates emissions, vacuum vessels, 

and the associated electrical heating system components. 

Vanadium Carbide Coating Process 

Cleaning

(Degreasing) 

Preheating 

Diffusion 

Coating Process

in Salt Bath 

Slow Cool Cleaning 

Oil Quench

Water Quench

Salt Quench

IMPACTS 

Overview 

u Developed by Metlab-Potero 

(www.metlabheattreat.com) 

u Commercialized in 2005 

Applications 

Can be used for manufactured tools and dies 

requiring hardened, wear-resistant surfaces 

Capabilities 

Increases dimensional accuracy and creates 

wear-resistant surfaces without multiple 

heat-treatment steps. 

Benefits 

Cost Savings 

Reduces process costs by 20%. 

Environmental 

Reduces water usage by 20% to 50% and 

eliminates harmful gas emissions. 

Productivity/Quality 

Offers productivity gains of 10% to 30% 

and increases tool life 5 to 30 times 

compared with conventional wear-resistance 

methods. 

76 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
Crosscutting
 IMPACTS 

u Adjustable-Speed Drives for 500 to 4000 Horsepower Industrial Applications................................................................................... 79
 

u Advanced Aerodynamic Technologies for Improving Fuel Economy in Ground Vehicles.................................................................. 80
 

u Advanced Reciprocating Engine Systems (ARES) .............................................................................................................................. 81
 

u Aerogel-Based Insulation for Industrial Steam Distribution Systems.................................................................................................. 82
 

u Autotherm® Energy Recovery System ................................................................................................................................................. 83
 

u Barracuda® Computational Particle Fluid Dynamics (CPFD®) Software ............................................................................................ 84
 

u Callidus Ultra-Blue (CUBL) Burner .................................................................................................................................................... 85
 

u Catalytic Combustion ........................................................................................................................................................................... 86
 

u Composite-Reinforced Aluminum Conductor...................................................................................................................................... 87
 

u Cromer Cycle Air Conditioner.............................................................................................................................................................. 88
 

u Electrochromic Windows – Advanced Processing Technology............................................................................................................ 89
 

u Energy-Conserving Tool for Combustion-Dependent Industries ......................................................................................................... 90
 

u Fiber-Optic Sensor for Industrial Process Measurement and Control.................................................................................................. 91
 

u Fiber Sizing Sensor and Controller....................................................................................................................................................... 92
 

u Force Modulation System for Vehicle Manufacturing.......................................................................................................................... 93
 

u Freight WingTM Aerodynamic Fairings ................................................................................................................................................ 94
 

u Functionally Graded Materials for Manufacturing Tools and Dies...................................................................................................... 95
 

u Ice Bear® Storage Module .................................................................................................................................................................... 96
 

u Improved Diesel Engines...................................................................................................................................................................... 97
 

u In-Situ, Real Time Measurement of Elemental Constituents ............................................................................................................... 98
 

u Materials and Process Design for High-Temperature Carburizing....................................................................................................... 99
 

u Mobile Zone Optimized Control System for Energy-Efficient Surface-Coating ............................................................................... 100
 

u Nanocoatings for High-Efficiency Industrial Hydraulic and Tooling Systems ...................................................................................101
 

u Portable Parallel Beam X-Ray Diffraction System ............................................................................................................................ 102
 

u Predicting Corrosion of Advanced Materials and Fabricated Components........................................................................................ 103
 

u Process Particle Counter ..................................................................................................................................................................... 104
 

u Pulsed Laser Imager for Detecting Hydrocarbon and VOC Emissions.............................................................................................. 105
 

u Simple Control for Single-Phase AC Induction Motors ..................................................................................................................... 106
 

u Solid-State Sensors for Monitoring Hydrogen ................................................................................................................................... 107
 

u SpyroCorTM Radiant Tube Heater Inserts ........................................................................................................................................... 108
 

u Three-Phase Rotary Separator Turbine............................................................................................................................................... 109
 

u Ultra-Low NO Premixed Industrial Burner .......................................................................................................................................110
 X


u Ultrananocrystalline Diamond (UNCD) Seal Faces............................................................................................................................111
 

u Uniform Droplet Process for Production of Alloy Spheres.................................................................................................................112
 

u Uniformly Drying Materials Using Microwave Energy......................................................................................................................113
 

u Vibration Power Harvesting.................................................................................................................................................................114
 

u Wear Resistant Composite Structure of Vitreous Carbon Containing Convoluted Fibers...................................................................115
 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 77 
Crosscutting
 IMPACTS 

u Wireless Sensors for Condition Monitoring of Essential Assets .........................................................................................................116
 

u Wireless Sensors for Process Stream Sampling and Analysis.............................................................................................................117
 

78 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
 

 

 

Adjustable-Speed Drives for 500 to 4000 

Horsepower Industrial Applications 

IMPACTS 

New Drive System Saves Energy and Extends 

Variable Speed Control to Larger Motors
 

MagnaDrive Corporation, with assistance from the NICE3 program and 

Washington State University’s Cooperative Extension Energy Program, has 

developed a highly efficient adjustable speed drive (ASD) for various industrial 

applications. The MagnaDrive ASD has been successfully tested and used in 

industrial environments with motors up to 4,000 horsepower (hp). Over 5,000 

units are currently in use in U.S. applications up to 2,500 hp, of which 72 are 

over 500 hp. 

The ASD consists of two major components that never touch: (1) the copper 

conductor assembly, directly connected to the motor shaft; and (2) the magnet 

rotor assembly, directly connected to the load shaft. The torque is transmitted 

across a thin air gap that can be continuously adjusted to control the speed of 

the load. The actuation components are attached to the magnet rotor assembly 

on the load side of the ASD. Rare-earth permanent magnets are the key to the 

system’s performance. The magnets are made of neodymium, iron, and boron 

(NdFeB) and retain their magnetic properties for the life of the system. 

The motor is started with the ASD system in a position that places the largest 

air gap between the magnet rotors and the copper conductors. The motor 

quickly comes to full speed in an unloaded condition. The magnet rotor is 

then actuated to adjust the rotors closer to the conductors. As the components 

approach each other, eddy currents are induced, allowing a smooth transfer of 

torque across the air gap until the distance between the magnet rotor and the 

copper assembly closes to about 1/8 inch. At this point the ASD reaches its 

maximum efficiency of up to 99% of the torque transferred between the motor 

and the load. 

Magnet Rotor Assembly 

Adjustable-Speed Drive Components 

Motor Shaft Load Shaft

Copper Conductor Assembly 

Overview 

u Developed by MagnaDrive Corporation 

(www.magnadrive.com) 

u Commercialized in 2003 

u 72 large and over 5000 smaller units 

operating in the United States in 2009 

U.S. Energy Savings 

(Trillion Btu) 

Cumulative through 2009 2009 

1.65 0.551 

U.S. Emissions Reductions 

(Thousand Tons, 2009) 

Particulates SO X NO X Carbon 

0.002 0.119 0.089 10.8 

Applications 

Can be used in motor driven pumps, fans, 

blowers, and other processing/manufacturing equipment used in industry 

Capabilities 

u Transfers torque from motors to driven 

equipment across an air gap without 

shaft-to-shaft physical connection. 

u Permits speed control by varying the 

air gap spacing, thereby controlling the 

amount of torque transmitted. 

u Eliminates the transmission of vibration 

across the drive due to the air gap 

configuration. 

Benefits 

Productivity 

Eliminates vibration, reduces noise, 

tolerates misalignment, provides overload 

protection, extends motor and equipment 

life, and reduces overall maintenance and 

operations costs. 

Product Quality 

Improves product quality and optimizes 

process rates. 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 79 
 

 

 

80 

IMPACTS 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 

Low-Cost Aerodynamic Drag Reduction Devices for 

Tractor-Trailer Trucks Reduce Fuel Consumption 

Overview 

u Developed by SOLUS Solutions and 

Technologies LLC in 2001 

(www.solusinc.com) 

u Commercialized in 2007 

u Currently marketed by Silver Eagle 

Manufacturing Company 

(www.silvereaglemfg.com) 

Capabilities 

u Improves fuel economy of a tractor-trailer 

by 10% at 60 mph. 

u Improves vehicle stability and handling. 

u Reduces drag by up to 25% at all 

operational speeds. 

Applications 

Can be used for all classes of heavy tractor 

trailers to reduce drag and improve fuel 

economy 

Advanced Aerodynamic Technologies for Improving Fuel 

Economy in Ground Vehicles 

Heavy vehicles lose a tremendous amount of energy from wind resistance, 

braking, and rolling resistance. Such non-engine losses can account for about 

a 45% decrease in efficiency. The need for technologies to reduce these 

parasitic losses has gained significant attention as fuel costs have increased. 

The 21st Century Truck Program, an industry-government collaboration, has 

established an aerodynamic drag reduction goal of 20% for Class 8 tractortrailer combinations. 

With assistance from DOE’s Inventions and Innovation Program, SOLUS 

Solutions and Technologies LLC has developed several low-cost aerodynamic 

devices that reduce drag and improve fuel economy for tractor-trailer 

trucks. In 2007 Silver Eagle Manufacturing Company began to produce and 

sell the SOLUS drag reduction devices. Wind tunnel and on-road testing 

demonstrated that these devices can provide a combined fuel savings of about 

10% at 60 mph. The expected fuel savings from the inventions for an average 

tractor-trailer truck will exceed 2,000 gallons per year. 

The geometric-based devices can be attached to the trailer’s front face, sides 

and top surfaces, and the undercarriage. One device employs “trapped 

vortex” design technology to eliminate the drag due to flow in the gap region 

between the tractor and the trailer. The “vortex strakes” create a “boat tail” 

at the back of the trailer. A boat tail is a tapering protrusion mounted on the 

rear of a truck that reduces the aerodynamic base drag caused by the lowerpressure effect that occurs in the wake of a vehicle. The “skirt fairings” 

reduce drag caused by airflow underneath the trailer. The location of the 

aerodynamuc devices (trailer front, top, sides and undercarriage) does not 

interfere with door operation. Testing indicates that adding the SOLUS 

devices to trailers has no negative impact on either operational utility or 

maintenance requirements. 

Profitability 

Ensures low operation and maintenance 

costs and a return on investment in less than 

one year. 

Reliability 

Reduces wear on engine and braking 

assemblies and wear on the transmission. 

Benefits 

SOLUS Solutions and Technologies’ Vortex Drag Reduction Devices 

U.S. Emissions Reductions 

(Thousand Tons, 2009) 

Particulates SO X NO X Carbon 

0.0 0.030 0.008 1.14 

U.S. Energy Savings 

(Trillion Btu) 

Cumulative through 2009 2009 

0.093 0.052 

Skirt 

Fairings 
Advanced Reciprocating Engine Systems (ARES)
 

IMPACTS 

Advanced Natural Gas Reciprocating Engines Increase 

Efficiency and Reduce Emissions for Distributed Power 

Generation Applications
 

Distributed energy (DE) technologies for on-site power generation 

are assuming a role of increasing importance for our nation’s energy, 

environmental, and economic future. The use of DE technologies can lead 

to lower emissions and, particularly in combined heat and power (CHP) 

applications, improved efficiency. The reciprocating (piston-driven) engine is 

a widespread and well-known DE technology. Although diesel and gasolinefueled reciprocating engines are commonly used for stand-by applications, 

they create significant pollution in terms of emissions and noise. The 

development of cleaner natural gas-fired engines is desired to address these 

concerns. 

The U.S. Department of Energy’s Advanced Reciprocating Engine 

Systems (ARES) program represents a cooperative effort by major engine 

manufacturers, DOE national laboratories, universities, and engine 

consultants to obtain maximum efficiency and minimum emissions from 

natural gas-fired reciprocating engines. The ARES program began in 2001 

and consists of three phases, with each phase targeting specific progress 

benchmarks aimed at achieving the overall goals of the program. The 

program will result in engines with at least 50% brake thermal efficiency and 

NOx emissions no greater than 0.1 g/bhp-hr. 

Caterpillar, Inc. has successfully commercialized their G3500C and E series 

engines for Phase I of the ARES program. These engines employ several 

improvements for increased efficiency, including: advanced combustion, 

improved air systems, and dedicated control systems. In their current 

development stage (Phase II), Caterpillar is focusing on value-added aftertreatment and exhaust heat recovery. Cummins, Inc. selected a lean burn 

approach for achieving the targets of Phase I, which culminated with the 

successful release of their QSK60 engine. Phase II work is centered on a 

stoichiometric system with exhaust gas recirculation (EGR) and a three-way 

catalyst with thermo chemical recuperation. Dresser Waukesha developed 

its Advanced Power Generation (APG) 1000 engine in Phase I, focusing 

on combustion/controls technologies and application of the Miller Cycle to 

achieve its objectives. In Phase II, Waukesha is exploring further advances in 

combustion, low friction technologies, and new controls technology to achieve 

further efficiency gains and emissions reductions. 

ARES Engines 

Overview 

u Being developed in parallel by 

Caterpillar Inc., Cummins Inc., and 

Dresser Waukesha 

(www.cat.com) 

(www.cummins.com) 

(www.dresser.com) 

u Commercialized since 2003 and sold by 

all three engine manufacturers 

u Sold more than 500 engines in the U.S. 

and over 1600 internationally 

Applications 

Can be used for a wide range of distributed 

generation needs, including: backup to the 

electrical grid, combined heat and power, 

and combustion of landfill and digester 

biogases. 

Capabilities 

u Increases combustion quality through use 

of improved spark plug ignition systems. 

u Reduces friction losses through modified 

piston rings and liners, without loss of 

sealing or component life. 

u Reduces frequency of maintenance 

through use of improved control systems, 

resulting in lower operating costs. 

Benefits 

Cost Savings 

On-site power generation eliminates 

transmission costs associated with utilityprovided electricity. 

Emissions Reduction 

Reduces NOx and carbon monoxide 

emissions. 

Productivity 

Achieves higher power density and 

improved fuel efficiency compared with 

conventional reciprocating engines. 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 81 
 

 

 

82 

IMPACTS 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 

New Efficient Insulation for Pipes Allows for the Use of 

Less Material with High-Temperature Durability 

Overview 

u Developed by Aspen Aerogels, Inc., in 

partnership with Air Liquide USA LLC 

(www.aerogel.com) 

u Commercially available since 2007 

Capabilities 

u Enhances high-temperature durability of 

industrial insulation. 

u Reduces installation labor. 

u Offers long-term water resistance and 

corrosion protection because of the 

aerogel’s hydrophobic properties. 

u Has very low thermal conductivity. 

Applications 

Can be used for industrial steam distribution 

systems, enhancing high-temperature 

durability up to superheated steam at 

1200°F. 

Aerogel-Based Insulation for Industrial Steam 

Distribution Systems 

Thermal loss through industrial steam distribution systems accounts for a large 

part of total U.S. energy consumption. Traditional pipe insulation employs 

mineral wool, fiberglass, calcium silicate, perlite, and various foams. Annular 

shrouds of these materials are tightly wrapped around steam pipes and clad with 

sheet metal. As a highly efficient insulation material, flexible aerogel blankets 

can help reduce these losses when wrapped around hot piping, vessels, and 

equipment. This breakthrough technology provides the equivalent insulating 

properties of conventional insulation but with two to five times less material. 

A cost-effective method has been developed by Aspen Aerogels, Inc., with ITP 

assistance, to manufacture this industrial insulation product that has remarkable 

thermal performance, physical toughness, and water-resistant properties. 

Aerogel has the lowest thermal conductivity of any known material. Recent 

processing developments allow this once boutique material to be manufactured 

cheaply in blanket form. The main attraction of aerogel insulation is that 

it significantly reduces the amount of material needed to achieve the same 

insulation value as bulkier traditional insulation. Aerogel is still more 

expensive to produce on a weight basis, but much less material is required, 

so the improved properties compensate for the difference in cost. Insulation 

designs and installation protocols were developed to allow for widespread 

adoption of aerogel-based pipe insulation by all industries that rely on steam 

distribution systems, with a focus on assemblies that are not currently costeffectively addressed by aerogel insulation, such as large diameter, complex, 

and/or high-temperature pipe systems. 

Efficiency 

Possesses a very low thermal conductivity 

and thickness compared with 

conventional insulation materials. 

Material Savings 

Reduces the amount of material needed 

to achieve the same insulation value as 

bulkier traditional insulation. 

Benefits 

Thickness Comparison of Aspen Areogel’s Insulation vs. Conventional 

Insulation with Equivalent Insulation Properties 

U.S. Emissions Reductions 

(Thousand Tons, 2009) 

Particulates SO X NO X Carbon 

0.0 0.0 0.015 2.10 

U.S. Energy Savings 

(Trillion Btu) 

Cumulative through 2009 2009 

0.163 0.132 
 

 

 

Autotherm® Energy Recovery System
 

IMPACTS
 

Innovative Technology Reduces Idling, 

Fuel Costs, and Emissions on Large Vehicles
 

Historically, cab interiors are kept warm when a vehicle is stationary in the 

winter by either installing an expensive fuel-fired heater or idling the vehicle 

engine to keep hot water circulating to the cab heater. According to Argonne 

National Laboratory, larger vehicles can consume one gallon per hour of fuel 

simply to operate the heater. In most vehicles once the motor is turned off, 

within a few minutes, the vehicle interior is too cold to occupy comfortably 

because the engine driven pump is no longer recirculating water to the cab 

heater. With assistance from DOE’s Inventions and Innovation Program, 

Autotherm developed a system that continues to supply heat stored in the engine 

to a vehicle cab when the engine is turned off. The easy-to-install design allows 

the vehicle to stay heated for up to several hours when the vehicle is turned off, 

eliminating both fuel consumption and emissions from the stationary vehicle. 

Once the vehicle motor is turned off, the Autotherm system operates the 

vehicle’s existing heater using a dash-mounted system control unit and a small 

electric recirculating pump, which is attached to the existing engine coolant 

system. The system is fully automatic and can maintain cab temperature with 

the driver present or absent from the vehicle. Operation stops automatically 

when the engine coolant drops to about 95°F. The vehicle can be left securely 

locked, and if the driver returns within the heating period, the vehicle will be 

warm and snow-free. 

Overview 

u Invented by Frank Perhats in 1974 and 

refined using DOE funding 

u Commercialized in 2003 and being 

marketed by the Autotherm Division of 

Enthal Systems, Inc. 

(www.autothermusa.com) 

u About 1900 units installed through 2009 

U.S. Energy Savings 

(Trillion Btu) 

Cumulative through 2009 2009 

0.137 0.037 

U.S. Emissions Reductions 

(Thousand Tons, 2009) 

Particulates SO X NO X Carbon 

0.0 0.022 0.006 0.807 

Benefits 

Emissions Reductions 

Reduces 100% of the emissions from an idling vehicle by eliminating the need 

for the engine to run to maintain cab temperature. 

Profitability 

Reduces operating costs and has a payback of one heating season. 

Radiator Heater 

Inlet Hose 

Autotherm 

Recirculating

Pump 

Heater Return Hose 

Existing

Vehicle 

Heater 

Autotherm 

Dash Mounted 

System Control Unit Engine 

Applications 

Can be used in any vehicle that is prone 

to idling, including small to large service 

vehicles and semi-trucks. 

Capabilities 

u Maintains a vehicle’s interior temperature 

for several hours when the engine is off 

by recovering energy stored in the warm 

engine. 

u Automatically turns off when the engine 

coolant system drops to below 95°F. 

u Alerts the driver to an approaching “low 

battery voltage” condition and shuts down 

the system before the battery is low. 

Autotherm Components 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 83 
Barracuda® Computational Particle Fluid Dynamics (CPFD®) Software
 

Innovative Software Program Extends the Capabilities of 

CFD by Modeling Solid Particle Movement 

Invented at the Los Alamos Scientific Laboratory in the 1950s and ‘60s, 

computational fluid dynamics (CFD) is a mathematical expression of the 

physics of the movements of fluids (liquids and gases). CFD computer software 

simulates real-world fluid-flow events, such as modeling the flow of air over an 

aircraft wing or predicting the flow of an oil spill in a river channel. Sand in an 

hour glass is said to “flow,” and so for many years CFD computer codes were 

used to model and predict the movement of particles as well as fluids. However, 

because particles are solids, not fluids, modeling them as fluids is inherently 

limited and not completely accurate. 

With assistance from ITP, a consortium of industrial partners led by CPFD 

Software, LLC, has developed and commercialized Barracuda CPFD software. 

The CPFD software models the behavior of particles as they move through 

process equipment. This gives industrial users the ability to design processes 

that are more energy-efficient and environmentally friendly. 

The CPFD software is currently employed by major automotive and 

transportation manufacturers, as well as by major chemical, petrochemical, 

and power generation companies worldwide. CPFD Software, LLC, 

continues to expand the product’s applications to meet today’s critical energy 

challenges. These applications include making the supply of Canadian oil sands 

economically feasible, increasing clean coal energy production, and expanding 

solar photovoltaic deployment. 

Industrial Process Modeled by Barracuda CPFD Software 

IMPACTS 

Overview 

u Developed through a collaborative 

effort between CPFD Software, LLC; 

ExxonMobil; Millennium Inorganic 

Chemicals, Inc.; and Sandia National 

Laboratories 

u Commercialized by CPFD Software, 

LLC 

(www.cpfd-software.com) 

Applications 

Can be used in any industrial application 

that requires accurate modeling of complex 

mixing and chemical reaction processes 

Capabilities 

u Allows the user to model threedimensional movement of a size 

distribution of particles. 

u Enables simulations to run for sufficient 

time to achieve meaningful quasi-steady 

behavior and allow for scenario analyses. 

Benefits 

Cost Savings 

Saves time and reduces waste materials by 

optimizing existing processes. 

Emissions Reductions 

Reduces emissions by identifying more 

ecologically friendly retrofit technologies 

that can be applied to existing facilities. 

Energy Savings 

Prevents damaging outputs and inefficient 

energy use by modeling complex mixing and 

reacting processes. 

84 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
 

 

 

Callidus Ultra-Blue (CUBL) Burner
 

IMPACTS 

A New Generation of Smart,

Integrated Burner/Fired-Heater Systems
 

The refining and chemicals industries rely on process heaters to heat liquids 

and induce chemical reactions during production processing. Process heaters 

in these two industries generate over 235,000 tons of NO emissions annually. X

The chemicals and refining industries are facing more stringent environmental 

regulations to reduce NO emissions; for example, the state of Texas has X

ordered refiners in the Houston area to reduce NO emissions by 80+%. X

Callidus Technologies, along with funds and resources from ITP, Gas Research 

Institute (GRI), and Arthur D. Little Company, developed and demonstrated an 

ultra-low NO emissions burner. The burner uses internal flue gas recirculation X

to reduce 80% of the NO emissions, with many applications achieving X

reductions greater than 90%. Callidus Technologies, with licensing rights from 

GRI, is manufacturing and marketing the Callidus Ultra-Blue Burner to the 

chemicals and refining industries, where potential NO reductions of 200,000 X

tons/year are possible. 

Overview
 

u Developed by Callidus Technologies, Inc. 

(www.callidus.com) 

u Commercialized in 2000 

u Over 12,000 burner units installed by 

2009 

U.S. Energy Savings 

(Trillion Btu) 

Cumulative through 2009 2009 

95.1 26.4 

U.S. Emissions Reductions 

(Thousand Tons, 2009) 

Air 

Fuel Gas 

Flue 

Gas 

Fuel Gas 

Callidus Ultra-Blue Burner 

Particulates SO X NO X Carbon 

0.0 0.0 3.09 419 

Applications 

Can be used in the chemicals, 

petrochemicals, and refining industries 

Capabilities 

Works with natural or forced-draft 

operation; refinery fuel gas, natural gas, and 

high and low hydrogen content; and ambient 

and preheated air. 

Benefits 

Emissions Reductions 

Reduces thermal NO in the combustion X

zone by 80% to 90%. 

Profitability 

Eliminates or reduces the need for 

expensive post-combustion emissionaltering equipment. 

Other 

Is designed to be user-friendly. 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 85 
Catalytic Combustion
 

Advanced Catalytic Combustion

System Reduces NOX Emissions
 

Natural-gas-fired turbine systems currently require complex after-treatment 

systems to clean the exhaust of harmful emissions. Many of these emissions 

could be reduced by lower operating temperatures during the combustion 

process. 

With the support and recognition from many organizations, including ITP, the 

California Air Resources Board, the California Energy Commission, and the 

U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Catalytica Energy Systems, Inc., has 

developed an innovative system to reduce turbine emissions. The Xonon Cool 

Combustion® System uses a catalytic process instead of a flame to combust the 

fuel, thereby lowering the combustion temperature and significantly reducing 

the formation of NOX. 

While maintaining turbine efficiency, the technology has the potential to 

reduce the cost associated with achieving ultra-low emissions while generating 

electricity with gas turbines. With the growing need for electricity generation 

that produces less pollution, Catalytica Energy Systems’ solution provides a 

cost-effective method to meet air pollution control standards through pollution 

prevention rather than cleanup. In its first commercial installation, the NOX 

output was reduced from approximately 20 ppm to well below 3 ppm. 

Benefits 

Emissions Reductions 

Reduces air pollutant emissions from gas turbine energy generation systems. 

Pollution Reduction 

Avoids the need for costly or burdensome exhaust cleanup systems that use toxic 

reagents such as ammonia. 

Productivity 

Maintains turbine efficiency, demonstrating operating reliability greater than 

98%. 

Fuel Injectors 

Mixing Zone 

Pre-Burner 

Xonon Module 

Burnout Zone 

Combustor Discharge

Air Inlet 

Catalytic Combustion 

IMPACTS 

Overview 

u Developed by Catalytica Energy Systems, 

Inc. 

u Has accumulated over 18,000 hours 

of operation on the grid in field 

demonstrations 

u First commercial installation in 2002 

u Commercially available through 

Kawasaki Gas Turbines-America on its 

M1A-13X, a 1.4-MW gas turbine as part 

of the GPB 15X cogeneration system 

(www.kawasakigasturbines.com) 

u Being actively developed in partnership 

with GE Power Systems for its GE10, 

a 10-MW gas turbine, and with Solar 

Turbines for its Taurus 70, a 7.5-MW gas 

turbine 

Applications 

u Can be used for power generation turbine 

systems with low emission requirements 

or preferences, such as California 

installations, international systems, and 

systems with low pollution requirements 

u Can also be applied to turbine generation 

systems with cogeneration to improve 

energy efficiency 

Capabilities 

u Can be used in a broad range of turbine 

sizes and will not reduce the turbine 

efficiency. 

u Achieves emissions less than 3 ppm for 

NOX and less than 10 ppm for CO. 

u Uses a catalyst rather than a flame to 

combust fuel. 

86 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
Composite-Reinforced Aluminum Conductor
 

IMPACTS 

New Aluminum Conductor Composite Core Cable 

Increases Transmission Efficiency and Installs Easily
 

After nearly three years of intensive research and development, Composite 

Technology Corporation, in association with General Cable, introduced a new 

conductor type known as ACCC (Aluminum Conductor Composite Core). This 

new conductor uses a lighter-weight, high-strength carbon and glass fiber core 

embedded in a high-performance thermoset resin matrix, which is produced 

continuously using an advanced pultrusion process. The hybrid structural core 

is then helically wound with fully annealed trapezoidal-shaped conductive 

aluminum wires. Compared with a conventional steel core cable, the new core 

allows for up to 28% more conductive aluminum to be wrapped within the 

same outside diameter. The end product is of similar weight to conventional 

aluminum conductor steel reinforced cable, which allows existing structures to 

be used without modifications. 

While the conductor was designed to perform efficiently at temperatures 

significantly higher than conventional steel-cored conductors, ACCC actually 

operates much cooler and more efficiently under equal power flow. Because the 

power flow capability, or “ampacity,” is double that of a conventional conductor, 

the ACCC’s improved efficiency can help reduce power generation costs and 

greenhouse gas emissions, while mitigating grid bottlenecks and the associated 

high costs of grid congestion. 

The ACCC conductor’s higher capacity can also improve grid reliability; if a 

parallel line fails, it can handle the extra current flow. When operated at higher 

temperatures (representing higher current flow), a normal conductor would 

tend to thermally expand and sag beyond safe limits – potentially grounding 

out to adjacent lines or structures – causing catastrophic outage. The ACCC 

conductor’s reduced coefficient of thermal expansion prevents thermally 

induced line sag and would prevent that type of occurrence. 

In addition to improving the weight and conductivity characteristics of utility 

transmission and distribution lines, the new ACCC allows for reductions in the 

number of structures by as much as 16% or more because of its thermal stability 

and 25% to 40% greater strength. The added aluminum content (~28%) greatly 

reduces resistance and line losses. One utility reported a reduction in line 

losses of approximately 35% on one of their ACCC lines, which also helped 

improve the overall efficiency of the system. 

Trapezoidal ConcentricLay-Stranded Aluminum

Conductor Wires Advanced 

Overview 

u Developed by Composite Technology 

Corporation 

(www.compositetechcorp.com) 

u Commercialized in 2005 

u Over 637 miles of line installed in 10 

U.S. states and much more in foreign 

countries 

Applications 

Can be used by the power industry to 

increase transmission efficiency and 

increase capacity for new and existing 

pathways. Is available in all the industry 

standard sizes ranging from 431 to 2727 

kcmil. 

Capabilities 

u Doubles the current carrying capacity of 

existing transmission and distribution 

lines. 

u Decreases the cost of new installations 

by reducing the number of structures 

required and related construction and 

maintenance costs. 

u Resists environmental degradation and 

improves reliability. 

Benefits 

Productivity 

Uses conventional installation methods and 

tools, allows the existing transmission and 

distribution structures to be used without 

modifications, and reduces construction 

costs by using fewer support structures. 

Product Quality 

Virtually eliminates high-temperature cable 

sag and will not rust or corrode or cause 

electrolysis with aluminum conductors or 

other components. 

Profitability 

Doubles current-carrying capacity and 

reduces power generation and transmission 

costs. 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 

Composite

Core 

Aluminum Conductor Cable with Composite Core 

87 
 

 

 

Cromer Cycle Air Conditioner 

New Air Conditioning System Uses Desiccant to Transfer 

Moisture and Increase Efficiency and Capacity 

When cooling a space to a comfortable temperature, two types of heat energy 

must be removed: temperature-associated sensible heat and moisture-associated 

latent heat. An air-conditioner coil usually operates by performing about 

25% moisture removal and 75% cooling. In a typical system, over-cooling 

must occur to meet the moisture-removal demands. These typical systems 

inefficiently add heat to the supply air (reheat), which consumes even more 

energy, to correct for the over-cooling. Latent-heat ratios often become higher 

than 25% in hot and humid climates, where introducing fresh air brings in 

significant levels of moisture, upsetting the temperature and moisture balance of 

interior spaces and reducing comfort levels. Excessive moisture in the air can 

also contribute to indoor air quality problems in buildings. 

With assistance from DOE’s Inventions and Innovation Program, the Cromer 

cycle air conditioner was developed to reduce energy consumption of the 

air conditioning while increasing the moisture-removal capacity of the airconditioner coil. In the Cromer cycle air conditioner, a desiccant wheel is used 

to transfer moisture continuously from the supply air stream to the return air 

stream before the cooling coil. This transfer enhances dehumidification of the 

coil without significantly reducing coil temperature, improving the efficiency 

of the refrigeration cycle. The drier air supplied to interior spaces increases 

comfort and indoor air quality. Trane incorporated the Cromer cycle into a new 

system called the Cool Dry Quiet (CDQTM) desiccant dehumidification system. 

The first CDQ systems were sold in 2005 and by the end of the year 30 units 

had been installed, primarily in hospitals and museums. In 2006, Trane began 

to market the CDQ in roof top units and in applications for package units. 

Trane Cromer Cycle Air Conditioner 

IMPACTS 

Overview 

u Developed by Charles Cromer of the 

Solar Engineering Co. 

u Commercialized in 2005 

u Being produced and marketed by Trane 

(www.trane.com) 

U.S. Energy Savings 

(Trillion Btu) 

Cumulative through 2009 2009 

1.13 0.458 

U.S. Emissions Reductions 

(Thousand Tons, 2009) 

Particulates SO X NO X Carbon 

0.002 0.099 0.074 9.00 

Applications 

Can be used in commercial, industrial, 

or residential HVAC systems needing 

dehumidification down to 25°F dew points 

Capabilities 

u Reduces the amount of cooling, 

eliminating reheat used in many 

systems to dehumidify, and improves 

the efficiency of the cooling needed 

by maintaining higher evaporator coil 

temperatures than standard systems. 

u Requires minimal maintenance of the 

desiccant wheel for the life of the air 

conditioning system. 

Benefits 

Productivity/Comfort 

Improves humidity control for more 

comfortable working or living environments, 

resulting in improved productivity. 

Waste Reduction 

Avoids the need for stand-alone 

dehumidification equipment or dedicated 

outdoor air units; uses return air to 

regenerate the desiccant versus the hightemperature heat used with other desiccant 

systems. 

88 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
 

 

 

Electrochromic Windows – Advanced Processing Technology
 

IMPACTS 

‘Smart Glass’ Technology Reduces Solar

Heat Gain in Buildings 

Windows are often the most inefficient part of a building envelope and are 

responsible for heat loss in cold months and solar heat gain in warm months. 

Sunlight entering a home can increase cooling loads by up to 20%. In some 

instances, glare from the sun can make it difficult to see a computer or other 

LCD screen, requiring the blinds to be pulled, negating the benefits of natural 

light. Sunlight can also fade furniture, carpets, and drapes, increasing building 

owners’ maintenance costs. 

SAGE Electrochromics, Inc., with assistance from DOE’s Inventions and 

Innovation Program, developed SageGlass® product technology to create 

windows and skylights that switch from clear to dark with the push of a button. 

Within 5-10 minutes, the electrochromic (EC) glass completely changes, 

depending on the size and temperature of the pane. The variable tint feature 

of the glass prevents glare, fading, and heat gain without the loss of a view. 

Without the drawbacks of traditional glass, this technology allows architects the 

freedom to design with daylighting, creating well-lit, comfortable buildings. 

This EC glass modulates light transmission and solar heat gain by sending an 

electrical charge through the glass. The glass is made up of five separate layers 

of ceramic materials; when voltage is introduced, the glass lightens or darkens 

as needed. The electricity used to operate 1,500 square feet of SageGlass 

window is less than a 60-watt light bulb. The glass can be altered manually via 

a wall switch or as part of an integrated building management system so that 

windows can be programmed to tint depending on input from timers, motion 

sensors, or similar controls. 

SAGE Electrochromics’ SageGlass Window Operation 

Overview 

u Developed by SAGE Electrochromics, 

Inc. (www.sage-ec.com) 

u Commercialized in 2003 

U.S. Energy Savings 

(Trillion Btu) 

Cumulative through 2009 2009 

0.002 0.001 

U.S. Emissions Reductions 

(Thousand Tons, 2009) 

Particulates SO X NO X Carbon 

0.0 0.0 0.0 0.023 

Applications 

Can be used in any building with windows 

or skylights, including homes and large 

public buildings; is particularly appropriate 

for hospitals, schools, libraries, data centers, 

clean rooms, etc. 

Capabilities 

u Reduces solar energy by up to 81% in its 

fully tinted state. 

u Prevents sunlight from damaging 

artwork, furniture, and carpet. 

u Reduces glare so windows do not have to 

be shaded or blocked. 

Benefits 

Adaptability 

Can be configured to operate by a wall 

switch or as part of a building’s automation 

system and is appropriate for both 

residential and commercial applications. 

Energy Savings 

Reduces annual cooling loads in commercial 

buildings by 20% and peak electricity 

demand in most of the United States by 19% 

to 26%. 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 89 
 

 

 

Energy-Conserving Tool for Combustion-Dependent Industries
 

IMPACTS
 

MultiGasTM Analyzer Provides On-Line Feedback

Resulting in Lower Energy Use and Emissions
 

Using a NICE3 grant, Advanced Fuel Research (AFR), Inc., has developed and 

demonstrated a new system to improve continuous emissions monitoring (CEM) 

and on-line process tuning of combustion-dependent systems such as boilers 

and turbines. 

Many existing combustion-monitoring techniques are unable to effectively 

and efficiently monitor all combustion gases, including difficult-to-separate 

hydrocarbons such as formaldehyde and emission control reactants such as 

ammonia. Typical CEM systems monitor a limited number of gases using 

an expensive collection of single-gas analyzers. These systems require a 

temperature-controlled room and a substantial ongoing investment to maintain 

operation and calibration of the facility. 

The new multi-gas analyzer technology is portable, low-cost, and energyefficient and combines advanced Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy with 

advanced electronics and software. This system provides CEM and on-line 

feedback for operational tuning of combustion-based industrial processes. The 

system allows for real-time measurement of criteria emissions and pollutants, 

including pollutants that are not usually monitored such as formaldehyde and 

ammonia. The improvements in dependability and efficiency and the lack of 

need for expansive temperature-controlled space result in lower operations, 

energy, and labor costs. 

Benefits 

Environmental 

Measures criteria and hazardous air pollutants that are not typically monitored 

on-site in real-time, such as formaldehyde and ammonia. 

Productivity 

Reduces maintenance and performance verification time, resulting in labor 

savings of up to 80%. 

Overview 

u Developed by Advanced Fuel Research, 

Inc. 

u Commercialized in 2001 

u Manufactured and sold by MKS 

Instruments 

(www.mksinst.com) 

u 73 units operating in the U.S. in 2009 

U.S. Energy Savings 

(Trillion Btu) 

Cumulative through 2009 2009 

0.022 0.006 

U.S. Emissions Reductions 

(Thousand Tons, 2009) 

Particulates SO X NO X Carbon 

0.0 0.001 0.001 0.112 

Applications 

Can be used in systems and processes 

requiring combustion of fuels in engines, 

boilers, incinerators, and turbines 

Capabilities 

u Achieves higher combustion efficiencies 

through closely monitored and controlled 

combustion. 

u Reduces emissions through verified 

efficient operation. 

Process 

Gases 

Combustion or 

Thermal Process Unit 

Clean-Up or

Abatement Unit 

Stack or 

Vent 

To 

Valve Valve Atmosphere 

MultiGas 

Analyzer 

Data Output:

Emissions Report 

Data Output: Process 

Control Information 

MultiGas Analyzer System 

90 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
Fiber-Optic Sensor for Industrial Process Measurement and Control
 

IMPACTS 

Reliable Advanced Laser Sensor Helps

Control High Temperature Gas Combustion
 

Through a marketing agreement with MetroLaser Inc., Bergmans Mechatronics 

LLC is offering the LTS-100 sensor to the aerospace and industrial markets. 

This new sensor will help reduce the cost and improve the performance of 

traditionally difficult temperature measurements. A separate marketing 

agreement with LaVision GmbH of Germany has been entered into in which 

a version of this sensor is marketed to the pharmaceutical industry for leak 

detection. 

Many existing industrial process sensors have limited accuracy in applications 

involving highly corrosive gases at elevated temperature and pressure because 

they require extractive sampling systems that introduce variations in the 

temperature, pressure, and composition of the probed gases. Moreover, 

sampling systems introduce a lag resulting in >1-10 second response times, 

require frequent servicing, and may be subject to unexpected failures because of 

their complexity. Using advanced tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy 

(TDLAS) sensors for closed-loop process control affords a direct, quantitative 

measure of the species concentration in the probed region. In addition, by 

monitoring two or more transitions, the temperature along the optical path can 

also be determined. 

Near-infrared diode lasers are attractive light sources for sensing applications 

because they are rapidly tunable, small and lightweight, low-cost, efficient, 

and robust. They operate at near-ambient temperatures and produce narrow 

bandwidth radiation over a broad wavelength range. These on-line sensors 

can be combined with process optimization control strategies to significantly 

improve plant throughput, increase product quality, and reduce energy 

consumption and waste. 

LTS-100 Processing Unit 

Data Processing and

Display Laptop 

Data Acquisition Board 

Tunable Diode 

Laser Source 

and Controller 

Waveform 

Generator 

Combustor 

Photodiode 

Detector 

Collimating

Lens 

Optical

Fiber 

Overview
 

u Developed by MetroLaser Inc., Irvine, CA 

u Commercialized in 2003 

u Being provided as a service in the United 

States by MetroLaser 

(www.metrolaserinc.com) 

u Applying a derivative of this technology as 

a leak detection system for pharmaceutical 

production lines 

Applications 

Can be used in coal-fired power plants to 

achieve accurate real-time temperature 

measurements, in solid propellant 

combustion to enhance the capabilities of 

the next generation of solid-fuel vehicles, 

and in leak detection for pharmaceutical 

production 

Capabilities 

u Monitors high-temperature gas 

combustion in process control 

applications. 

u Monitors vacuum leaks in pharmaceutical 

vials using non-intrusive measurements. 

Benefits 

Profitability 

Reduces maintenance costs and minimizes 

slag buildup heat-transfer losses in coalfired power plants by precisely controlling 

furnace temperature and startups. 

Reliability 

Performs measurements regardless of 

vibration, flame luminosity, temperature, 

pressure extremes, and particle 

interferences. 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 91 
Fiber Sizing Sensor and Controller
 

Revolutionary Optical Technology Provides 

Rapid Measurement of Large Samples of Fiber Diameters 

Fiber size (or denier) has a significant effect on the performance of fiberbased products, such as filters, insulation, and composites. Fiber samples are 

generally characterized by optical or electron microscopy. Flow resistance 

of a sample of fibers (e.g., by the MicronaireTM technique) is also used to 

estimate the mean fiber size. However, these methods require sampling and 

are time consuming, and microscopic measurements are usually based on a 

small number of fibers selected from an image of a collection of fibers and may 

not be statistically reliable. Rapid measurement of fiber size, based on a large 

sample, is desirable for quality control of fiber-based products, development of 

new fiberizing processes, or basic research on fiber generation. With assistance 

from DOE’s Inventions and Innovation Program, Powerscope, Inc., developed 

FibrSizrTM, which provides rapid measurements for both on-line and off-line 

fiber characterization. The sample size is large and usually consists of hundreds 

of fibers. 

FibrSizr consists of a laser instrument developed for the accurate real-time and 

in-situ determination of fiber diameter distributions. This device can be used to 

monitor nonwovens and glass fibers during production and to rapidly measure 

fiber size distribution in a web sample. This technique is applicable across a 

wide range of polymers, production methods, and fiber sizes. 

Laser Source and 


Transmitting Optics
 

Fiber Sizing Sensor/Controller Using Ensemble Laser Diffraction 

Fiber 

Diameter 

Receiving Optics 

and Detectors 

Fibers 

Light Scattered 

by Fibers 

Signal to the
 

Process Controller
 

IMPACTS 

Overview 

u Developed and commercialized by 

Powerscope, Inc., in 2004 

(www.powerscopetech.com) 

u Completed sales, lease arrangements, and 

contract measurements for several major 

U.S. fiber manufacturers 

Applications 

Can be used in off-line and on-line process 

control of fibers on a variety of production/ 

treatment methods such as meltblown, 

spunbond, meltspun, carded, chemical 

bonded, needlepunched, spunlaced, 

stitchbonded, thermal bonded, and rotary 

fiberizing 

Capabilities 

u Offers a new model that uses violet laser, 

instead of red laser, for better resolution 

of fine fibers as small as 0.7 micron in 

mean size. 

u Provides a detachable transmitter and 

receiver for applications with limited 

physical access. 

u Covers a wide range of fiber sizes 

(denier) and fiber densities using 

adjustable laser power and detector gain. 

Benefits 

Energy Savings 

Eliminates events, such as sudden 

shutdowns, which result in waste of energy 

and material, by close monitoring of the 

process. 

Pollution Reduction 

Minimizes release of pollutants such as CO2 

from the pertinent combustion processes 

by operating the fiberizers at near optimal 

conditions. 

Product Quality 

Measures and controls fiber size 

distribution, which is a critical element 

in producing nearly all value-added fiber 

products. 

92 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
 

 

 

Force Modulation System for Vehicle Manufacturing
 

IMPACTS 

Novel Technology Enables Energy-Efficient Production

of High-Strength Steel Automotive Parts 

Recent U.S. automobile sales show a growing demand for more fuel-efficient 

and environmentally-friendly vehicles, including hybrids. The U.S. auto 

industry is pursuing at least two parallel paths to address these market 

evolutions. The first path involves design changes in the engine plant, such as 

improved internal combustion engines, hybrids, and alternate fuel engines. The 

second method focuses on changes in the materials used to build vehicle frames 

and bodies, thereby reducing weight and improving fuel efficiency. Researchers 

have found that work-holding capabilities in excess of 600 tons are required to 

form the higher strength steels. Conventional press systems with nitrogen-based 

cylinders suffer from excess shock loading and an inability to control individual 

cylinders. A system is needed that offers improved vehicle component forming 

capability under heavy loads. 

With assistance from DOE’s Inventions and Innovation Program, Metalforming 

Controls Corporation has developed Force ModulatorTM cylinder technology. 

The Force Modulator system is built around a series of interconnected 

hydraulic cylinders. Each cylinder has a proprietary control device that 

allows for changing resistance throughout the stroke. In short, stroke tonnage 

can be controlled at any point in the stroke. This capability allows each 

cylinder to start with virtually no resistance tonnage (the equivalent of preacceleration), increase tonnage rapidly to set the bead, and decrease tonnage 

during part formation. Any other tonnage profile is also possible. When the 

press upstrokes, the initiation of system re-pressurization and the timing of 

re-pressurization allow the piston and binder return to be controlled. This 

system also allows for zone control. If required, the tonnage profile of each 

cylinder can be independently controlled, allowing press operators to increase 

or decrease tonnage at each point on the binder ring. Zone control is exerted 

through the control device found in each cylinder. 

Metalforming Controls Corporation’s Force

Modulator Hydraulic Cylinder System 

Overview 

u Developed and marketed by 

Metalforming Controls Corporation 

(MCC). 

(http://www.mfcontrols.com) 

u Commercialized in 2009, with 1 cushion 

unit operating in the U.S. and multiple 

units operating internationally. 

U.S. Energy Savings 

(Trillion Btu) 

Cumulative through 2009 2009 

0.017 0.017 

U.S. Emissions Reductions 

(Thousand Tons, 2009) 

Particulates SO X NO X Carbon 

0.0 0.005 0.003 0.357 

Applications 

Can be used in the stretch-forming of 

standard and high-strength steel components 

for lightweight vehicle frames and bodies. 

Capabilities 

u Uses a die-mounted hydraulic cylinder 

system, which allows a soft hit, tonnage 

control throughout the press stroke, and a 

controlled return during the press stroke. 

u Reduces shock loading of presses by 20% 

or more compared with conventional 

nitrogen-based systems. 

Benefits 

Energy Savings 

Reduces the amount of work required by 

the compressor via regenerative use of the 

working fluid’s potential energy. 

Product Quality 

Produces high-strength steel components, 

which reduce vehicle weight and increase 

safety. 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 93 
 

 

 

Freight WingTM Aerodynamic Fairings 

Innovative Aerodynamic Fairings Minimize 

Drag on Box-Shaped Semi-Trailers
 

A great deal of scientific research has demonstrated that streamlining boxshaped semi-trailers can significantly reduce a truck’s fuel consumption. 

However, significant design challenges have prevented past concepts from 

meeting industry needs. Freight Wing, Inc., was formed to improve the fuel 

efficiency and profitability of trucking fleets through innovative aerodynamic 

devices. Freight Wing was initially funded through a grant from DOE’s 

Inventions and Innovation Program to develop rear-fairing technology and 

has since expanded the company’s products to a complete line of aerodynamic 

solutions. Their initial research focused on developing a practical rear fairing 

that would not interfere with the truck’s operation and on investigating other 

means to reduce aerodynamic drag on box-shaped semi-trailers. Freight Wing 

market research soon revealed that the industry was not very interested in the 

rear fairing because that area is extremely prone to damage and durability is a 

primary concern. Consequently, the company has since focused on developing 

designs for front or gap fairings and undercarriage or belly fairings. 

Freight Wing generated prototypes of all three fairing designs with their 

manufacturing partner, ASAP Metal Fabricators, in early 2004. In May 2004, 

Freight Wing tested all three fairing prototypes at the independently owned 

Transportation Research Center (TRC) in East Liberty, Ohio. TRC tested 

the fairings using the industry standard Society of Automotive Engineers/ 

Technology & Maintenance Council (SAE/TMC) J1321 fuel consumption 

procedure Type II test. A 7% fuel savings was demonstrated on trailers 

equipped with all three fairings. The product was marketed starting in the 

fall of 2004, and soon thereafter the company made its first sale of two belly 

fairings. Additional research was conducted to develop second-generation 

designs using different materials and aerodynamic concepts. The resulting 

second-generation belly fairing product produced a 7.4% fuel savings alone in 

SAE tests and in fleet operation. Partnerships with major trailer manufacturers 

have been developed to offer Freight Wing products on new trailers with factory 

installation. In 2009, 2,883 fairings were sold, demonstrating a significant 

increase in product demand and industry acceptance of the technology. 

Freight Wing Fairings Installed on a Semi-Trailer 

Freight Wing 

Belly FairingTM 

Freight Wing

Gap FairingTM 

IMPACTS 

Overview 

u Developed and marketed by Freight 

Wing, Inc. 

(www.freightwing.com) 

u Commercialized in 2004 

u Currently used by over 400 trucking 

fleets in the United States and Canada 

U.S. Energy Savings 

(Trillion Btu) 

Cumulative through 2009 2009 

0.711 0.493 

U.S. Emissions Reductions 

(Thousand Tons, 2009) 

Particulates SO X NO X Carbon 

0.004 0.286 0.076 10.7 

Applications 

Can be used on trucks or semi-trailers to 

reduce the effects of aerodynamic drag 

Capabilities 

u Reduces aerodynamic drag on semitrailers. 

u Retrofits on existing or new semi-trailers. 

Benefits 

Energy Savings 

Reduces fuel consumption by 7% with use 

of second-generation belly fairing alone. 

Emission Reduction 

Reduces emissions of combustion products, 

including particulates, SOX, NOX, and CO2. 

94 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
Functionally Graded Materials for 

Manufacturing Tools and Dies 

IMPACTS 

New Material Processes Improve the Performance and

Lifetime of Tools and Dies
 

Tools, dies, and process equipment currently used in the metal casting, forging, 

and glass manufacturing industries are generally composed of thick-sectioned 

monolithic H13 or other tool steels. Although the starting materials are 

relatively inexpensive, the conventional tool manufacturing process results 

in low material yields, significant machining time, long lead times, and high 

overall cost. When the dies contact either hot/molten metals or glass, as 

appropriate, significant degradation of the surfaces occurs due to soldering, 

heat checking, and/or physical erosion. Damaged dies lead to part surface 

imperfections, dimensional tolerance issues, high part reject rates, and die repair 

downtime. 

With assistance from ITP, Carpenter Powder Products, Inc., has developed 

functionally graded materials (FGM) to produce more robust tools and dies. 

The techniques of laser powder deposition and solid-state dynamic powder 

consolidation result in FGM tools and dies with increased wear resistance and 

superior performance at elevated temperatures. 

Functionally graded materials provide many benefits to the industrial process 

user. The tools and dies perform better, which leads to shorter process cycle 

times and a reduction in waste scraps from parts manufacturing. In addition, 

FGM parts have a longer lifetime than traditional tools and dies, which reduce 

replacement costs. 

Benefits 

Adaptability 

Allows properties of functionally graded tools to be customized to meet the 

requirements of a particular application. 

Cost Savings 

Increases tool and die lifetimes, thereby reducing the cost to replace parts. 

Waste Reduction 

Reduces scrap and waste in tool and die parts manufacturing. 

Overview 

u Developed by Carpenter Powder 

Products, Inc. 

(www.cartech.com) 

u Commercialized in 2007 

u Used by multiple U.S. metal forging and 

die casting companies in 2009 

Applications 

Can be used in the aluminum, forging, 

glass, metal casting, and steel industries 

Capabilities 

u Improves elevated-temperature properties 

of tools and dies. 

u Reduces die surface degradation. 

u Increases wear resistance and 

dimensional stability of tools and dies. 

u Reduces process cycle times. 

Two Manufacturing Processes Used to Produce FGM Tools 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 95 
Ice Bear® Storage Module
 

Thermal Energy Storage for Light Commercial RefrigerantBased Air Conditioning Units 

The Ice Bear® storage technology was initially developed by Powell Energy 

Products, with assistance from DOE’s Inventions and Innovation Program 

and commercialized by Ice Energy®, Inc. The Ice Bear storage module was 

engineered to complement new or existing air conditioning (AC) equipment to 

shift energy use from peak to off-peak periods. The Ice Bear unit is designed 

for use with rooftop or split system AC equipment. The Ice Bear unit with an 

air-cooled condensing or rooftop unit operates during off-peak hours to store 

energy as ice. During peak daytime cooling, the Ice Bear unit functions as the 

condenser, circulating ice-condensed refrigerant with a low-power refrigerant 

pump. Total energy use is only 300 watts to provide 7.5 tons of cooling for 6 

hours. 

The Ice Bear unit consists of a heat exchanger made of helical copper coils 

placed inside an insulated polyethylene storage tank filled with normal tap 

water, a patented refrigerant management system, a low-power refrigerant 

pump, and the CoolData® controller. To provide AC, the Ice Bear uses a lowpower pump to circulate refrigerant to the evaporator coil in the air handler. 

By using the condensing or rooftop unit to produce ice during the night and 

the refrigerant pump to supply condensed liquid refrigerant to the evaporator 

coil during the day, the Ice Bear effectively transfers the majority of load 

requirements to nighttime hours or levels energy loads. In both of these 

applications, the Ice Bear reduces humidity levels, which helps meet indoor air 

quality standards. 

The Ice Bear unit is designed to meet retrofit, replacement, and new 

construction requirements in commercial or industrial AC applications. 

Energy

Storage Building Air- Tank Handling Unit

(AHU) 

Heat
 

Exchanger
 

Refrigerant

Management

System
 

Air-Cooled 

Condensing

Unit
 

IMPACTS 

Overview 

u Base technology developed by Powell 

Energy Products, Inc., and patents 

acquired by Ice Energy, Inc. in 2003 

u Commercialized by Ice Energy, Inc. in 

2005

 (www.ice-energy.com) 

U.S. Energy Savings 

(Trillion Btu)

 Cumulative through 2009 2009

 0.003 0.001 

U.S. Emissions Reductions 

(Thousand Tons, 2009)

 Particulates SO NO Carbon X X

 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.018 

Applications 

Can be used in conjunction with 3.5-to-20 

ton AC units in markets such as small to 

big-box retail, industrial, data centers, office 

buildings, restaurants, banks, fire stations, 

libraries, schools, and community centers 

Capabilities 

u Shifts 95% of AC load from peak to offpeak periods. 

u Offers energy storage capacity of 45-ton/ 

hr, up to 7.5 tons of cooling for 6 hours. 

Benefits 

Cost Savings 

Substantially reduces electrical bills in 

load-shifting applications where peak and 

off-peak price differentials exist by reducing 

demand by 95%. 

Ice Bear Storage Module 

96 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
 

 

 

Improved Diesel Engines
 

IMPACTS 

Redesigned Diesel Engines

Improve Heavy Truck Fuel Economy
 

The KIVA computer model resulted from the efforts of a diesel engine working 

group formed in 1979 as part of DOE’s Energy Conservation and Utilization 

Technologies (ECUT) Division’s Combustion Technology Program. The goal 

of this activity was to guide the development and application of diagnostic tools 

and computer models. Under the guidance of DOE and the Cummins Engine 

Company, the multidimensional KIVA model was developed to help engine 

designers overcome some of the technical barriers to advanced, more fuelefficient engines. 

KIVA allows designers to see the effects of alterations to engine geometry 

without actually building the engine. Cummins Engine Company has used 

KIVA to make piston design modifications and other modifications to diesel 

engines for heavy trucks. In a cooperative effort with DOE, Cummins has 

also improved engine breathing, pulse-preserving manifolds, and turbocharger 

design. Cummins has improved the diesel engine sufficiently to increase the 

mileage by nearly one-half mile/gallon. With millions of trucks and buses 

currently on the road, this improvement in engine efficiency yields a significant 

savings in fuel. 

Energy savings from this development are based on the number of trucks (class 

7 and 8) powered by Cummins engines. This value, multiplied by the savings 

per mile and the number of miles driven per year, results in the estimated 

annual energy savings. 

Benefits 

Competitiveness 

Helps the U.S. automotive industry strengthen its competitive position relative to 

Europe and Japan. 

Productivity 

Reduces time required from engine design to production. 

Waste Reduction 

Optimization in engine performance considerably reduces emissions, including 

unburned hydrocarbons. 

Overview 

u Developed by Los Alamos National 

Laboratory, Sandia National 

Laboratories, Southwest Research 

Institute, and others 

u Commercialized in 1991 

u First used by Cummins Engine Company 

to redesign diesel engines for improved 

energy efficiency 

U.S. Energy Savings 

(Trillion Btu) 

Cumulative through 2009 2009 

1160 16.3 

U.S. Emissions Reductions 

(Thousand Tons, 2009) 

Particulates SO X NO X Carbon 

0.122 9.47 2.52 355 

Applications 

Can be used in visualizing the effect of 

design changes on engine performance, in 

assessing engine ability to use alternative 

fuels or reduce emissions, and in optimizing 

engine operation to reduce emissions 

Capabilities 

u Simulates precombustion fluid motion, 

chemical kinetics, flame propagation, and 

combustion dynamics in engines. 

u Investigates airflow and diesel spray 

characteristics nonintrusively. 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 97 
 

 

 

In-Situ, Real Time Measurement of Elemental Constituents
 

New Laser System Provides Real-Time Measurements 

for Improved Product Quality Control 

A probe uses laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) to determine the 

elemental constituents in ferrous and non-ferrous metals, ceramics, or glass. 

This probe measures continuously and in-situ at any point in the melt, thus 

providing spatial and temporal real-time data. The probe uses a pulsed (5-10 

ns duration) Nd:YAG laser at 1064 nm that is focused, through a fiber-optic 

cable. In the molten aluminum application, the probe is immersed into the 

melt, generating high-temperature plasma consisting of excited neutral atoms, 

ions, and electrons. Any chemical compounds present in the sample are rapidly 

separated into their constituent elements. The laser-generated plasma is allowed 

to cool several microseconds after the laser pulse, and then a spectrometer 

collects and disperses optical emissions from neutral and ionized atoms. The 

line radiation signal provides the concentration of each element present. 

The probe has several applications in the ferrous and non-ferrous metals, 

ceramics, or glass industries. For example, the probe can be used for in-line 

alloying to measure chemical content during a pour and for continuous and 

semi-continuous furnace operations to minimize the current practice of offline sampling and measurement. In other applications, the probe can perform 

in-line monitoring of impurity removal from the melt, such as removing 

magnesium from molten aluminum, and can provide real-time data to validate 

computer simulations and model furnaces. 

Benefits 

Product Quality 

Providing data for use in a feedback control loop to control the furnace 

operation in real time increases product quality. 

Productivity and Profitability 

Eliminates the aluminum and steel furnace idle time now required for off-line 

measurement of melt constituents. The payback has been shown to be less than 

one year. 

Example of LIBS System Applied to Molten Material 

Light Emitted from 

Spark Returns via

Fiber Optic Cable 

LIBS Probe 

Molten Material 

Laser 

Power 

Supply 

Spectrometer 

Laser Beam 

to Probe with 

Fiber Optic Cable 

Laser 

IMPACTS 

Overview 

u Developed and marketed by Energy Research Company 

(www.er-co.com) 

u 5 units installed in the U.S., with 3 units 

currently operating. 

U.S. Energy Savings 

(Trillion Btu) 

Cumulative through 2009 2009 

0.927 0.000 

U.S. Emissions Reductions 

(Thousand Tons, 2009) 

Particulates SO X NO X Carbon 

0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 

Applications 

Can be used to identify elemental 

constituents in ferrous and non-ferrous 

metals, ceramics, and glass melts during the 

fabrication process; to identify elemental 

constituents of wet or dry, solid or gaseous 

raw materials via close non-contact; and 

to characterize coal sample constituents to 

determine coal quality 

Capabilities 

u Measures aluminum melt constituents 

with 5% accuracy and a 0.002% 

minimum detection limit. 

u Monitors trace alkali metal content in 

electronic glass compositions. 

u Analyzes material being conveyed prior 

to processing, potentially eliminating 

energy use and emissions from using 

“off-spec” material. 

98 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
Materials and Process Design for High-Temperature Carburizing
 

IMPACTS 

New Class of High-Performance Carburized Steels 

Saves Energy and Increases Productivity
 

Various project partners have integrated an optimization of process and 

materials that will enable a broad usage of high-temperature carburization. The 

unique capabilities of high-temperature carburizing were exploited to access 

new levels of steel performance, including the distortion-free, high-performance 

gear and bearing materials for the transportation sector. Emphasis was placed 

on creating a new class of thermally stable, ultra-durable, deep case-hardened 

steels that could ultimately extend case hardening to tool and die steels. Case 

hardening would enable major productivity gains in the forging, forming, and 

die casting of aluminum and steel. 

With assistance from ITP, a consortium of project partners used their 

carburization simulation tools and fundamental calibration data to gain reliable 

control of high-temperature carburizing of their new class of high-performance 

gear steels. One of the partners, QuesTek Innovations LLC, used the technology 

to successfully commercialize the new gear steels by demonstrating both higher 

gear performance and acceptably reduced manufacturing variation. 

Benefits 

Energy Savings 

Reduces the U.S. annual energy consumption for carburizing. 

Environmental 

Reduces greenhouse gases compared with conventional gas carburizing 

technology. 

Productivity 

Reduces scrap and eliminates the need for hard chromium plating in many 

applications; offers increased durability and higher performance when it 

replaces conventional steel. 

Overview 

u Developed by a consortium of project 

partners including the Center for Heat 

Treating Excellence, Metal Processing 

Institute – Worcester Polytechnic 

Institute, Northwestern University, and 

QuesTek Innovations LLC 

u Commercialized by QuesTek in 2003 

(www.questek.com) 

Applications 

Can be used in high-performance gear and 

bearing applications for the transportation 

sector and in new deep-case applications, 

that include ultra-durable die materials for 

forging and forming of steel and aluminum 

and for die casting of aluminum 

Capabilities 

u Establishes sufficient control of hightemperature carburizing to greatly 

expand applications. 

u Creates a new class of steels with 

particular emphasis on novel deep-case 

applications. 

u Demonstrates accelerated materials 

and process development through the 

emerging technology of computational 

materials design. 

Ring and Pinion 

Camshaft 

New Gear Steel Products Created Using High-Temperature Carburizing 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 99 
 

 

 

Mobile Zone Optimized Control System

for Energy-Efficient Surface-Coating 

New Surface-Coating Ventilation System

Reduces Air Pollution and Energy Use
 

Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are released during the application of 

spray coatings in paint enclosures, exposing workers to toxins, creating air 

pollution emissions, and creating fire or explosion hazards. To meet safety 

and environmental regulations, paint booths are usually ventilated with 

100% outside air, which is then heated or cooled to maintain useable work 

temperatures. Ultimately, the amount of ventilating air entering the spray booth 

(usually expressed as cubic feet per minute) determines the energy usage and 

scale of the pollution problem. 

A new spray booth technology developed by Mobile Zone Associates, with the 

help of a grant from the EPA and DOE’s Inventions and Innovation Program, 

greatly reduces the amount of energy needed to heat and cool ventilation air 

during surface coating operations by reducing the quantity of ventilating air 

consumed. The Mobile Zone system separates the human painter from the 

contaminated air of the spray booth by providing the painter with a separate, 

mobile work platform or cab during spray coating operations. The cab is 

flushed with fresh air, while the rest of the spray booth uses recirculated air. 

The design meets OSHA regulations and National Fire Protection Association 

(NFPA) guidelines. Excluding robotic painting operations, the Mobile Zone 

installation is the only successful example of substantial ventilating air 

reduction in the United States and possibly the world. It represents superior 

process containment and is a first step before consideration of air-to-air heat 

exchange or VOC pollution-control equipment. The technology is currently 

being used by the U.S. Army at Fort Hood, Texas, for consideration of system 

wide use. 

Air Flow in Paint Spray Booth with Mobile Zone System 

Fan 

Mobile Work Platform 

VOC Control 

Equipment Exhaust Air 

Air Conditioner 

or Heater Fresh Air 

Work Space 

Auxiliary

Heater 

Recirculated Air 

IMPACTS 

Overview 

u Developed by Mr. Clyde Smith and 

Mr. William Brown of Mobile Zone 

Associates 

(www.mobilezonepaintbooth.com/ 

aboutus.html) 

u One installation operating in the United 

States in 2009 

U.S. Energy Savings 

(Trillion Btu) 

Cumulative through 2009 2009 

0.059 0.007 

U.S. Emissions Reductions 

(Thousand Tons, 2009) 

Particulates SO X NO X Carbon 

0.0 0.001 0.001 0.120 

Applications 

Can be used to apply sprayed surface 

coatings to chairs, tables, motorcycles, 

tractors, railroad cars, aircraft, and other 

painted products in either side-draft or 

down-draft booths 

Capabilities 

Reduces the ventilation, heating and cooling 

requirements by directing a sufficient, but 

small, amount of fresh air to the painter and 

recirculated air to the remaining unoccupied 

space within the spray booth. Meets 

existing OHSA, EPA, and NFPA standards 

for worker conditions. 

Benefits 

Productivity/Product Quality 

Maintains or improves production speed 

and quality. 

Profitability 

Reduces the size of heating, cooling, and 

pollution control equipment between 60% 

and 98%, which offers significant savings in 

associated capital and energy costs. 

100 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
Nanocoatings for High-Efficiency Industrial

Hydraulic and Tooling Systems 

IMPACTS 

Surface Coatings Enhance Wear Resistance of Metals,

Saving Energy and Increasing Component Life
 

Industrial energy efficiency is directly linked to the wear and degradation 

of materials used in processing applications such as pumps and tooling 

components. The preferred route to minimizing wear is to apply a protective, 

hard coating to contacting surfaces so that the surfaces generate less friction 

and resist wear. With lower friction between contacting surfaces, less energy 

is required to overcome frictional forces during start-up and operation, thereby 

increasing energy efficiency. While the energy savings per component may be 

modest, substantial cumulative benefits are possible due to the large number of 

pumps and machining tools currently in operation. 

With assistance from ITP, Eaton Corporation is developing a new family of 

“superhard” (greater than 40 GPa) composites in which the hardness is derived 

from microstructural engineering of the constituent phases. The coatings 

combine high hardness with a low coefficient of friction and have been shown 

to substantially reduce tool wear in lathe turning tests. This project is focusing 

on materials degradation resistance for two distinct industrial applications: 

tooling systems and industrial hydraulic components. 

Widespread use of the new superhard coatings will increase energy efficiency 

through diminished friction losses and increased seal reliability in hydraulic 

pumps. Further savings are possible through an extended lifetime of optimum 

cutting performance in machine tooling. Increased system reliability coupled 

with decreased downtime and replacement costs also results in economic 

benefits. Environmental benefits include reduced pollutant leakage through 

pump seals and reduced emissions due to increased equipment energy 

efficiency. 

Eaton Corporation’s Nanocoatings Protecting the Blades

of an Aerospace Industry Titanium Machining Tool 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 

Overview 

u Developed by Eaton Corporation, in 

partnership with Greenleaf Corporation, 

Oak Ridge National Laboratory, and Iowa 

State University. 

(http://www.eaton.com) 

u Commercialized in 2009 and being sold 

by New Tech Ceramics, Inc. 

Applications 

Can be applied to any metal surface where 

increased wear resistance and reduced 

friction are desired, including industrial 

and mobile hydraulics, cutting and grinding 

tools, and mechanical seals used in pumps 

and compressors. 

Capabilities 

u Increases operating efficiency of 

hydraulic systems. 

u Reduces heat loss from sliding friction 

along mechanical interfaces 

u Improves wear performance and extends 

component life. 

Benefits 

Durability 

Reduces friction along mechanical 

interfaces, thus reducing wear associated 

with extended service time. 

Emissions Reduction 

Reduces pollutant leakage and emissions 

by improving pump seal performance and 

increasing the equipment efficiency. 

Productivity 

Enhances torque response in hydraulic 

motors. Reducing torque at startup yields 

greater power density, minimizing the 

necessary motor size. 

101 
Portable Parallel Beam X-Ray Diffraction System
 

New, Low Power System Reduces Energy Consumption 

and Improves Process Efficiency 

Real-time, nondestructive, in-line measurements of material properties 

are needed for process control in metallurgical manufacturing. With ITP 

support, X-Ray Optical Systems, Inc., developed the X-Beam®, a portable 

x-ray diffraction (XRD) system that can be used to identify structural phases, 

determine grain size, and measure stress and texture of materials in line. 

XRD is widely used in laboratories to determine these material properties, but 

conventional XRD techniques usually cannot be used for in-line monitoring 

because they require sophisticated sample preparation, weigh hundreds of 

pounds, require water cooling, and consume several kilowatts of power (8 to 24 

kW). 

The X-Beam provides real-time material characterization capability, is portable, 

weighs no more than 50 pounds, and uses about 50 watts of power. The 

X-Beam uses polycapillary x-ray optics to collect x-rays over a large solid angle 

from a low-power x-ray source and to form an intense quasi-parallel beam. 

This system eliminates the problem of misalignment and provides significantly 

more diffraction intensity than current Bragg-Brentano XRD systems. The 

parallel beam geometry also eliminates the instrument error functions that 

contribute to asymmetric peak shape broadening: flat specimen, axial 

divergence, sample displacement, and sample transparency. 

X-Ray Optical System’s Parallel Beam XRD Process 

IMPACTS 

Overview 

u Developed by LTV Steel Technology 

Center and X-Ray Optical Systems, Inc. 

u Commercialized in 2007 

u Marketed by X-Ray Optical Systems, 

Inc., with over 180 units sold worldwide 

(www.xos.com) 

Applications 

u Can be used wherever elemental 

analysis is required, including protein 

crystallography 

u Can be used by industrial sectors, 

including steel, aluminum, cement, 

pharmaceutical, and semi-conductor 

Capabilities 

u Provides continuous in-line monitoring 

of phase, grain size, grain orientation 

(texture), and residual stress of steel. 

u Provides real-time, nondestructive, inline measurements of material properties 

using XRD or x-ray fluorescence. 

Benefits 

Energy Savings 

Uses 90% less energy then the standard 

rotating anode x-ray system and operates 

without a water cooling loop. 

Portability 

Decreases measurement system weight 

compared with the current XRD systems 

(from 200 to 1,000 kg to 20 kg) and volume 

from the current 2 m3 to 0.04 m3. 

Productivity 

Allows process control in the steel, 

pharmaceutical, nano-material, and plastics 

and polymer industries. 

102 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
Predicting Corrosion of Advanced

Materials and Fabricated Components 

IMPACTS 

Corrosion Prediction Software Tool Facilitates Selection 

and Development of Corrosion-Resistant Alloys 

Based on the fundamental understanding of corrosion phenomena, OLI 

Systems, Inc., with assistance from ITP, developed the CorrosionAnalyzer, 

a methodology that simulates the electrochemical reactions and associated 

physical processes responsible for corrosion at the metal/aqueous solution 

interface. The simulation methodology predicts the susceptibility of fabricated 

components to localized corrosion as a function of alloy composition, 

fabrication procedures, and external environmental conditions. 

To predict the occurrence of localized corrosion, the system relies on the 

computation of the corrosion and repassivation potentials as functions of 

solution chemistry and temperature. The corrosion potential is calculated from 

a mixed-potential model that has been verified by calculating corrosion rates 

in mixed acids and corrosion potential as a function of pH and concentration 

of oxidizing species. The repassivation potential is calculated from a separate 

model that quantitatively considers competitive processes at metal/salt film/ 

solution interfaces in the limit of repassivation. This model has been shown to 

be accurate for reproducing the repassivation potential for mixtures containing 

both aggressive and inhibitive ions. The combined predictive methodology has 

been extensively validated for engineering alloys using both laboratory 

and plant data. 

This system combines fundamental understanding of mechanisms of corrosion 

with focused experimental results to predict the corrosion of advanced, base, 

or fabricated alloys in “real-world” environments encountered in the chemical 

industry. Users are able to identify process changes, corrosion inhibition 

strategies, and other control options before costly shutdowns, energy waste, 

and environmental releases occur. These innovative corrosion mitigation 

measures can be tested in a virtual laboratory without risking the plant. The 

“useful remaining life” can be predicted based on operating experience and 

projected operating conditions so that catastrophic failures can be avoided and 

well-planned corrosion control and maintenance actions can be proactively 

scheduled. 

Structure of Corrosion Prediction Model 

Localized Corrosion of 

Fabricated Components 

Modeling Localized 

Corrosion 

Modeling General 

Corrosion 

Transport 

Properties 

Thermodynamics of 

Corrosion 

Solution 

Thermodynamics 

Overview 

u Developed and marketed by OLI 

Systems, Inc. 

(www.olisystems.com) 

u Commercialized in 2005 

u 45 companies leasing the 

CorrosionAnalyzer in the United States 

and 54 outside the United States 

Applications 

Can be used in industries where fabricated 

components are exposed to corrosive 

environments, including chemicals, forest 

products, and petroleum industries 

Capabilities 

u Predicts the tendency of alloys to 

corrode as a function of environmental 

conditions. 

u Predicts the tendency for localized 

corrosion and corrosion damage as a 

function of time. 

Benefits 

Efficiency 

Reduces waste and environmental damage, 

and improves risk management. 

Energy Savings 

Reduces process losses, improves thermal 

efficiencies due to more optimum design of 

components, and reduces heat transfer losses 

attributable to corrosion and corrosion byproducts. 

Productivity 

Improves component life and reduces 

unscheduled downtimes. 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 103 
104 

IMPACTS 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 

Process Particle Counter 

New Particle-Size and Concentration Monitor 

Leads to Efficient Use of Lower-Quality Fuels 

While both gas turbines and power-recovery expanders used in petroleum 

power generation are efficient energy-conversion devices, fuel quality limits 

the application of these technologies. Widely available low-cost fuels generally 

contain more contaminants, which can lead to system fouling and wear as 

well as downtime for repair and cleaning. Without continuous monitoring 

for particulate contamination and feedback control, systems must be set for 

unknown conditions, so the more-efficient gas turbines and power-recovery 

expanders are not installed or, if installed, operate at lower efficiency. 

With assistance from ITP and a grant from DOE’s Inventions and Innovation 

Program, Process Metrix LLC developed a real-time laser-optical process 

particle counter/sizer (PPC). The PPC can be used as a short-term or automated 

long-term sensor and control system for dust monitoring of expanders/gas 

turbines and process stacks. The PPC uses optical technology with fixed 

alignment to provide a continuous, real-time, robust, standalone particulate 

monitor that allows expanders and gas turbines to operate closer to optimum 

conditions. Such conditions improve efficiency while protecting turbines, 

allowing use of lower-quality fuels. 

Overview 

u Developed and being marketed by 

Process Metrix, LLC (formerly Insitec) 

(www.processmetrix.com) 

u Commercialized in 2004 

u Fifteen units being used in the United 

States in 2009 

Capabilities 

u Monitors gas-phase particle 

contamination at low concentration using 

single particle counting. 

u Measures size, concentration, and 

velocity of gas particles in real-time. 

u Operates in-situ at industrial high 

temperatures/pressures. 

u Uses diffraction light scattering with 

minimum shape and refractive index 

sensitivity. 

Applications 

Can be used in petroleum power generation 

both for existing power-recovery expanders 

and in situations where power-recovery 

expanders have not been used because 

of unreliable fuel quality and return on 

investment concerns 

Optical Configuration of the PPC 

Benefits 

Durability 

Protects turbines from high particulate concentrations that lead to blade wear. 

Emissions Reductions 

Decreases emissions by improving power-generation efficiency. 

Energy Savings 

Could save 20 billion Btu of natural gas per installation annually. 

Productivity 

Allows high-efficiency turbines to be installed in more applications and reduces 

production downtime from failures caused by particulate contamination. 

Focusing Lens Scattered Light 

Receiver Lens 

Fiber Coupling 

to Detector 

Slit 

Beam Stop 

Mask 

Particle Flow Field 

Illumination Laser 

Transmitted Beam 
 

 

 

IMPACTS 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 105 

Advanced System Safely and Effectively Detects Leaks 

and Emissions Without Requiring an Air Sample 

Overview 

u Developed and being offered as a service 

by LaSen, Inc. 

(www.lasen.com) 

u Commercialized in 2005 

u Currently used by 17 major U.S. oil and 

gas companies 

Capabilities 

u Inspects over ten times faster compared 

with ground surveys. 

u Provides high sensitivity in remote 

hydrocarbon detection. 

u Provides easy access to rough terrain and 

private land. 

u Provides high-resolution digital 

photography of the entire survey route. 

u Provides real time detection of benzene, 

propane and other volatiles. 

Applications 

Can be used in the oil and gas industry to 

monitor and maintain the integrity of their 

pipeline systems from the wellhead to the 

end user 

Pulsed Laser Imager for Detecting Hydrocarbon and VOC Emissions 

With assistance from DOE’s Inventions and Innovation Program, LaSen, Inc., 

developed the Airborne Lidar Pipeline Inspection System (ALPIS®). ALPIS 

is a helicopter-based, mid-infrared, Differential Absorption Lidar system that 

detects leaks in natural gas and hazardous liquids pipelines. The laser beam is 

transmitted downwards from the sensor to illuminate the area above and around 

the buried pipeline. When the laser beam passes through an emitted plume of 

hydrocarbon gas, some of the beam’s energy is absorbed (i.e., removed from 

the beam) by the gas molecules in the plume. As a result, the amount of light 

reflected from the ground back towards the sensor is diminished. The amount 

of attenuation is measured by special detectors inside the sensor and can be 

used to determine the intensity of gas in the beam’s path. This basic principle is 

at the heart of laser-based gas detection systems. 

ALPIS is operated at a safe distance of 50 to 150 meters above the inspection 

site. Once a volatile organic compound (VOC) is detected, the GPS coordinates 

are recorded and an estimate of the leak size and a high resolution video image 

of the location are simultaneously recorded and delivered to the customer 

the day after the inspection flight. This remote capability provides better 

information for response teams to effectively maintain their pipeline. LaSen is 

offering ALPIS as a service to U.S. pipeline companies. 

Efficiency 

Delivers complete survey results on a secure online database, which includes 

GPS coordinates of the indications, maps, and digital and satellite imagery of 

the right-of-way within 1 to 12 hours of inspection. 

Safety 

Offers a safe, fast and reliable remote detection system that eliminates human 

error and uses an eye safe laser. 

Benefits 

U.S. Emissions Reductions 

(Thousand Tons, 2009) 

Particulates SO X NO X Carbon 

0.0 0.0 0.042 5.72 

U.S. Energy Savings 

(Trillion Btu) 

Cumulative through 2009 2009 

1.77 0.360 

LaSen’s ALPIS Used to Detect Underground Pipeline Leaks 
 

Simple Control for Single-Phase AC Induction Motors
 

IMPACTS
 

New Motor Controller Reduces 

Noise and Increases Efficiency
 

A new approach to electric motor control removes the need for complex, 

high-frequency, high-voltage digital controllers that are motor and application 

specific. With the help of a grant from DOE’s Inventions and Innovation 

Program, Opto Generic Devices, Inc. (OGD), developed an optical 

programmable encoder and controller combination that offers continually 

adaptive/variable-speed, optimized commutation, dynamic vector control, 

real-time feedback, application tuning, and signal enhancement for operating 

AC motors. Based on this technology, OGD’s subsidiary, OGD V-HVAC, Inc., 

developed a new technology, the Adaptive Climate Controller (ACC), using 

optical programming that controls single-phase motors. While this controller 

has many uses with small motors, its most common applications provide 

climate control and healthy indoor air quality with energy efficiency, noise 

reduction, relative humidity control, and moisture control for mold abatement. 

Air filtration systems function more effectively with gradually changing air 

flow than with abrupt off-on fan cycling that accelerates harmful particles and 

organisms through mechanical and electronic filters. 

In addition to providing a second, analog input for low DC voltage, the factorysupplied temperature sensor provides feedback for the controller to maintain 

temperature in the human comfort zone by gently mixing room air to avoid the 

extremes of cold air near the floor and warm air near the ceiling. If comfort 

demands suddenly change, such as when additional people enter a classroom or 

conference room, the ACC ramps up airflow as the mechanical system supplies 

heated or chilled air at temperatures above or below the human comfort zone, 

responding quickly to the changing room needs. Gradually ramping up fan 

speeds, instead of turning fans on fully whenever the thermostat calls for heated 

or chilled air, conserves energy by using only the electrical and thermal energy 

necessary to satisfy the demand. In systems such as fan coils, where thermal 

energy is transferred from heated or chilled coils into the air, the ACC enhances 

thermal energy exchange from the coils as it gradually ramps down fan speed 

in response to the actual supply air temperature as it settles into the setpoint 

temperature even after the thermostat has closed the valve that brings in heated 

or chilled water. Thus, the coil thermal energy transfer with the room continues 

even after the water valve has closed, allowing for additional electrical savings 

in chillers and fuel savings in boilers. 

Benefits 

Ease of Installation 

Allows control upgrades to be easily installed on existing systems within 

minutes. 

Energy Savings 

Adaptively varies air flow to only what is needed. 

Overview
 

u Developed by Opto Generic Devices, Inc. 

(www.ogd3.com) 

u Commercialized in 2005 with thousands 

of installed units 

Applications 

Can be used to control small single-phase 

motors up to 240 VAC and 10 amps full load, 

including HVAC and other system motors 

found in data centers, hospitals, residences, 

hotels, nursing homes, schools, and other 

institutions. Also can be used to control fan 

coils, packaged terminal air conditioners, 

unit ventilators, and exhaust fans. 

Capabilities 

u Accepts one or two analog inputs, 

including, but not limited to, temperature 

and low DC voltage from a sensor or 

building management system. 

u Adaptively varies motor speed for the 

discharge air flow across fan coils to 

control indoor climate. 

u Reduces system noise. 

Temperature 

Motor Load 

(Fan or

Pump) 

ACC Motor 

Controller 

AC Power 

Signal 

and/or 

Sensor or
 

Control Input
 

Product Quality 

Reduces noise for workers or occupants in businesses, hospitals, hotels, OGD Electric Motor Control 

schools, etc. 

106 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
Solid-State Sensors for Monitoring Hydrogen
 

IMPACTS 

New Sensors Rapidly and Accurately Detect Hydrogen, 

Improving Industrial Safety and Efficiency
 

Molecular hydrogen, H2, is a combustible gas that is produced in large 

quantities by many industries and has a broad range of applications. When H2 

is an undesirable contaminant, a monitor must be able to detect concentrations 

on the order of parts per million (ppm). In other cases a monitor must be usable 

in nearly pure hydrogen. Although gas chromatography and mass spectrometry 

are widely used for detecting H2, these methods require bulky, expensive 

equipment. 

Using solid-state technology developed at Sandia National Laboratory, H2scan 

LLC is now commercializing hydrogen-specific sensing systems that can detect 

hydrogen against virtually any background gases. These hydrogen-sensing 

devices can detect hydrogen in 1 to 10 seconds, thus allowing the devices to 

be used in control systems. Currently, H2scan offers three hydrogen-sensing 

system configurations: a hand-held portable leak detector, a fixed-area 

monitoring system, and an in-line real-time concentration analyzer. 

The advantages of the H2scan hydrogen sensors are in their operating 

parameters. The sensors have a low hydrogen sensitivity of about 5 ppm 

in air and less than 1 ppm in nitrogen. They are hydrogen specific with no 

cross-sensitivity to other gases. The upper range of the sensor is 100% with 

an extremely fast speed of response. They operate between -40°C to 150°C, 

making them attractive for virtually all sensor applications. 

Benefits 

Energy Savings 

Saves substantial energy by avoiding improper monitoring. 

Productivity 

Detects hydrogen in 1 to 10 seconds, which is suitable for interfacing to control 

systems. Using the device to monitor hydrogen in feedstock of a refinery feed 

hydrogen/carbon monoxide facility could improve overall performance by up to 

$250,000 per year per plant. 

Profitability 

Can be mass-produced, 

making them much less 

expensive than competing 

sensors. Small sensor dye 

produces a system 

that is much smaller 

than traditional sensors. 

H2scan Hydrogen Monitoring System 

H2scan 

Hydrogen Sensor 

Monitor 

Hydrogen%

00.03% 

Overview 

u Developed by Sandia National 

Laboratory and H2scan LLC 

(www.h2scan.com) 

u Commercialized in 2003 

u 2600 units sold through 2009 

Applications 

u Monitoring trace levels of H2 in highpurity feed gases for chemical processes 

u Monitoring hydrogen production from 

methane and refinery offgases, where 

hydrogen is often mixed with CO 

u Monitoring hydrogen levels in 

transformer oil to detect when the oil 

starts breaking down 

u Measuring the hydrogen given off from 

lead acid batteries due to overcharging to 

stop a buildup of hydrogen and reduce the 

threat of either a fire or explosion 

u Monitoring and control of hydrogen, 

which are crucial to obtain the correct 

molecular-weight distributions in the gasphase polymerization of polyethylene and 

polypropylene 

u Analyzing fugitive hydrogen emissions 

in ambient plant environments or in 

materials subjected to high-energy 

radiolysis, which is crucial for safety in 

those environments 

u Measuring hydrogen levels to control the 

efficiency of fuel cell reformers 

Capabilities 

u Can be used over a wide range of 

hydrogen concentrations with minimal 

interference from other gases. 

u Provides rapid response time of 1 to 10 

seconds, allowing the sensors to be used 

for process control. 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 107 
 

 

 

SpyroCorTM Radiant Tube Heater Inserts
 

Unique Twisted Design of Ceramic Insert 

Saves Energy for Metal Heat-Treating Furnaces
 

Radiant tube heaters are typically used in metal heat-treating furnaces. The 

heaters are long tubes, often in a U shape, which have natural-gas fired 

burners at one end of the tube (the burner leg) to produce a flame and heated 

gas that flows through the tube to produce heat for conditioning metals (e.g., 

strengthening them or otherwise changing some of their properties). In a 

traditional radiant tube, the burner leg releases 30% more energy than the 

exhaust leg because of convection and radiation heat transfer in the burner leg. 

With the help of a grant from DOE’s Inventions and Innovation Program, 

STORM Development LLC and Sycore, Inc., optimized the SpyroCor, a 

ceramic (silicon-carbide) insert for the exhaust leg of the tube heater. The 

patented twisted design of the SpyroCor produces nonturbulent, high convection 

flow that produces the highest possible rate of uniform heat transfer. As a 

result, the SpyroCor reduces heat loss and the energy demands of the process or 

application by 15% to 20%. A typical furnace contains 10 radiant tubes, which 

use an average of 3 SpyroCors per tube. Through 2009, 472 furnaces have been 

equipped with SpyroCors for a savings of 7.46 trillion Btu. 

Benefits 

Ease of Installation 

Can be quickly and easily inserted into existing heater tubes without 

overhauling the entire furnace. 

Productivity 

Allows the furnace user to increase the amount of metal treated for the same 

amount of energy used or to reduce the amount of energy used for the same 

output. 

Burner Leg 

Exhaust Leg 

SpyroCor Installed in a Radiant U-Tube Heater 

IMPACTS 

Overview 

u Developed by STORM Development 

LLC and SyCore, Inc. 

u Commercialized and being marketed by 

Spinworks LLC 

(www.spin-works.com) 

u Sold more than 17,000 units through 

2009 

U.S. Energy Savings 

(Trillion Btu) 

Cumulative through 2009 2009 

7.46 2.24 

U.S. Emissions Reductions 

(Thousand Tons, 2009) 

Particulates SO X NO X Carbon 

0.0 0.0 0.262 35.6 

Applications 

Can be used in radiant tube heaters typical 

in metal heat-treating furnaces that use 

natural gas burners or in industrial radiant 

tube space heaters 

Capabilities 

u Produces nonturbulent, high convection 

flow in the radiant tube. 

u Doubles the amount of surface area 

available for heat transfer. 

u Balances the heat transfer throughout the 

radiant tube, allowing more energy to be 

available to the load. 

108 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
 

 

 

Three-Phase Rotary Separator Turbine
 

IMPACTS 

New Turbine Efficiently Separates Gas, Oil, and Water 

While Generating Electricity from Waste Energy
 

Using a NICE3 grant, Douglas Energy Company and Multiphase Power and 

Processing Technologies (MPPT) demonstrated a three-phase rotary separator 

turbine (RST3) at a land-based production field and on an offshore production 

platform. The device introduces a highly efficient and compact method for 

separating gas, oil, and water during production operations, while generating 

substantial power from previously wasted process energy. 

Traditional oil and petroleum separator systems use a centrifuge or gravity 

separator. The centrifuge system requires outside energy to power the motors 

that propel a centrifugal drum, where oil and water are separated. After 

separation occurs, solids remain inside the drums and require costly periodic 

cleaning. The gravity separators use huge vessels that rely on gravity to perform 

the separations. However, the separations are often incomplete and require 

secondary energy-consuming systems. 

The RST3 effectively separates solid waste, oil, gas and water, while harnessing 

expansion energy from the pressure reduction that occurs after the oil, gas, and 

water mixture is brought to the surface from offshore wells. This creates a 

clean power source that accelerates the rotating portion of the RST3 unit, where 

the mixture is separated more efficiently than by traditional methods. The 

new process often creates net energy for other offshore oil platform operations, 

reducing the need for electricity produced from natural gas turbine generators. 

Three-Phase Rotary Separator Turbine 

Electric 

Motor Drive 

Three-Phase Rotary

Separator Turbine 

Overview
 

u Developed by Douglas Energy Company 

Inc. 

u Commercialized in 2003 with 2 units 

previously operating in the U.S. 

u Currently being revamped by DresserRand Group, Inc. 

(www.dresser-rand.com) 

U.S. Energy Savings 

(Trillion Btu) 

Cumulative through 2009 2009 

0.036 0.000 

U.S. Emissions Reductions 

(Thousand Tons, 2009) 

Particulates SO X NO X Carbon 

0.0 0.0 0.0 0.0 

Applications 

Can be used to replace traditional separation 

technologies used in petroleum and 

chemical industries 

Capabilities 

u Creates its own source of clean shaft 

power, reducing electrical input 

requirements. 

u Weighs 10 times less than a typical 

gravity three-phase separator and has a 

much smaller footprint. 

Benefits 

Cost Savings 

Substantially reduces the size and cost 

required for offshore platforms, enabling a 

low-cost production system for marginal oil 

and gas fields and increasing supply. 

Environmental 

Purifies the process water without adding 

harmful chemicals commonly used in 

traditional separators. 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 109 
Ultra-Low NOX Premixed Industrial Burner
 

Reduction of Burner NOX Production 

with Premixed Combustion 

Industries that are dependant on combustion processes are faced with more 

stringent environmental regulations to reduce NOX emissions. Some states 

require NOX emissions reductions as great as 90% for chemical and refining 

industries. The recently developed M-PAKTTM Ultra-Low NOX Burner uses lean 

premixed combustion gases and low swirl flow of combustion gases to achieve 

NOX emissions levels <10 ppm (an NOX reduction of 80% to 90%). 

The research for this technology originated at Lawrence Berkeley National 

Laboratory with funding from the DOE Office of Science Experimental 

Program and ITP. This new burner’s distinct characteristic is a detached flame 

that is lifted above the burner, providing the capability for more complete 

combustion with less emissions. This burner concept can be applied to a wide 

range of combustion systems including furnace and boiler applications, gas 

turbines, and liquid process heaters for the chemical and refining industries. 

The burner can be operated with natural gas, biomass gas, and pre-vaporized 

liquid fuels. The burner is scalable and simple in design with no need for costly 

materials for manufacturing and installation. Maxon Corporation has licensed 

the technology for industrial process heaters used in many industrial baking 

and drying ovens. Applications have also been successfully tested in smallerdiameter domestic heater units. 

Premixture 

Screen 

Vane-Swirler 

Exit Tube 

Closeup of

Patented Vane-Swirler 

M-PAKT Ultra-Low NOX

 Burner Installation 

IMPACTS 

Overview 

u Developed by LBNL with two patents 

issued 

u Installed in the U.S. and overseas 

u Technology licensed to Maxon 

Corporation and sold as the M-PAKT 

burner 

(www.maxoncorp.com) 

u Over 1280 burners estimated to reduce 

NOX by over 1.418 million pounds in 

2009 

Applications 

Can be used on a wide range of combustion 

systems: furnaces and boilers, chemical and 

refining industry process heaters, and gas 

turbines 

Capabilities 

Reduces thermal NOX in the combustion 

zone. 

Benefits 

Adaptability 

Burns different gaseous fuel types and 

blends. Can be scaled to different sizes of 

units and adapted to different orientations 

and sizes of various flue configurations. 

Low Cost 

Offers low cost for manufacturing compared 

with traditional low NOX solutions because 

the components are simple and are made 

from conventional materials. 

Pollution Reduction and 

Energy Efficiency 

Typically reduces NOX to less than 10 ppm 

without compromising energy efficiency. 

110 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
Ultrananocrystalline Diamond (UNCD) Seal Faces
 

IMPACTS 

New Diamond Coatings Reduce Friction and Improve 

Performance of Mechanical Seals
 

Mechanical seals are used to reduce friction and prevent product leakage in a 

variety of industrial rotary equipment such as pumps and mixers. Traditional 

seal ring pairs employ a hard material such as silicon carbide (SiC) and a soft 

material such as carbon to achieve the best possible hardness and frictionresistant properties. However, these seals exhibit significant wear in extreme 

environments such as abrasive slurry pumping. In addition, heat generated from 

friction between the two ring faces quickly leads to seal failure. An improved 

material is needed to address these concerns and improve seal performance. 

Advanced Diamond Technologies, Inc., with assistance from ITP, has 

commercialized Utrananocrystalline Diamond (UNCD) technology to improve 

mechanical seals. Using a patented chemical vapor deposition process, thin 

UNCD coatings are applied to the seal face of a silicon carbide ring. Unlike 

commercially available diamond-like carbons, UNCD is a phase-pure (sp3) 

diamond-bonded carbon. The unique microstructure, comprised of nanometersized diamond grains, results in seals with exceptionally low friction, superior 

wear resistance, and chemical inertness. 

UNCD provides a solution for applications requiring a metal-to-metal seal 

face combination that risks dry run damage. UNCD faces that are paired with 

silicon carbide have shown tolerance for dry running in conventional ANSI 

pumps, whereas conventional hard pairs generated so much heat that seal failure 

quickly occurred. UNCD provides improved wear resistance over SiC, enabling 

seals to last longer in applications involving abrasive slurries, other erosive 

environments, or poor lubricating conditions. The exceptionally low friction 

results in a cooler face temperature, making UNCD suitable for temperaturesensitive media. The chemically inert, corrosion-resistant surface is ideal for 

handling food and pharmaceutical chemicals where media contamination and 

the reduction of friction-generated reactions at the seal face are critical. 

Advanced Diamond Technologies’ UNCD Seal Faces 

Overview 

u Developed by Argonne National 

Laboratory, with assistance from John 

Crane, Inc., and Advanced Diamond 

Technologies, Inc. 

u Commercialized in 2008 and sold by 

Advanced Diamond Technologies, Inc. 

(www.thindiamond.com) 

Applications 

Can be used in a wide variety of industrial 

pumping applications, especially in harsh 

environments involving high wear and poor 

lubrication 

Capabilities 

u Improves wear resistance compared with 

silicon carbide seal faces to increase seal 

life when handling abrasive slurries or 

other erosive fluids. 

u Increases energy efficiency by reducing 

friction between seal faces. 

u Reduces seal face temperature to allow 

hard faces to be used when pumping 

thermally sensitive media. 

Benefits 

Cost Savings 

Reduces operation and maintenance costs 

from process downtime when worn-out 

seals are replaced. 

Durability 

Enables dry running of metal-to-metal seal 

faces where conventional hard seal pairs fail 

due to excess heat generated from friction. 

Versatility 

Enables sensitive food, biological, and 

pharmaceutical media to be handled because 

of the corrosion-resistant, chemically inert 

diamond surface. 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 111 
 

Uniform Droplet Process for Production of Alloy Spheres
 

New Process Allows High-Quality

Production of Uniform Alloy Droplets
 

The Uniform Droplet Spray (UDS) process is a nongas atomization process that 

uses the concept of controlled breakup of a laminar jet to produce uniform alloy 

droplets with identical thermal histories. This controlled breakup is similar 

to that used in ink-jet printing technology and produces monosized droplets. 

The droplets are solidified along a path that produces a desired microstructure. 

Unlike other methods for producing thermal sprays, the spray parameters in this 

process are fully decoupled and, therefore, permit materials processing under 

conditions inaccessible by conventional thermal spray processes. 

With support from ITP, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, the Massachusetts 

Institute of Technology, and Northeastern University have developed this 

process that is now being commercialized for various applications. With 

appropriate engineering, novel particulate materials can be produced at 

reasonably high production rates and low capital and operating costs. Currently, 

the major commercial use is to produce micro-solder balls for Ball-Grid Array 

electronics packaging; the balls are used for manufacturing and assembling 

electronic products. 

Thermocouple 

Piezoelectric Actuator 

Inert Gas Supply 

Crucible 

Shaft and Disk 

Band Heater Vibration Transmitter 

Molten Metal 

Orifice 

Charging Plates 

Uniform Droplets 

Uniform Droplet Spray Process 

IMPACTS 

Overview 

u Developed by Oak Ridge National 

Laboratory, the Massachusetts Institute of 

Technology, and Northeastern University 

u Currently licensed to two U.S. and four 

Japanese firms who are exploring the 

Ball Grid Array application 

(www.cooksonsemi.com and 

www.indium.com) 

Applications 

Can be used in the integrated circuit 

packaging industry with potential 

applications for use as a filtering media in 

the chemicals and petroleum industries 

Capabilities 

u Offers high quality production of uniform 

alloy droplets. 

u Saves significant time and energy over 

traditional methods relying on cutting 

and milling operations. 

Benefits 

Product Quality 

Produces uniform alloy droplets. 

Profitability 

Reduces labor costs compared with 

traditional cutting and milling operations. 

Quality Control 

Increases quality control because of the 

consistency of solder ball production. 

112 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
 

 

 

Uniformly Drying Materials Using Microwave Energy
 

IMPACTS 

System Uses Microwave Energy to Dry Materials 

Uniformly at Half the Cost and Half the Emissions
 

Industrial Microwave Systems LLC, with assistance from a NICE3 grant, 

successfully demonstrated and commercialized an innovative system that 

uses microwave energy to dry materials. Traditionally, microwave-drying 

systems have scorched the portions of materials that were close to the radiation 

source, while materials further from the source remained moist. This result 

is due to a primary characteristic of microwave energy—it attenuates as it 

leaves its point of origin, creating hot spots across the materials being dried. 

This characteristic has kept microwave drying from becoming the drying 

technology of choice. 

This new technology addresses these traditional problems by using a 

rectangular wave-guide. This guide is slotted and serpentined to maximize the 

exposure area of materials as they pass through the system. A number of waveguides can be cascaded to form a system that dries an entire piece of fabric or 

other material. 

Benefits 

Energy Savings 

Reduces natural gas heating requirements by 20% to 50%, saving up to 12 

billion Btu/year for a typical plant. 

Pollution Control 

Reduces greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 50%, with 68% of the 

particulates eliminated. 

Productivity and Profitability 

Reduces drying stress because of no contact drying and lowers maintenance 

costs because of fewer movable parts. 

Microwave-Drying System 

Overview 

u Developed by Industrial Microwave 

Systems LLC 

(www.industrialmicrowave.com) 

u Commercialized in 2000 

u Currently operating at 7 facilities in the 

United States and 3 in foreign countries 

u Being tested in five U.S. demonstration 

units 

U.S. Energy Savings 

(Trillion Btu) 

Cumulative through 2009 2009 

0.211 0.024 

U.S. Emissions Reductions 

(Thousand Tons, 2009) 

Particulates SO X NO X Carbon 

0.0 0.001 0.003 0.400 

Applications 

Can be used in the production of fabrics; 

agricultural and pumpable food products; 

industrial filters and insulation; medical 

dressings; paper products; geotextiles, 

carpeting, and roofing materials; and 

personal hygiene products such as diapers 

Capabilities 

u Provides efficient and uniform drying of 

materials continuously fed through the 

drying system. 

u Works with existing systems to reduce 

conventional natural gas or electric 

drying needs. 

u Reduces microwave leakage with the use 

of choke flanges. 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 113 
Vibration Power Harvesting
 

New Technology Captures Freely Available Vibration 

Energy to Power Wireless Sensors
 

The industrial market for wireless sensors is growing rapidly but is constrained 

by implementation costs and compatibility with existing wireless networks. 

Typical wireless sensors and transmitters depend on batteries, which require 

periodic maintenance to change the battery. Maintenance costs for battery use 

in wireless sensor applications are estimated at $80 to $500 per replacement, 

including labor, which exceeds the sensor’s cost. 

With assistance from an SBIR grant, KCF Technologies, Inc., has developed 

vibration power harvesting devices that eliminate the need for battery change. 

Available as part of KCF’s Power Harvesting Demonstration Pack, the device 

converts vibration energy to regulated DC power, supplying sufficient power 

to the wireless sensor for up to 15 years without needing any maintenance time 

or expenses. The technology is not overly sensitive to vibration frequency, 

amplitude, or other environmental characteristics. 

KCF Technologies’ innovation was recognized with a “Best of Sensors Expo” 

Award in 2008. The harvester-powered sensor was honored as one of the most 

promising and exciting technologies on display out of nearly 200 products at the 

annual Sensors Expo & Conference in Rosemont, Illinois. These devices are 

expected to greatly expand the use of wireless sensors throughout U.S. industry. 

IMPACTS 

Overview 

u Developed by KCF Technologies, Inc., in 

2006 

(www.kcftech.com) 

u Commercialized in 2007 

u Formed strategic partnerships with 

Johnson Controls, Omega Piezo 

Technologies, Pennsylvania State 

University, and RLW, Inc. 

Applications 

Can be used wherever wireless sensor 

networks are deployed, including 

refrigeration and HVAC systems, pulp 

processing and paper printing, conditionbased maintenance, and power generation 

facilities 

Capabilities 

u Increases data transmission capabilities 

for wireless sensors in high-vibration 

settings. 

u Is compatible with existing wireless 

sensors. 

u Enables sensor placement in infrequently 

accessed locations. 

Benefits 

Cost Savings 

Eliminates downtime and costs associated 

with battery maintenance. 

Safety 

Expands sensing capabilities for machinery 

and equipment to increase safety and 

security. 

KCF Technologies’ Vibration Power Harvesting Unit Installed on a Large Motor 

114 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
 

 

 

 

 

IMPACTS 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 115 

Wear Resistant Composite Structure of Vitreous

Carbon Containing Convoluted Fibers 

New Composite Material Improves Motorcycle and 

Automotive Performance and Saves Energy 

MRCC, Inc., and Starfire Systems, Inc., created a novel method for 

manufacturing a carbon composite material consisting of a vitreous silicon/ 

carbide matrix containing carbon fibers. The new manufacturing method 

provides additional strength and applies metal fibers of high-thermal 

conductivity to aid in processing. The graphite fiber-reinforced ceramic matrix 

complex (CMC) operates at high temperatures and is resistant to acids, bases, 

and organic solvents in seal configurations. The final product can be cut into 

electrical contacts, mechanical seals, brakes, pumps, vanes, engine parts, 

and implanted prosthetics with better wear resistance, lower fade, and higher 

electrical conductivity than competing materials. 

The funding to develop this technology was jointly provided by the United 

States Air Force and DOE’s Inventions and Innovation Program and was 

used to test lighter-weight composite material and aircraft brakes. Although 

Starfire continues to work with the aircraft brake companies, the motorcycle 

and automotive brake industry has shown stronger interest in the technology. 

In automotive and motorcycle brakes, the lightweight material reduces the 

amount of energy required to accelerate the vehicle, reducing fuel consumption, 

and increasing the acceleration rate. The improved fuel consumption is most 

noticeable in “stop and go” driving where brakes are continually being applied. 

Overview 

u Developed by MRCC, Inc., and Starfire 

Systems, Inc. 

u Commercialized in 2006 and being 

marketed by Starfire Systems 

(www.starfiresystems.com) 

u Currently being used in motorcycle and 

automobile brake rotors 

Capabilities 

u Provides metal-reinforced carbon 

composite that operates at high 

temperatures. 

u Offers resistance to acids, bases, and 

organic solvents in seal configurations. 

u Increases wear resistance, lowers 

fade, and produces higher electrical 

conductivity than competing materials. 

Applications 

Can be used in the motorcycle and 

automotive industries and potentially the 

aircraft and electric rail industries 

Starfire Systems’ Motorcycle Application 

Benefits 

Product Quality 

Offers unusual wear resistance without lubrication. 

Profitability and Productivity 

Results in fewer replacements and lower costs due to longer life of the 

composite material; can use generally available methods to machine the 

products. 

U.S. Emissions Reductions 

(Thousand Tons, 2009) 

Particulates SO X NO X Carbon 

0.0 0.001 0.0 0.052 

U.S. Energy Savings 

(Trillion Btu) 

Cumulative through 2009 2009 

0.007 0.002 

Brake 

Rotor 
Wireless Sensors for Condition Monitoring of Essential Assets
 

New Technology Provides Cost Savings and Flexibility for 

Monitoring Motor-Driven Industrial Equipment 

Conventional permanent systems for monitoring industrial electric motordriven assets (pumps, fans, compressors, etc.) suffer from the complexity and 

costs associated with running the necessary hardwiring for signal and power. 

Monitoring is especially difficult in remote locations or areas of a plant where 

access is hazardous. The traditional alternative to permanent systems is a handheld portable monitoring strategy. However, using technicians in the field can 

be both costly and time-consuming and valuable monitoring information can be 

lost between data collection trips through the plant. 

With assistance from ITP, GE has developed a wireless condition monitoring 

solution to economically monitor the performance of motor-driven equipment 

assets. The Essential Insight.meshTM solution contains all the hardware 

necessary to deploy 16 dynamic points of reliable and secure wireless 

monitoring throughout a plant and can be expanded to thousands of points 

throughout a site. A sensor mesh network enabled through wireless sensor 

interface module nodes provides this rapid deployment and flexibility. Each 

sensor node supports four input ports that can be any combination of vibration 

transducers or thermocouples. 

The Essential Insight.mesh system allows equipment anomalies to be detected 

with clear diagnostic messaging. The package allows the user to configure 

collection rates to obtain information daily for general long-term trending 

and more often for static data transmissions. Advanced options include the 

availability of a dual power source for the sensor nodes. Power is available from 

a battery or from energy harvester technology. Energy harvester technology is 

an innovative new feature that allows the machine’s vibration itself to serve as 

a power source via a miniature moving-coil generator. In addition, users can 

select magnetic or conventional threaded mounting studs for the sensor nodes. 

Essential Insight.mesh Wireless Sensor Transmitting Data from Critical Motor 

IMPACTS 

Overview 

u Developed by GE. 

u Commercialized in 2008 by GE Energy 

(www.ge-energy.com/bentlywireless) 

Applications 

Can be used across all industries that 

employ motor-driven process equipment 

Capabilities 

u Allows the user to configure the rate of 

data acquisition. 

u Allows a greater volume of data to be 

collected for analysis and interpretation 

compared with conventional systems. 

u Provides information critical to 

maintaining high productivity and 

preventing costly equipment failure. 

Benefits 

Adaptability 

Can be powered via battery or energy 

harvester technology, which uses a 

machine’s vibrations as the power source. 

Cost Savings 

Reduces outage times and the number of 

unplanned outages, thereby lowering the 

costs of these events. 

Safety 

Increases safety by remotely monitoring 

assets in areas that are unsafe for humans to 

enter. 

116 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
Wireless Sensors for Process Stream Sampling and Analysis
 

IMPACTS 

Advanced New Wireless Sensor Meets Demanding 

Requirements of Industrial Production Lines
 

Sensing and controlling manufacturing present unique problems with effective 

sampling in harsh environments and with real-time control. The demanding 

requirements of industrial control of manufacturing processes need to be met 

while maintaining maximum security, battery life, and reliability. Wireless 

sensors for sampling and analyzing process streams allow monitoring in 

remote locations, but research is needed to determine how they satisfy the 

key considerations of operational reliability, sustained performance in harsh 

environments, invulnerability to interference, security, bandwidth efficiency, 

and other factors that are critical for the ultimate wide-spread deployment of 

robust wireless sensor networks in manufacturing. 

With ITP support, Honeywell International, through its Wireless Sensors for 

Process Stream Sampling and Analysis project, developed and successfully 

commercialized a wireless system that meets all the operational considerations. 

The critical component of this production line measurement and control system 

is the Frequency Hopping Spread Spectrum board. In addition to production 

line measurement and control, the technology’s anticipated low cost will enable 

wireless sensors to be used to determine energy and environmental-related 

process parameters that are not traditionally monitored. Industrial power 

and cogeneration plants can use the sensors to balance generation demands, 

operational efficiencies, and regulatory constraints. By implementing these 

sensors with advanced energy solutions, plants can reduce heat and power 

production costs, increase effective boiler operation range, reduce flue gas 

emissions, optimize production capacity utilization, extend production asset’s 

life, and reduce maintenance. 

Honeywell International’s Wireless Sensor 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 

Overview 

u Developed by Honeywell International 

u Commercialized and marketed by 

Honeywell International in 2007 

(www.honeywell.com) 

u Sold about 2000 to 4000 units in the 

United States in 2009 

Applications 

u Can be used for process control and 

monitoring in remote locations and for 

monitoring equipment health 

Capabilities 

u Provides cost-effective sample validation. 

u Is certified for use in hazardous 

environments. 

u Collects additional process and 

equipment health data. 

u Is easily installed. 

Benefits 

Profitability 

Offers low cost and easy deployment, 

increasing the number of measurements that 

can be used to improve process efficiency. 

Minimizes the energy needed to heat or cool 

down a process resulting in energy and cost 

savings. 

Reliability 

Has been tested extensively in severe 

production environments such as steel mills. 

Versatility 

Allows remote installation without running 

additional wires. 

117 
IMPACTS
 

118 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
Other Industries
 IMPACTS
 

u Advanced Membrane Devices for Natural Gas Cleaning................................................................................................................... 120
 

u Clean Energy from Biosolids.............................................................................................................................................................. 121
 

u Deep Discharge Zinc-Bromine Battery Module................................................................................................................................. 122
 

u High-Intensity Silicon Vertical Multi-Junction Solar Cells................................................................................................................ 123
 

u Long Wavelength Catalytic Infrared Drying System.......................................................................................................................... 124
 

u Plant Phenotype Characterization System.......................................................................................................................................... 125
 

u Plastics or Fibers from Bio-Based Polymers...................................................................................................................................... 126
 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 119 
120 

IMPACTS 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 

New Membrane Cost Effectively

Upgrades Sub-Quality Natural Gas 

Overview 

u Developed by Air Products & Chemicals 

(www.airproducts.com) 

u Commercialized in 2001 

u 110 CO2-removal units operating in the 

United States in 2009 

Capabilities 

Reduces impurities to allow natural gas to 

meet pipeline specifications. 

Applications 

u Recovers CO2 from associated gas in 

enhanced oil recovery programs 

u Removes acid gas from natural gas 

u Separates nitrogen from air while also 

yielding an oxygen-rich byproduct 

u Separates hydrogen from process gas 

Advanced Membrane Devices for Natural Gas Cleaning 

Carbon dioxide (CO2) is a common impurity that must be removed in natural 

gas to improve the gas’s heating value or to meet pipeline specifications. 

Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) often prohibits natural gas from being used to generate 

power and drive compressors at remote locations such as oil and gas production 

sites. Production companies are faced with choosing among shutting in a well, 

overhauling engines frequently, or dealing with logistical challenges associated 

with routing other fuels to the site. 

With ITP support, Air Products & Chemicals, Inc., through its Advanced 

Membrane Devices project, developed and successfully commercialized 

PRISM® membranes for upgrading sub-quality natural gas. These semipermeable polymeric membranes can be used as gas scrubbers for natural gas, 

removing CO2 and H2S from natural gas. 

PRISM membranes, based on simple process designs, provide a low-cost 

alternative to traditional amine systems that are used to upgrade natural 

gas. The membranes can also be used as a bulk-removal device to minimize 

the size of an amine system. The benefits become even more pronounced 

as the industry produces natural gas from very remote locations. Fuel-gas 

conditioning systems that incorporate PRISM membranes provide oil and 

gas production companies with an economical solution to an otherwise often 

enormous problem. The membrane device can be used to make low-grade 

natural gas with high CO2 and H2S content into a pipeline-grade gas for 

domestic and industrial consumption. 

Environmental Quality 

Avoids use of any hazardous chemicals such 

as amines, which can cause environmental 

complications. 

Ease of Installation 

Offers lightweight and compact units, 

thus facilitating their transportation and 

installation. 

Profitability 

Is ideal for remote locations with limited 

utilities and sour natural gas. 

Reliability 

Requires no moving parts, reducing 

maintenance costs. 

Benefits 

Example CO2 Removal Process Using the PRISM Membrane System 

High-Pressure

Natural Gas 

Mist 

Eliminator Heater 

High-Pressure

Natural Gas 

High-Pressure

CO2 Lean Gas 

PRISM Membrane Low-Pressure 

CO2

 Rich Gas 
Clean Energy from Biosolids
 

IMPACTS 

New Process Converts Wet Biosolid
 Wastes into an Energy-Dense Solid Fuel
 

The United States annually produces more than 8 million tons of municipal 

sewage sludge (MSS) and 250 million tons of municipal solid waste 

(MSW). Much of this waste is sent to landfills, which increases strain on the 

environment. In addition, the landfilling of waste solids eliminates a source 

of high-fuel-value feedstock, which could be used to reduce the combustion of 

fossil fuels. A process is needed to efficiently convert waste biosolids into an 

energy-dense renewable feedstock. 

With assistance from DOE’s Inventions and Innovation Program, EnerTech 

Environmental, Inc., has developed a new method for creating fuels from wet 

biosolids. The SlurryCarbTM process is a patented technology that converts 

biosolids into a renewable fuel called E-Fuel. The process subjects biosolids 

to pressure and heat in an anaerobic environment, breaking the hydrocarbon 

molecules down into light gases and carbon-rich residual solids. The 

carbonization process also removes chlorine and slag compounds, resulting in 

the high-energy, renewable E-Fuel. The solid fuel can be injected with less than 

20% excess air into a pulverized coal boiler and is cleaner to burn than most 

coals. The E-Fuel product is an alternative to fossil fuels and has combustion 

characteristics similar to lignite or sub-bituminous coal. The fuel has a heating 

value of 6,500-8,000 Btu/lb in dry form and is suitable for use in cement kilns, 

gasification and co-firing processes, and coal-fired burners. 

Flow Diagram of EnerTech’s SlurryCarb Process 

Overview 

u Developed and marketed by EnerTech 

Environmental, Inc. 

(http://enertech.com) 

u Commercialized in 2009 at the Rialto 

SlurryCarb facility in Rialto, California. 

Applications 

u Can be used to convert MSS, MSW, 

agricultural products, industrial sludge, 

animal manure, and other organic 

materials into a renewable fuel substitute 

for coal. 

Capabilities 

u Converts ~ 270,000 wet tons of biosolids 

per year into ~ 60,000 tons per year of 

renewable, carbon-rich E-fuel. 

u Produces boiler-ready E-fuel with a 

heating value of 6,500-8,000 Btu/lb in 

dry form. 

u Integrates with current wastewater 

treatment systems or operates as a 

standalone facility. 

Benefits 

Emissions Reductions 

Uses carbon sequestered by living plants 

and human-generated waste, thereby 

recycling CO2 and producing nearly zero net 

greenhouse gas emissions. 

Waste Reductions 

Reduces the amount of municipal, industrial, 

and agricultural waste sent to landfills. 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 121 
Deep Discharge Zinc-Bromine Battery Module
 

Long-Lasting Electrical Energy Storage Module 

Allows Off-Peak Power Generation
 

Electricity consumption during peak demand can overload utilities, forcing 

them to acquire more generation, transmission, and distribution capacity to 

meet customer demand. Also, the available generation, transmission, and 

distribution capacity is not fully used most of the time because peak loads need 

to be met even though the amount of time they are used is limited. Equipment 

running at low loads (less than full capacity) is less efficient. ZBB Energy 

Corporation, with financial assistance from DOE’s Inventions and Innovation 

Program and another EERE Program, has developed a longlasting, high-energy 

density zinc energy storage system (ZESS) module that can store energy 

generated during off-peak hours for use during peak hours. This provides 

the additional capacity during peak times without adding new generation, 

transmission, and distribution infrastructure and increases the overall 

operational efficiency of the complete electrical system or industrial plant. 

The ZESS regenerative fuel cell consists of an electrochemical reactor through 

which electrolyte is circulated from external storage tanks and where the 

electrodes do not take part in the chemical reaction and thus are not degraded 

or consumed over time. Power characteristics of the ZESS can be modified by 

changing the electrolyte composition. The ZESS is made from cost-competitive 

materials, which reduce manufacturing and disposal costs compared with 

traditional battery types. The battery modules offer up to 3 times the energy 

density of lead-acid batteries. They can be 100% discharged thousands of 

times with minimal degradation of round-trip charge/discharge efficiency. The 

capacity rating of a ZESS battery module remains constant over the service 

life (20+ years), but the charge required to achieve the rated capacity degrades 

consistently (1 to 2% efficiency loss/year) with typical (daily) usage. The 

‘active electrode’ layer in the cell stacks is what ‘wears out’ requiring the 

periodic (5+ year) replacement of the module’s cells stacks. 

Zinc Porous Bromine
 

Deposit Separator Electrode
 

Schematic of Zinc-Bromine Battery Module Complex

Phase 

Catholyte

Reservoir 

Valve 

Pump 

– +

Pump 

Anolyte

Reservoir 

IMPACTS
 

Overview 

u Developed by ZBB Energy Corporation 

(www.zbbenergy.com) 

u Commercialized in 2006 

Applications 

Can be used for power control and energy 

storage in renewable and remote-area power 

systems. 

Capabilities 

u Allows storage of off-peak electricity for 

use during peak hours. 

u Achieves up to 100% battery discharge 

with no damage. 

u Achieves shorter recharge times; 4 to 

5 hours vs. 8 to 12 hours for lead-acid 

battery. 

Benefits 

Adaptability 

Adapts to various system configurations to 

suit application; 25 MW to 2 MW power 

output and 50 MWh to 8 MWh energy 

storage capacities. 

Cost Savings 

Achieves cost savings by eliminating liquid 

fuel use off-grid or during grid outages, 

by integrating renewable power sources or 

stored off-peak power to supplement power 

demand during peak hours. 

Operation and Maintenance 

Requires no maintenance and can be fully 

discharged indefinitely with no damage. 

Pollution and Waste Reduction 

Requires only the recyclable cell stack to be 

replaced which eliminates disposal and cost 

concerns that are associated with lead-acid 

batteries. 

122 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
High-Intensity Silicon Vertical Multi-Junction Solar Cells
 

IMPACTS 

Improved Solar Cell Reduces Cost of CPV Systems Overview 

u Developed and marketed by GreenField 

Solar Corporation. Solar photovoltaic (PV) technologies accounted for less than 1% of the nation’s (http://greenfieldsolar.com/) energy supply in 2009, despite their environmental benefits compared with 

electricity generation from combustion of fossil fuels. The high capital cost and u Commercialized in 2009 with 15 U.S. low efficiency of PV systems are key barriers that prevent the technology from commercial installations. being widely adopted. Conventional flat PV panels also require large surface 

areas to generate a significant amount of electricity, making them less desirable 

in applications where ground or rooftop space is limited. Applications 

The efficiency and cost of solar PV can be improved with concentrating Can be used to provide electrical and thermal 

photovoltaic (CPV) systems, which use mirrors or lenses to concentrate sunlight energy for utilities and large commercial 

on the solar cells. To maximize the cost-effectiveness of CPV systems, the applications. 

solar cells must be low-cost, durable, and designed to perform well under high 

sunlight intensity. With assistance from DOE’s Inventions and Innovation 

Program, GreenField Solar Corporation developed the PhotoVoltTM solar cell Capabilities for use in its StarGenTM CPV system. The PhotoVolt is a series-connected array u Produces up to 1.5 kW of electricity and of silicon unit cells with vertical junctions and contacts. This configuration 15,000 Btu/hr of thermal energy per optimizes current collection and minimizes sheet resistance, current crowding, StarGen system. and blockage of illumination. The PhotoVolt has an extremely durable 

electrical, thermal, and mechanical configuration, which enables high packing u Uses a sun-tracking parabolic array of densities with easy interconnecting of electrical output leads in high-power­ mirrors to concentrate high-intensity density systems. The series connection of silicon unit cells provides high- sunlight on PhotoVolt cells. voltage, low-current operation for optimum compatibility with most power 

processing loads. An active cooling system in the StarGen solar concentrator u Operates at a sunlight intensity of 300 to removes heat from the PhotoVolt cells, thereby increasing cell efficiency and 900 times greater than conventional flat capturing solar thermal energy. PV panels. 

Designed for operation at high intensities, the PhotoVolt uses 1/1000th of the u Facilitates use of “dense array” CPV silicon semiconductor used in conventional flat PV panels for a given power design approach by offering side contacts output. This innovation significantly reduces both the installed price and and high-voltage output, and avoiding the levelized cost of electricity of solar energy systems. The PhotoVolt cell’s design need for bypass diodes. simplicity and use of widely available silicon (instead of other semiconductor 

materials) enables high-volume production at low cost. 

Benefits 

Cost Savings 

Reduces costs by using 1/1000th of the 

silicon semiconductor used in conventional 

flat PV panels for a given power output. 

Emissions Reductions 

Reduces consumption of electricity 

generated from combustion of fossil fuels. 

Versatility 

Can be used in ground-mounted and roofmounted deployments. 

GreenField Solar Corporation’s PhotoVolt Solar Cell 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 123 
 

 

 

Long Wavelength Catalytic Infrared Drying System
 

New Infrared Drying System Removes Moisture 

More Efficiently Without Heating Surrounding Air
 

Conventional drying systems for wood particulates, typically in the form of 

sawdust or chips, currently employ a rotary drum dryer that shoots a raw flame 

through a 20' to 30' rotating drum while tumbling the wood product. Product 

scorching and air emission problems, particularly with carbon, NOX, and volatile 

organic compounds (VOCs), are prevalent because the rotary drum operates at 

up to 1,000°F. 

An infrared drying system was developed by Catalytic Drying Technologies, 

Inc. (CDT), with the support of a DOE NICE3 grant. The long wavelength 

catalytic infrared drying system uses infrared energy from 3 to 7 microns 

to transfer energy directly to the water, activating it to a gaseous form at 

temperatures from 135°F to 220°F. Highly efficient and tightly controlled 

infrared radiant energy is delivered to the product as it travels along a conveyor 

engineered to uniformly expose the product to the radiant energy. 

A large prototype unit was constructed and tested with sawdust, wood chips, and 

a variety of agricultural products. The CDT system was proven to dehydrate 

forest and agriculture products efficiently. A conveyance system distributes 

the product evenly throughout the dryer to achieve consistent drying. While 

equipment costs are comparable to conventional heating systems, life-cycle 

costs are reduced. However, the CDT system can greatly reduce drying/heating 

times using flameless catalytic infrared energy, resulting in smaller equipment 

or more throughput (or both). Reducing the moisture content with infrared 

drying by transferring energy directly to the moisture instead of heating the air 

and surrounding metal structure requires less energy, reduces air emissions and 

dries the product more thoroughly than conventional drying. 

Catalytic Infrared Drying System 

IMPACTS 

Overview 

u Developed and marketed by Catalytic 

Drying Technologies, Inc. 

(www.catalyticdrying.com) 

u Commercialized in 2005 

u Two units operating in the U.S. in 2009 

in a rice drying facility and a powdered 

egg production plant 

U.S. Energy Savings 

(Trillion Btu) 

Cumulative through 2009 2009 

0.012 0.003 

U.S. Emissions Reductions 

(Thousand Tons, 2009) 

Particulates SO X NO X Carbon 

0.0 0.0 0.0 0.046 

Applications 

Can be used by various industries such 

as forest products, agriculture, chemical 

processing, brewing and distilling, animal 

products, and horticulture 

Capabilities 

u Uses infrared energy from 4 to 7 microns 

to transfer energy directly to water. 

u Drives off water at temperatures from 

135°F to 220°F. 

u Avoids the need for direct flame, which 

could damage the product. 

Benefits 

Cost Savings 

Reduces operating and life-cycle costs 

compared with conventional dryers. 

Productivity 

Reduces residence time in the dryer and the 

amount of scorched (wasted) product. 

124 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
Plant Phenotype Characterization System
 

IMPACTS 

New X-Ray Technology Accelerates Plant Research 

The ability to analyze plant root structure and function in a timely, costefficient manner is critical to meeting DOE Biomass Program goals. 

Plant root characterization technologies traditionally cannot handle high 

throughput. Additionally, it has been difficult to analyze the same plant 

more than once due to destructive analysis methods. 

With funding from DOE’s Inventions and Innovation Program, the 

Phenotype Screening Corporation has developed a high-throughput, high 

resolution, and non-destructive system to image and characterize plant 

roots. The effect of the application of this technology will be to accelerate 

progress in a wide range of genetic improvement programs, including 

biomass feedstock (poplar, switchgrass, corn, and soybeans). Research 

acceleration may produce overall improvements in the range of 30%. 

The system is based on low-voltage digital x-ray radiography, used with 

special growth substrate material, plant containers, and image processing 

algorithms. Low-density polymer substrates and containers are used 

because they are suitable for low energy x-ray radiographic imaging. 

The project will primarily enable “output trait” and “value-added trait” 

improved products. 

Both Container and Substrate are
 

Virtually Transparent to X-rays.
 

X-ray Camera 

Substrate 

X-ray Source 

Plant 

Container 

Non-Invasive Root Characterization System 

Overview 

u Developed by Phenotype Screening 

Corporation 

(www.phenotypescreening.com) 

u Commercialized in 2006 

u Used by universities and other research 

organizations 

Applications 

Can be used in noninvasive root 

characterization studies to compare different 

plants’ growth or a single plant’s growth 

over time. Stressors may be introduced to 

see how the plants react; detailed analysis 

and characterization can show traits that 

can’t be seen by the unaided eye. 

Capabilities 

u Allows detailed plant root measurements 

without destroying the plant. 

u Can be customized to allow varied studies. 

Benefits 

Productivity 

Accelerates research by about 30%, 

contributing to reduced research time and 

costs, and therefore higher productivity. 

Waste Reduction 

Allows measurements to be made on the 

same plant so fewer plants have to be grown 

to conduct an analysis, using less growing 

medium, water, and plant containers. 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 125 
 

 

 

126 

IMPACTS 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 

Plastics from Renewable Resources Offer 

Significant Commercial and Environmental Benefits 

Overview 

u Developed by NREL with Cargill Dow 

LLC and Colorado School of Mines 

u Commercialized in 2003 

u Produced at Nature Works LLC’s Blair, 

NE facility with a capacity of 300 million 

pounds per year 

(www.natureworksllc.com) 

Capabilities 

u Competes in a market based on price and 

performance, with a better environmental 

profile than today’s plastics. 

u Currently could replace 10% of packaging 

with PLA, with more research being 

conducted to infiltrate the market further. 

u Offers potential to use a wide variety of 

bio-based materials. 

Applications 

Can be used by plastics and textile 

industries, replacing certain packaging, 

films, and fibers used for apparel, carpeting, 

and other fabrics 

Plastics or Fibers from Bio-Based Polymers 

Each year, 60 billion pounds of thermoplastics are produced from imported 

and domestic oil to make industrial and consumer products. Because oil is 

an increasingly limited resource with negative impacts on the environment, 

reducing dependence on oil in all areas is important, including product 

manufacturing. 

Polylactide (PLA), derived from annually renewable bio-based resources, can be 

used in place of petroleum-based thermoplastics in many applications such as 

compostable packaging, film, and fibers for apparel, carpeting, and other fabrics 

while greatly reducing CO2 emissions. With financial assistance from ITP, 

the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) along with Cargill Dow 

LLC and the Colorado School of Mines, developed and refined a process to 

use PLA in manufacturing. Substituting PLA for petroleum-derived polymers 

reduces fossil energy use by 62% to 68%. Projections are that 10% of the U.S. 

nonrenewable plastics packaging can be replaced with polylactide polymer. 

This project assisted in expanding the PLA market by developing two new 

processing technologies. Both technologies yield semi-crystalline PLA 

particles that have improved physical properties. Other project tasks helped 

to better understand the relationship between polymer molecular structure and 

physical properties, which is useful information for improving process control. 

Benefits 

Energy Savings and Pollution Reduction 

Consumes up to 68% less energy in the form of fossil resources compared with 

producing products from petroleum. Emits less CO2 than petroleum-based 

products because the carbon comes from plants that extracted CO2 from the 

atmosphere. 

National Security 

Reduces the nation’s dependence on foreign resources and oil to produce 

necessary products such as clothing, food packaging, and carpets. 

Process for Producing Plastic Using Renewable Resources 

U.S. Emissions Reductions 

(Thousand Tons, 2009) 

Particulates SO X NO X Carbon 

0.0 0.011 0.003 0.394 

U.S. Energy Savings 

(Trillion Btu) 

Cumulative through 2009 2009 

0.124 0.018 

Bio-Based Materials Fermentation Products Lactide Formation Plastic Products 
Appendix 2:

ITP Emerging Technologies 

Aluminum............................................................................................................................................................................ 130
 u Direct Chill Casting Model ................................................................................................................................................................130
 

Chemicals............................................................................................................................................................................ 130
 u Acetic Acid Manufacture by the Selective Photocatalytic Oxidation of Ethane ...............................................................................130
 

u Affinity Ceramic Membranes with CO Transport Channels............................................................................................................130
 2

u Ammonia Production Using Pressure Swing Adsorption..................................................................................................................130
 

u Concurrent Distillation....................................................................................................................................................................... 131
 

u Dimpled-Tube Heat Exchangers ......................................................................................................................................................... 131
 

u Distillation Column Flooding Predictor............................................................................................................................................. 131
 

u Electrodeionization for Product Purification ..................................................................................................................................... 131
 

u Heat Integrated Distillation Using Microchannel Technology .......................................................................................................... 131
 

u High Octane Fuel-Stocks via Engineered Solid Acid Catalysts ........................................................................................................ 131
 

u Low Cost Chemical Feedstocks Using a Natural Gas Liquid (NGL) Removal Process....................................................................132
 

u Low Emission Diesel Engines............................................................................................................................................................132
 

u Microchannel Reactor System for Hydrogen Peroxide Production....................................................................................................132
 

u Novel Membrane Reactor...................................................................................................................................................................132
 

u Process Intensification Through Multifunctional Reactor Engineering...........................................................................................132
 

u Purification Process for Purified Terephthalic Acid (PTA) Production ............................................................................................132
 

u Scalable Production of Fermentation-Derived Acetic Acid ...............................................................................................................133
 

u Solid Catalyzed Isobutane/Olefin Alkylation ....................................................................................................................................133
 

u Solution Crystallization Modeling Tools............................................................................................................................................133
 

Forest Products .................................................................................................................................................................. 133
 u Biomass Fractionation ........................................................................................................................................................................133
 

u Decontamination of Process Streams through Electrohydraulic Discharge......................................................................................133
 

u Direct Causticizing for Black Liquor Gasification in a Circulating Fluidized Bed...........................................................................134
 

u Directed Green Liquor Utilization (D-Glu) Pulping..........................................................................................................................134
 

u Fibrous Fillers to Manufacture Ultra-High Ash/Performance Paper.................................................................................................134
 

u Gas-Fired Drum Dryer .......................................................................................................................................................................134
 

u Innovative Back Surface Reflector for High-Efficiency Infrared Paper Drying ...............................................................................134
 

u Low Temperature Plasma Technology for Treating VOC Emissions.................................................................................................134
 

u Materials for High-Temperature Black Liquor Gasification ..............................................................................................................135
 

u Microwave Pretreatment Technology for Chemical Pulping .............................................................................................................135
 

u Novel Isocyanate-Reactive Adhesives for Structural Wood-Based Composites................................................................................135
 

u Oxalic Acid Technology .....................................................................................................................................................................135
 

u Pulse Drying of Paper Pulp ................................................................................................................................................................135
 

u Screenable Water-Based Pressure Sensitive Adhesives......................................................................................................................135
 

u Steam Cycle Washer for Unbleached Pulp .........................................................................................................................................136
 

Glass.................................................................................................................................................................................... 136 

u Advanced Combustion Space Model for Glass Melting.....................................................................................................................136
 

u Advanced Oxy-Fuel-Fired Front-End System ....................................................................................................................................136
 

u Enabling Tool for Innovative Glass Applications...............................................................................................................................136
 

u Energy Saving Glass Lamination via Selective Radio Frequency Heating .......................................................................................136
 

u High-Intensity Plasma Glass Melter...................................................................................................................................................137
 

u Manufacturing Ceramic Products from Waste Glass.........................................................................................................................137
 

u Submerged Combustion Melting ........................................................................................................................................................137
 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 127 
ITP Emerging Technologies
 

IMPACTS 

Metal Casting ...................................................................................................................................................................... 137
 u Cupola Furnace Process Model..........................................................................................................................................................137
 

u In-Situ Real Time Monitoring and Control of Mold Making and Filling Processes.........................................................................137
 

u Integrating Rapid Solidification Process Tooling and Rapid Prototyping in Die Casting ................................................................137
 

u Lost Foam Casting Technology..........................................................................................................................................................138
 

u Process to Recover and Reuse Sulfur Dioxide in Metal Casting Operations ....................................................................................138
 

Mining.................................................................................................................................................................................. 138
 u Drill-String Radar Navigation for Horizontal Directional Drilling ..................................................................................................138
 

u GranuFlowTM Process in Coal Preparation Plants..............................................................................................................................138
 

u Grinding-Mill Optimization Software ...............................................................................................................................................138
 

u High-Temperature Superconductors in Underground Communications............................................................................................139
 

u Novel Dry Coal Deshaling Mobile Unit.............................................................................................................................................139
 

u Real-Time Coal/Ore-Grade Sensor ...................................................................................................................................................139
 

u Soft (Unfired) Ceramic Particles via Dynamic Cyclone Classification.............................................................................................139
 

Steel..................................................................................................................................................................................... 140
 u High Quality Iron Nuggets Using a Rotary Hearth Furnace .............................................................................................................140
 

u Hot Oxygen Injection into the Blast Furnace .....................................................................................................................................140
 

u Metallic Iron Nodule Technology in Electric Arc Furnace Steelmaking ..........................................................................................140
 

u Next Generation Heating System for Scale-Free Steel Reheating .....................................................................................................140
 

u Non-Chromium Passivation Techniques for Electrolytic Tin Plate ...................................................................................................140
 

u Optical Sensor for Post-Combustion Control in Electric Arc Furnace Steelmaking.........................................................................140
 

u Optimizing Blast Furnace Operation to Increase Efficiency and Lower Costs................................................................................. 141
 

u Processing Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) Dust into Salable Chemical Products ................................................................................ 141
 

u Regeneration of Hydrochloric Acid Pickling Liquor ......................................................................................................................... 141
 

u Steel Foam Materials and Structures ................................................................................................................................................. 141
 

Crosscutting Technologies ............................................................................................................................................... 142
 u Advanced CHP System Utilizing Off-Gas from Coke Calcination................................................................................................... 142
 

u Advanced Diagnostics and Control for Furnaces, Fired Heaters and Boilers ................................................................................... 142
 

u Advanced Membrane Separation Technologies for Energy Recovery............................................................................................... 142
 

u Advanced Nano-Composites for Increased Energy Efficiency.......................................................................................................... 142
 

u Advanced Process Heater................................................................................................................................................................... 142
 

u Carbon Films for Next Generation Rotating Equipment Applications .............................................................................................. 143
 

u Dewatering Membrane for Hazy Hydro-Desulfurization of Unit Effluents...................................................................................... 143
 

u Energy-Efficient Thermomagnetic and Induction Hardening ........................................................................................................... 143
 

u Energy Saving Controls for HID Lamps............................................................................................................................................ 143
 

u Energy-Savings’ Model for the Heat Treatment of Aluminum Castings ...........................................................................................144
 

u Erosion-Resistant Nanocoatings for Improved Energy Efficiency in Gas Turbine Engines .............................................................144
 

u High Efficiency Liquid-Desiccant Regenerator .................................................................................................................................144
 

u High-Efficiency Thermoelectric Materials/Devices for Industrial Process Refrigeration and Waste Heat Recovery .....................144
 

u High Temperature Resistant Superhydrophobic Nanocomposite Coatings .......................................................................................144
 

u Intelligent Controls for Refrigeration Systems...................................................................................................................................144
 

u Intensive Quenching Technology for Heat Treating and Forging Industries ..................................................................................... 145
 

u Large-Scale Manufacturing of Nanoparticulate-Based Lubrication Additives ................................................................................. 145
 

u Low-Cost, High-Efficiency, Periodic-Flow Gas Turbine for Distributed Energy Generation........................................................... 145
 

u Low-Cost Microchannel Heat Exchangers......................................................................................................................................... 145
 

u MaximusTM Sonic Stop-Fill Device for LP Gas and Anhydrous Ammonia Tanks............................................................................ 145
 

u Microchannel Magnetic Coolers with Negative Magnetocaloric Effect............................................................................................146
 

u Micro Gas Analyzer Solutions for Advancing Industrial Efficiency.................................................................................................146
 

u Microreactor-Assisted Nanomaterial Deposition for Photovoltaic Thin-Film Production ................................................................146
 

u Miniature, Inexpensive, Amperometric Oxygen Sensor ....................................................................................................................146
 

u Modifications and Optimization of the Organic Rankine Cycle ....................................................................................................... 147
 

u Nanocatalysts for Diesel Engine Emissions Remediation.................................................................................................................. 147
 

128 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
ITP Emerging Technologies
 

IMPACTS 

u Nanostructured Superhydrophobic Coatings...................................................................................................................................... 147
 

u New Regenerative Cycle for Vapor Compression Refrigeration ........................................................................................................ 147
 

u Novel Refactory Materials for High-Temperature, High-Alkaline Environments.............................................................................148
 

u Particulate Ejection Coal Fired Turbine.............................................................................................................................................148
 

u Process Heater System........................................................................................................................................................................148
 

u Production Scale-up of Activated Carbons for Ultracapacitors .........................................................................................................148
 

u Radiation Barrier Heating Mantle for High-Temperature Furnaces ..................................................................................................148
 

u Robotically Enhanced Manufacturing Line.......................................................................................................................................148
 

u Self-Assembled, Nanostructured Carbon for Energy Storage and Water Treatment......................................................................... 149
 

u Self-Healing Polymeric Coatings ....................................................................................................................................................... 149
 

u Sunlight Responsive Thermochromic (SRTTM) Window System ...................................................................................................... 149
 

u Super Boiler ........................................................................................................................................................................................ 149
 

u Thermal Imaging Control of High Temperature Furnaces ................................................................................................................ 149
 

u Thermoelectric Generator for Diesel Engines.................................................................................................................................... 149
 

u Third-Generation Flywheels for Electricity Storage..........................................................................................................................150
 

u Tough-Coated Hard Powders..............................................................................................................................................................150
 

u Ultra-Efficient and Power-Dense Electric Motors .............................................................................................................................150
 

u Ultra-Fast Boriding in High-Temperature Materials Processing Industries ......................................................................................150
 

u Ultratough, Thermally Stable Polycrystalline Diamond/Silicon Carbide Nanocomposites for Drill Bits........................................150
 

u Utility Interactive Inverter System for Distributed Generation.......................................................................................................... 151
 

u Variable Speed, Low Cost Motor for Residential HVAC Systems..................................................................................................... 151
 

u Wireless Sensor Network for Motor Energy Management ................................................................................................................ 151
 

u Zero-Emission Mechanical Seal ........................................................................................................................................................ 151
 

Other Industries.................................................................................................................................................................. 152
 u Advanced Water Removal via Membrane Solvent Extraction ........................................................................................................... 152
 

u BEI Cellulose Hydrolysis Process ......................................................................................................................................................152
 

u Biofine Technology.............................................................................................................................................................................152
 

u Distributed Optical Fiber Sensors for Continuous Liquid Level Tank Gauging................................................................................152
 

u Eco Oil: A Superior-Performance, Bio-Based Motor Oil ..................................................................................................................152
 

u Flexible Distributed Energy and Water from Waste for the Food and Beverage Industry ................................................................152
 

u Helical Reaction Hydraulic Turbine ................................................................................................................................................... 153
 

u High Speed/Low Effluent Process for Ethanol.................................................................................................................................. 153
 

u Hi-Q Rotor..........................................................................................................................................................................................153
 

u Horizontal Ribbon Growth.................................................................................................................................................................153
 

u Hydrogen Generation from Biomass .................................................................................................................................................. 153
 

u Low Head, Vortex Induced Vibrations River Energy Converter .......................................................................................................153
 

u Nanoparticle Technology for Biorefinery of Non-Food Source Feedstocks......................................................................................154
 

u Novel Membrane-Based Process for Producing Lactate Esters.........................................................................................................154
 

u Plastics, Fibers, and Solvents from Biosynthetically Derived Organic Acids ...................................................................................154
 

u Powering Cell Phones with Fuel Cells Running on Renewable Fuels ...............................................................................................154
 

u Thermophotovoltaic Electric Power Generation Using Exhaust Heat ...............................................................................................154
 

u Tidal Energy Systems.........................................................................................................................................................................154
 

u Variable Length Wind Turbine Blade ................................................................................................................................................155
 

u Wind Fins: Novel Lower-Cost Wind Power System ..........................................................................................................................155
 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 129 
ITP Emerging Technologies
 

Aluminum 

uDirect Chill Casting Model 

(www.secat.net) 

The direct chill (DC) casting process is used for 68% of 

the aluminum ingots produced in the United States. Ingot 

scraps from stress cracks and butt deformation account for a 

5% loss in production. The interaction of the DC process is 

too complex to analyze by intuition or practical experience. 

A new DC casting model is being developed to increase 

the general knowledge of the interaction effects and should 

lower production losses to 2%. The model will provide 

insights into the mechanisms of crack formation and butt 

deformation, and will help optimize DC process parameters 

and ingot geometry. 

IMPACTS 

Chemicals 

uAcetic Acid Manufacture by the Selective Photocatalytic 

Oxidation of Ethane 

(www.kse.net) 

Acetic acid is used as a chemical reagent for producing 

numerous plastics, synthetic fibers, and fabrics, as well as 

polymers and esters in manufacturing adhesives, paints, 

inks, and varnishes. Currently, carbon monoxide (CO) and 

methanol are used to produce acetic acid, but CO production 

wastes raw materials and generates greenhouse gas 

emissions. This project will develop a UV photocatalytic 

technology that improves the oxidation of ethane to acetic 

acid at high selectivity. The technique is more energy 

efficient, does not require high temperature and pressure, 

and does not over-oxidize the hydrocarbon raw materials to 

carbon dioxide. The technology can potentially be used in a 

wide range of chemical oxidation reactions, reducing energy 

use and greenhouse gas emissions in the chemical industry. 

uAffinity Ceramic Membranes with CO2 Transport Channels 

(www.mediaandprocess.com) 

Compared with more conventional separation processes, 

membrane separation processes offer several advantages, 

including increased energy efficiency, compact design, and 

operational flexibility. Numerous unexploited applications 

exist for advanced separations in aggressive environments 

that rely on a membrane’s affinity to a specific chemical as 

opposed to traditional molecular sieving. Highly selective 

thermally/hydrothermally stable inorganic membranes 

offer a solution to these difficult industrial separation 

applications. 

uAmmonia Production Using Pressure Swing Adsorption 

(www.smartkoncept-tech.com) 

A new process is being developed that will enable the 

energy-efficient production of ammonia. Pressure swing 

adsorption (PSA) technology will increase ammonia yield, 

reduce natural gas feedstock use, significantly lower energy 

consumption, and offer capital cost savings compared with 

traditional cryogenic methods. The PSA process is scalable 

and can be applied to retrofit existing ammonia plants or 

to build new field plants. It enables on-demand ammonia 

production eliminating the need to transport and store at 

power plants large amounts of ammonia, which is classified 

as a hazardous chemical by OSHA. The technology has 

applications in NOx and CO2-reducing technologies in the 

chemical industry and at power plants. 

130 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
IMPACTS 

Chemicals 

(continued) 

uConcurrent Distillation 

(www.utexas.edu) 

The Trutna Tray (Co-Flo Tray) improves the performance 

of distillation and absorption trays by using a co-current 

flow design. Compared with the conventional sieve tray, 

the co-current tray increased production capacity by more 

than 100% without sacrificing separation efficiency. Three 

tray variations have been pilot-tested using an industrialscale distillation column. The de-entraining section of 

the Co-Flo Tray is routinely used by the UT Austin’s 

Separation Research Program in all of its air/water and 

caustic scrubbing studies. The special collector design and 

the enhanced liquid/vapor separation capability offer great 

potential for future de-entraining applications. 

uDimpled-Tube Heat Exchangers 

(www.gastechnology.org) 

A project to improve the thermal efficiency of convective 

sections of industrial fired-process heaters demonstrates 

that a dimpled-tube technology will significantly improve 

the energy efficiency of fired-process heaters and will 

reduce fouling rates. The heat-transfer enhancement 

approach uses a tube surface with a system of threedimensional cavities (dimples). Cost-effective enhancement 

occurs because intensive vortex flow patterns are generated 

by cavities and provide intensive heat and mass transfer 

between the surface and the flowing media. A pilot-scale 

dimpled-tube test unit at a participating refinery increased 

heat flow by 50% to 60% compared with traditional tubes 

and reduced pressure drop by 30% to 40%. 

uDistillation Column Flooding Predictor 

(www.2ndpoint.com) 

A new control technology more accurately 

identifies incipient floods in petrochemical distillation 

and separation columns. The Flooding Predictor, a 

patented pattern recognition technology, allows a column 

to be operated at or near the incipient flood point. The 

technology identifies patterns of transient instabilities that 

occur just before flooding events. Identifying the incipient 

flood point allows the control objective to be shifted from 

delta-pressure to the actual flood point. Shifting the control 

objective virtually eliminates column flooding events, 

while increasing throughput 

ITP Emerging Technologies
 

Chemicals 

(continued) 

uElectrodeionization for Product Purification 

(www.anl.gov) 

This technology combines the advantages of ion 

exchange (an adsorption technology) and electrodialysis 

(a membrane separation) for a wide range of potential 

applications in the chemical industry, including direct 

production and separation of products, product purification 

and desalination, salt waste recovery, and water recycling. 

Targeted applications include organic acid production, 

dextrose desalination, ultrapure water production, product 

polishing, and waste salt recovery. 

uHeat Integrated Distillation Using Microchannel Technology 

(www.velocys.com) 

A new technology using compact equipment is being 

developed to reduce distillation capital cost and increase 

energy efficiency. Microchannel process technology 

enables highly efficient mass transfer, resulting in process 

intensification. The technology also integrates heat transfer 

with fractionation, eliminating the need for external heat 

exchange equipment. Microchannels can be used to target 

heat loads at precise locations in the equipment, which can 

be tailored to individual distillation stage requirements. 

Heat load tailoring reduces wasted energy to improve 

overall distillation efficiency. This technology will likely 

have initial applications in the separation of high-value 

materials. 

uHigh Octane Fuel-Stocks via Engineered Solid Acid Catalysts 

(www.exelusinc.com) 

High octane alkylate, an ideal clean fuel component for 

reformulated gasoline, is currently made using toxic liquid 

acid catalysts such as hydrofluoric acid. A commercially 

viable and environmentally superior alternative to 

conventional liquid-acid alkylation processes is being 

developed called the ExSact process. This pilot-tested 

process uses benign, engineered, solid-acid catalysts coupled 

with an innovative reactor design to produce high-octane 

gasoline. Low energy consumption and production of fewer 

by-products compared to existing technologies result in 

significant savings in operating costs. 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 131 
ITP Emerging Technologies
 

Chemicals 

(continued) 

uLow Cost Chemical Feedstocks Using a Natural Gas Liquid 

(NGL) Removal Process 

(www.gastechnology.org) 

Conventional NGL recovery technologies, such as 

cryogenic turbo-expanders, are highly energy intensive 

and expensive to operate, requiring low temperatures and 

substantial energy to recompress the processed gas back to 

the pipeline pressure. A new technology is being developed 

that is a low-cost and much more energy-efficient NGL 

recovery process that can be commercialized by the natural 

gas industry. Once commercialized, this technology has 

the potential to save up to 200 trillion Btu per year by 

2020, reduce the cost of NGL separation from natural 

gas, and provide cheaper feedstocks to the chemical and 

petrochemical industries. 

uLow Emission Diesel Engines 

(www.compactmembrane.com) 

Diesel engine exhaust is a major source of NOX pollution. 

The formation of NOX in diesel engines is dependent on 

the combustion temperature, which can be affected by the 

engine cylinder charge. An innovative membrane is being 

developed to adjust the cylinder charge and reduce the 

NOX emissions by delivering nitrogen-enriched air (NEA) 

to the diesel engine. The NEA system can reduce NOX 

formation in diesel engines by 50%. 

uMicrochannel Reactor System for Hydrogen 

Peroxide Production 

(www.fmc.com) 

Newly developed reactors allow for on-site, on-demand 

generation of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and reduce the 

costs of transportation, storage, and dilution associated 

with conventional H2O2 production methods. Microchannel 

reactors possess extremely high surface-to-volume ratios 

and exhibit enhanced heat and mass transfer rates. The 

unique design allows for the peroxide-generating reaction 

to occur at H2 concentrations above 5% without the risk 

of combustion. In addition, the reactor’s low-pressure 

operating conditions maximize energy efficiency and 

safety. 

IMPACTS 

Chemicals 

(continued) 

uNovel Membrane Reactor 

(www.compactmembrane.com) 

Various industrial processes, from pharmaceutical 

production to polymer formation, involve organic reversible 

reactions among acids, aldehydes, ketones, alcohols, and 

amines. Researchers are developing a cost-effective, 

robust membrane with universal applicability in almost 

any organic-water environment for potential separation 

of the reaction water. In contrast to existing membrane 

technologies that have significant temperature and chemical 

limitations, the extremely high ruggedness of the new 

membrane would improve stability under harsh operating 

conditions, be able to withstand high temperatures when 

used with reactive chemicals (130°C or higher), and have 

high water permeability. 

uProcess Intensification through Multifunctional Reactor 

Engineering 

(www.cdtech.com) 

An innovative process is being developed to increase 

energy efficiency and profitability in the chemical industry. 

Large-scale pulse flow reactor technology enables highefficiency contacting and therefore increased mass transfer 

between fluid phases. The initial target application for this 

technology is the alkylation of olefins with isobutane to 

produce a high-octane gasoline blendstock. The pulse flow 

reactor will significantly reduce operating costs compared 

with conventional high-shear mixing that uses large-scale 

impellers. The novel reactor design also could benefit many 

other processes across the chemical industry, particularly 

those using liquid catalysts. 

uPurification Process for Purified 

Terephthalic Acid (PTA) Production 

(www.gtctech.com) 

A novel purified terephthalic acid (PTA) production process 

using a two-step crystallization technique promises to 

make a significant economic impact on the PTA industry. 

The process operates at lower pressure and temperature, 

significantly reducing energy consumption, and enables 

the use of lower purity, lower-cost para-xylene feedstock. 

The process uses a highly selective, proprietary organic 

solvent blend that allows for bromine-free oxidation, which 

eliminates the environmental problems caused by methyl 

bromide and the high cost of corrosion-resistant specialty 

alloys used in construction materials. 

132 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
IMPACTS 

Chemicals 

(continued) 

uScalable Production of Fermentation-Derived Acetic Acid 

(www.anl.gov) 

Half of the 2.3 billion pounds of U.S. acetic acid production 

is used in manufacturing vinyl acetate monomer (VAM) 

and is economical only in very large production plants. 

Nearly 80% of the VAM is produced by methanol 

carbonylation, which requires high temperatures and 

exotic construction materials and is energy intensive. 

Fermentation-derived acetic acid production allows for 

small-scale production at low temperatures, significantly 

reducing the energy requirement of the process. 

uSolid Catalyzed Isobutane/Olefin Alkylation 

(www.precision-combustion.com) 

Alkylate is used in the petrochemical industry as an 

additive to improve gasoline combustion efficiency. Recent 

emphasis on reducing emissions and oil consumption has 

increased the number of applications using this additive, 

and demand for alkylate has risen. Alkylate production 

uses an acid-based alkylation process that requires 

significant energy intensive pre- and post-plant level 

processing of input reactants and spent output materials. 

The spent materials are flammable and acidic and, while 

a large portion is recycled back into the process, incur 

environmental/health risks and handling costs. This 

project will develop an environmentally friendly catalytic 

system that uses a durable zeolite-based solid catalyst 

that eliminates the use of liquid acids and their associated 

cost-intensive handling and processing. The new catalyst 

system also improves the service life of the solid catalyst 

by reducing polymerization on the catalyst’s surface (a lifelimiting factor in previous solid catalyst reactors), which 

improves yield and energy consumption and decreases 

capital and operating costs. 

uSolution Crystallization Modeling Tools 

(www.olisystems.com) 

Reliable simulation of crystallization requires accurate 

modeling of many factors. A new modeling tool 

synthesizes several essential elements, at least one of which 

has been only crudely approximated in previously available 

tools. This new modeling tool helps chemical engineers to 

better predict and control the crystal size distribution. It 

also improves the understanding of the effects of mixing 

and spatial variation of temperature and composition on the 

product quality, and ultimately will optimize crystallization 

efficiency. The resulting enhanced computational fluid 

dynamics capabilities are also applicable to a range of 

industrial applications beyond crystallization. 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 

ITP Emerging Technologies 

Forest Products 

uBiomass Fractionation 

(www.purevisiontechnology.com) 

Biomass fractionation effectively separates lignocellulosic 

biomass into useful intermediate components, including 

cellulose fiber, xylose-rich syrup, lignin, and biogrowth 

media. The high-purity, high-yield cellulose fiber is 

available for efficient hydrolysis to glucose or for pulp 

applications. The glucose and xylose syrups can be 

converted to ethanol, butanol, and many other chemicals. 

The sulfur-free, highly depolymerized lignin can be 

converted to biofuels or can be used directly as boiler 

fuel. The low-toxicity, extractives-rich liquor is a suitable 

biogrowth media to produce a yeast co-product for animal 

feed protein markets and for biocatalyst propagation. The 

flexibility of the process provides a hedge against the 

volatile fuel market and allows for future technological 

upgrades to higher-value fuels, chemicals and other coproducts. 

uDecontamination of Process Streams 

through Electrohydraulic Discharge 

(www.ipst.gatech.edu) 

In recycling paper, “stickies” cause considerable downtime 

and require costly minerals and polymers to be added 

for handling and detackifying them during the recycling 

process. A new mechanical method - pulsed power 

technology - is being demonstrated at several recycling 

mills to replace these costly chemicals. This technology 

uses a shock wave, developed from a spark discharging 

under water, to diffuse the stickies and create hydroxyl 

radicals from water, which oxidizes the stickies. This 

oxidation causes the stickies to lose their tack and become 

benign, thus allowing recycling to continue unimpeded. 

133 
ITP Emerging Technologies 

Forest Products 

(continued) 

uDirect Causticizing for Black Liquor Gasification in a 

Circulating Fluidized Bed 

(www.ipst.gatech.edu) 

A new direct causticizing process is being developed that 

saves energy and increases the profitability of pressurized 

black liquor gasification (PBLG). The process performs the 

causticizing step in situ during BLG by applying titanates to 

the liquor in a pressurized circulating fluidized bed reactor. 

Complete direct causticizing eliminates the traditional 

lime cycle, saving both fossil energy and money compared 

with using energy-intensive lime kilns. The synthesis gas 

product from PBLG can be applied to either combined cycle 

power generation or liquid fuels such as mixed alcohols 

or Fischer Tropsch diesel, increasing the efficiency of the 

chemical recovery process while producing fuel feedstock 

or electricity. 

uDirected Green Liquor Utilization (D-Glu) Pulping 

(www.ncsu.edu) 

Increases in the rate and selectivity of kraft pulping without 

incurring major capital costs will increase the economic 

return of the pulp and paper industry. A high sulfidity 

pretreatment of wood chips is one of the most promising 

and low capital means to achieve these increases. Green 

liquor is easily accessible in a kraft mill and has a naturally 

high sulfidity (rich in hydrosulfide ions), which is critical 

for accelerating pulping and providing a high value product. 

Researchers have discovered ways to reduce pulping time 

and energy requirements through the intelligent application 

of green liquor in the digester. 

uFibrous Fillers to Manufacture 

Ultra-High Ash/Performance Paper 

Mineral fillers that increase paper brightness and opacity 

and improve paper print quality have reduced costs by 

replacing wood fiber. However, filler loading has been 

limited to 15% to 20% because higher loading levels 

cause a loss of sheet strength and bulk as well as “dusting” 

during printing. A new fibrous filler technology has been 

developed that may overcome these problems and replace 

high-cost wood fiber. The new fillers will ultimately 

produce a composite paper containing up to 50% ash, 

with equal or better performance characteristics than 

conventionally attainable paper. The new technology will 

also lead to better retention of fillers, additives, and pulp 

fines, significantly reducing biological and chemical oxygen 

demands in the mill process water. 

IMPACTS 

Forest Products 

(continued) 

uGas-Fired Drum Dryer 

(www.gastechnology.org) 

A new paper dryer is being developed and pilot-scale tested 

to significantly increase the efficiency of papermaking. 

The Gas-Fired Paper Dryer (GFPD) is a natural-gasfired system that uses a combination of a flame sheet and 

dimpled pattern on the drum’s inner surface to improve 

combustion stability, reduce pollutant emissions, and 

cost-effectively enhance heat transfer from combustion 

products to the paper web. This patented approach could 

be implemented into new or existing equipment. The 

GFPD will ultimately help the paper industry (especially 

drying limited mills) reduce energy use and increase the 

production rate of paper machines by 10% to 20%. 

uInnovative Back Surface Reflector for HighEfficiency Infrared Paper Drying 

(www.creare.com) 

An innovative back surface reflector (BSR) that will 

dramatically improve the efficiency, quality, and throughput 

of the papermaking process is being developed. Electric 

infrared (IR) dryers with current BSR technology suffer 

from extremely low energy efficiency, using only 10% of 

the input power supplied to an IR dryer to dry the paper; the 

rest is lost as waste heat. The new BSR design dramatically 

increases the percentage of input power that is absorbed 

by the paper sheet, decreasing energy costs and increasing 

product quality and throughput. 

uLow Temperature Plasma Technology 

for Treating VOC Emissions 

(www.drexel.edu) 

Pulp mills and wood product plants are under increasing 

pressure to control the emissions of volatile organic 

compounds (VOCs) generated during their operations. 

The present-day control technology – regenerative thermal 

oxidizers – is energy-intensive and depends on combustion 

technologies that heat the entire waste stream. An emerging 

technology using nonthermal plasmas can selectively and 

cost effectively destroy VOCs by producing excited species 

(free radicals and ions) that oxidize, reduce, or decompose 

pollutant molecules. 

134 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
ITP Emerging Technologies
 

IMPACTS 

Forest Products 

(continued) 

uMaterials for High-Temperature Black Liquor Gasification 

(www.ornl.gov) 

New black liquor gasification technology with combinedcycle cogeneration of steam and electricity can increase 

energy output for the forest products industry. However, 

high inorganic salt concentrations and high temperatures 

significantly degrade refractory materials and metallic 

components. Improved refractories and wear-resistant 

nozzle materials are being developed to enable hightemperature black liquor gasification units to attain a longer 

service life. These improvements will reduce operating 

downtime and increase energy production and support the 

use of black liquor gasification. 

uMicrowave Pretreatment Technology for Chemical Pulping 

(www.ornl.gov) 

A new technology is being developed that improves both 

economic and environmental performance in chemical 

pulping processes. Microwave pretreatment is an energyefficient technology that enhances the ability of pulping 

chemicals to pass easily into wood chips. In addition 

to directly reducing the energy required to pulp wood, 

microwave pretreatment decreases the amount of natural 

gas required to operate the lime kiln and decreases process 

chemical usage. The technology allows larger and/or more 

diverse chip sizes to be pulped and increases pulp mill 

throughput. 

uNovel Isocyanate-Reactive Adhesives 

for Structural Wood-Based Composites 

(www.vt.edu) 

Laminated veneer lumber (LVL) is a wood composite that 

is produced by bonding thin wood veneers together and 

is used for various wood construction applications. The 

current LVL manufacturing process is energy intensive, 

using adhesives that require extensive wood drying (to 

moisture contents of 6% to 8%) and high-temperature 

hot-pressing (~200°C). An alternative isocyanate-reactive 

that cures at room temperature (cold-setting) and is 

optimized for higher veneer moisture content promises 

significant energy savings. This new technology will also 

sharply reduce volatile organic compound emissions and 

improve product appearance and durability. 

Forest Products 

(continued) 

uOxalic Acid Technology 

(www.biopulping.com) 

As shown in pilot-scale tests, a short pretreatment of 

different types of wood chips with varying amounts of a 

dilute solution of oxalic acid saves electrical energy (20% 

to 30%), improves paper strength properties, and reduces 

resin content by 30% prior to mechanical pulping. The 

pretreatment also removes hemicellulose from wood chips, 

which could then be converted into value-added chemicals, 

including cellulosic ethanol. Based on pilot-scale results 

and the rising costs of electricity and the purchased price of 

softwood bleached kraft used in making paper, companies 

have expressed interest in evaluating this technology further. 

uPulse Drying of Paper Pulp 

(www.wavedry.com) 

Paper manufacturing begins with wet pulp fibers 

that are progressively shaped, dewatered, and dried through 

evaporation into finished products. Virtually all paper 

manufacturing production is limited by the evaporative 

drying stage. The most common air drying process is 

impingement evaporation, where hot gas jets blow on 

the wet paper web. However, pulse impingement drying 

improves efficiency of this process by 59% and speeds 

overall paper production by 21%. Pulse drying of paper 

webs applies directly to “Yankee” and “MG” style paper 

drying equipment, and indirectly to newsprint, box board, 

and finer grades of paper. 

uScreenable Water-Based Pressure Sensitive Adhesives 

(www.franklinadhesivesandpolymers.com) 

A new family of water-based pressure sensitive adhesives 

(PSA) that greatly increase the amount of paper products 

recoverable for recycling was developed and is being 

marketed. Screens can easily remove the new PSAs early 

in the paper recycling process. These products have an 

environmentally friendly impact by reducing the amount of 

high-grade paper going to landfills. In addition, eliminating 

waxes and adhesive contaminants from recycled pulp will 

greatly reduce costly process problems and increase final 

product quality in the paper industry. 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 135 
ITP Emerging Technologies 

Forest Products 

(continued) 

uSteam Cycle Washer for Unbleached Pulp 

(www.ptpc.com) 

A new commercial-scale steam cycle washer is being 

developed to increase profitability by substantially 

reducing energy consumption, improving fiber and product 

quality, and ensuring that environmental compliance 

exceeds current regulations. This steam-pressurized, 

high-consistency pulp washer will enhance pulp industry 

profitability by allowing most pulp mills to reduce electrical 

power consumption for unbleached pulp production by up to 

21%, evaporator load by 50%, and plant effluent and freshwater usage by 45%. 

IMPACTS 

Glass 

uAdvanced Combustion Space Model for Glass Melting 

(www.anl.gov) 

Improved understanding and modeling of the combustion 

process in glass melting will result in innovative furnace 

designs that will have higher combustion and furnace 

efficiencies, minimized pollutant formation (primarily NOX 

reduction), and improved glass quality. 

uAdvanced Oxy-Fuel-Fired Front-End System 

(www.owenscorning.com) 

A consortium of companies involved in the glass industry 

has developed the Advanced Oxy-Fuel-Fired Front-End 

System. A combination of burner modeling and bench 

trials was used to develop a burner and block that generate 

the appropriate size and shape of flame for optimal heat 

transfer distribution. This will result in reduced energy use 

and decreased CO2 emissions. The new burner system can 

be integrated into a front-end system with capital costs that 

are competitive with a conventional air/gas system. Fullscale installation and testing are under way in a Tennessee 

glass plant. 

uEnabling Tool for Innovative Glass Applications 

(www.imp.mtu.edu) 

Flat architectural and automotive glasses have 

traditionally been fabricated using technologies 

that have inherent cutting limitations because they are 

generally incapable of fabricating glass products with small 

radii, concave edges, or pierced holes. A new technology 

uses waste glass as a low-cost media for abrasive water-jet 

cutting of glass and other materials. This technology can 

refine and automate the glass manufacturing process while 

reducing the number of stages and equipment required to 

produce intricate glass products. Other waste materials can 

also be used. 

uEnergy Saving Glass Lamination via Selective 

Radio Frequency Heating 

(www.ceralink.com) 

A new technique for glass lamination is being developed 

that will save significant amounts of energy and increase 

throughput. Traditional glass lamination involves bonding 

two or more sheets of glass with vinyl interlayers, which 

wastes large amounts of energy to get heat through the glass 

to the vinyl, where the heat is desired. The new technology 

heats the vinyl directly using a single-step radio frequency 

process. The new process will dramatically decrease the 

lamination time and will result in significant energy savings 

across the U.S. laminated glass industry. 

136 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
ITP Emerging Technologies
 

IMPACTS 

Glass 

(continued) 

uHigh-Intensity Plasma Glass Melter 

A high-intensity plasma glass melter was developed with 

a square-foot-per-ton-per-day throughput index that is 

significantly smaller than commercial glass melters. This 

plasma technology package increases the systems’ energy 

efficiency and reduces emissions. To achieve this high 

throughput and high quality, the system uses a dual-torch 

transferred arc-plasma technology, a rotating melt chamber 

to increase melt rate, skull melting to eliminate the need for 

a refractory lining and to reduce contamination of the glass 

from refractory and electrode components, and state-of-theart control technology to provide stable conditions. 

uManufacturing Ceramic Products from Waste Glass 

(www.haunlabs.com) 

Ceramic products have traditionally been 

processed from raw materials that require high 

firing temperatures and energy-intensive processing steps. 

A new technology lowers energy costs by substituting raw 

materials with recycled waste glass. Products manufactured 

by this new method are less sensitive to contaminants in the 

glass and can be made from difficult-to-recycle green or 

mixed-color container glass waste. Firing temperatures can 

be reduced by as much as 37%, lowering energy costs and 

CO2 emissions. The technology has been used to design 

a low-cost highly-automated manufacturing process for 

producing ceramic tile from large volumes of waste glass. 

High-quality ceramic tile with competitive specifications 

has been processed from 92% to 100% recycled glass with 

a wide range of colors and surface textures. The technology 

has been applied to several types of glass, including postconsumer container, flat and lamp glass, and industrial 

fiber-glass waste streams. 

uSubmerged Combustion Melting 

(www.gastechnology.org) 

A consortium of companies developed a high-intensity 

glass melter based on the submerged combustion melting 

technology. This melter serves as the melting and 

homogenization section of a segmented, lower-capital-cost, 

energy-efficient Next Generation Glass Melting System. 

This technology will potentially increase efficiency, lower 

capital costs, provide more flexible operation, and lower 

emissions. 

Metal Casting 

uCupola Furnace Process Model 

A comprehensive mathematical model of the cupola 

furnace, a type of furnace used to melt iron that is 

subsequently cast into a variety of products, is being 

enhanced and updated. The model was incorporated into 

a user-friendly artificial-intelligence program that can help 

optimize the temperature, processing time, and other key 

variables of furnace operation. This improved operation 

results in energy savings, product quality enhancement, and 

waste reduction. 

uIn-Situ Real Time Monitoring and Control of Mold Making and 

Filling Processes 

(www.tntech.edu) 

Two of the major R&D priorities of the metalcasting 

industry are reduction in scrap and variation in casting 

quality, with a target 40% reduction in scrap by 2020. 

In the past few decades, mold making technology has 

significantly improved, resulting in a reduction of scrap. 

Researchers are targeting improvements in lost foam casting 

and green sand casting. The results of this effort will 

provide an innovative approach to introduce technologies 

for real-time characterization of sand molds and lost foam 

patterns and the monitoring of the mold-filling process. 

uIntegrating Rapid Solidification Process 

Tooling and Rapid Prototyping in Die Casting 

In this project, a new and unique Rapid Solidification 

Process (RSP) technology will be introduced to the tooling 

industry to reduce lead time for prototyping and producing 

dies. In addition to increased productivity, the RSP tooling 

technology will substantially increase tool life while 

reducing energy use and scrap compared with conventional 

machining practices. Tools have been produced for the die 

casting, plastic injection, investment casting, glass forming, 

and forging industries. 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 137 
ITP Emerging Technologies
 

Metal Casting 

(continued) 

uLost Foam Casting Technology 

(www.uab.edu/engineering) 

Lost foam casting is a highly flexible process suitable 

for casting metal components with complex geometries. 

Research supported by ITP has led to a greater 

understanding of the process and to new control measures. 

These will increase foundry energy efficiency and 

reduce scrap. Emerging technologies from the ITPsupported research include: in-plant quality assurance 

procedures to measure casting parameters; real-time x-ray 

apparatus which allows visualization of the metal/pattern 

replacement process; and an apparatus for measuring 

pattern permeability (fusion) which is a major factor in the 

replacement process. 

uProcess to Recover and Reuse 

Sulfur Dioxide in Metal Casting Operations 

(www.adsorption.com) 

Sulfur dioxide (SO2) is used as a catalyst in 

forming cold-box molds and cores in the metal casting 

industry. The SO2 is typically used once, scrubbed with 

a caustic solution, and then discarded (flushed to sewer 

or sent to a waste treatment facility). This new process 

recovers the SO2 for reuse by processing it through a 

pressure-swing adsorption system that is expected to 

recover at least 95% of the SO2. Using this process will 

reduce energy consumption, eliminate the need for caustic 

effluent, and pay back costs in less than 1 year 

IMPACTS 

Mining 

uDrill-String Radar Navigation 

for Horizontal Directional Drilling 

(www.stolarhorizon.com) 

Horizontal drilling in a coal seam can relieve methane gas 

trapped in a coal bed, increasing the safety of coal miners 

and supplying methane, a desirable resource. Gamma 

sensors, currently used for horizontal drilling, cannot 

withstand the vibration of the drill and require additional 

costly drilling steps. Instead of gamma sensors, drill-string 

radar transmits radio waves and measures their reflection 

to identify boundary rocks, reducing vibration sensitivity 

and allowing real-time measurement while drilling. This 

technology will reduce the risk, cost, and time required for 

extraction. 

uGranuFlowTM Process in Coal Preparation Plants 

The GranuFlow technology involves adding a binding 

agent such as an asphalt emulsion to a slurry of coal and 

water prior to mechanical dewatering. The binding agent 

agglomerates the fine-sized coal, increasing its capture 

during mechanical dewatering, thereby reducing coal 

loss to impoundments. The GranuFlow treatment also 

reduces moisture content, alleviating downstream 

handling, dusting, and freezing problems. 

uGrinding-Mill Optimization Software 

(www.mines.utah.edu) 

Millsoft 3D is simulation software for visualizing the 

charge motion in semi-autogenous mills and ball mills used 

in the mining industry. The software also provides various 

quantitative information, such as power, forces on the mill 

lifters, and wear. The three-dimensional code uses the 

discrete element method to model the individual collisions 

of ball and rock particles. The software handles mills of 

all sizes and can be used for shell lifter design and energy 

optimization of SAG mills. 

138 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
ITP Emerging Technologies
 

IMPACTS 

Mining

(continued) 

uHigh-Temperature Superconductors 

in Underground Communications 

(www.lanl.gov) 

Underground communications are important for the mining 

industry, urban first-responders, and others who frequently 

work underground. The through-the-earth radio system 

can increase underground mining production by improving 

communication and eventually allowing orientation and 

position information, which can benefit both an individual 

miner and a mining machine. Most importantly, fast 

wireless communication improves underground mining 

safety through early response to problems. A new system 

has been built using conventional copper and semiconductor 

designs and higher-performance superconducting 

designs. Using superconducting materials in underground 

communications equipment increases the range and clarity 

of through-the-earth wireless networks. 

uNovel Dry Coal Deshaling Mobile Unit 

(www.eriez.com) 

A new dry deshaling technology removes materials 

with high-ash content prior to loading and further coal 

cleaning. The new coal-cleaning unit provides highdensity separation near the extraction point or working 

face of a mining operation. The system requires no water, 

facilitating easier product transportation and waste material 

hauling. These features enable mine personnel to remove 

waste rock and minimize coal losses to the rejection stream. 

This new method reduces land impacts and waste emissions 

while lowering capital and operating costs. 

uReal-Time Coal/Ore-Grade Sensor 

(www.resonon.com) 

Various project partners helped in the development of a 

real-time coal content/ore-grade sensor for exploration, 

mining, and processing operations. The project used the 

unique spectral characteristics of coal and ore to quantify 

coal content and ore grade in real time. The sensor would 

be suitable for both surface and underground mining 

operations either at the working face or where mined 

material is being processed. This feature would allow 

for greater selectivity and would decrease environmental 

impacts and energy requirements in exploration, mining and 

processing activities. 

Mining

(continued) 

uSoft (Unfired) Ceramic Particles 

via Dynamic Cyclone Classification 

(www.novafilter.com) 

Many industrial processes involve the separation 

of particles from an airstream. The mining industry, in 

particular, has indicated a need for improved separation 

methods and reduced waste. In this technology, the 

particles are separated and transported by boundary layers 

and induced airflow vorticity near a stack of rotating 

(slightly separated) disks, which minimizes particle impact 

and attrition, as well as component wear. The dynamic 

cyclone classifier offers substantial potential for indirect 

energy savings by reducing the amount of off-spec product 

processed to achieve the same amount of product output. 

Smaller scale devices, operating under the same separation 

principles, can generate sharp particle classification cuts 

below 10 microns and are targeted for the pharmaceutical/ 

neutriceutical, food/additives, cosmetic and specialty 

chemical markets. 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 139 
ITP Emerging Technologies
 

Steel 

uHigh Quality Iron Nuggets Using a Rotary Hearth Furnace 

A new process, that was demonstrated in a pilot plant, 

is an iron making technology that uses a rotary hearth 

furnace to turn iron ore fines and pulverized coal into iron 

nuggets of similar quality as blast furnace pig iron. The 

new technology will be able to effect reduction, melting, 

and slag removal in only about 10 minutes. The process 

is a simple one-step furnace operation that requires less 

energy, capital, and operating costs than existing pig iron 

technology. Consequently, high-quality iron product can be 

produced at a substantially lower cost. 

uHot Oxygen Injection into the Blast Furnace 

(www.praxair.com) 

A new injection system has been developed to directly 

inject hot oxygen in blast furnace tuyeres. Material and 

energy balances on the blowpipe/raceway zone of the blast 

furnace have shown that injecting ambient temperature 

oxygen offers little overall benefit, whereas injecting hot 

oxygen offers several mechanisms for improving burnout. 

This process increases coal injection rates and reduces coke 

consumption. Consequently, direct injection of hot oxygen 

into blast furnace tuyeres improves operating cost, energy 

consumption, and emissions. 

uMetallic Iron Nodule Technology in 

Electric Arc Furnace Steelmaking 

(www.umn.edu) 

Scrap steel substitutes are becoming increasingly valuable 

for material currently used in electric arc furnace smelting 

because of lower production costs. A novel approach is 

investigating ways to process available raw materials into 

a value-added, high quality iron feedstock product at a 

lower total cost. By overcoming furnace and feedstock 

limitations, high-quality steel scrap substitutes are being 

produced, increasing final steel quality produced in electric 

arc furnaces, and reducing overall production costs. 

IMPACTS 

Steel 

(continued) 

uNext Generation Heating System for Scale-Free Steel 

Reheating 

(www.e3minc.com) 

A new system is being developed that reduces scale (iron 

oxide) formation in the steel reheating process. The 

technology employs fuel-rich combustion using preheated 

or oxygen-enriched air to control flue gas composition. 

This process substantially reduces energy use and costs 

associated with the handling, disposal, and reprocessing 

of scale. Reducing scale formation increases product yield 

and revenue by saving high-value steel that is currently lost 

as scale. Scale-free reheating improves productivity by 

reducing downtime and manpower to collect and remove 

scale from reheating furnaces. In addition, reducing scale 

from final rolled products may improve product quality and 

reduce metallurgical defects that require reprocessing. 

uNon-Chromium Passivation 

Techniques for Electrolytic Tin Plate 

(www.steel.org) 

Two previously identified non-chromium passivation 

treatments for electrolytic tin plate are being compared 

in a plant trial to determine their commercial viability. 

These new techniques will replace the existing cathodic 

dichromate treatment method that is facing environmental 

use restrictions. In addition, continued use of chromate 

treating solutions will result in ever-increasing operating 

costs. 

uOptical Sensor for Post-Combustion 

Control in Electric Arc Furnace Steelmaking 

(www.steel.org) 

This project is developing an optical sensor for electric 

arc furnace steelmaking based on measuring off-gas 

temperature and carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide, and 

water vapor concentrations. The remote-sensing optical 

instrument is based on tunable infrared-laser technology 

and will provide input signals for control and optimization 

of oxygen use and post-combustion emissions. This new 

technology will also address needs for improving energy 

use and developing automated process controls. 

140 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
ITP Emerging Technologies
 

IMPACTS 

Steel 

(continued) 

uOptimizing Blast Furnace Operation to Increase Efficiency 

and Lower Costs 

(www.purduecal.edu) 

A key component to the smelting process in iron making 

is the blast furnace (BF) where recent concerns have been 

raised about suitable coal supply, energy efficiency and 

emissions. Improvement can be achieved by burning 

pulverized coal versus metallurgical or coke coal. 

Understanding the parameters that affect BF efficiency 

and productivity will become crucial as pulverized coal 

use increases and energy conservation is mandated. The 

complexity of a BF’s materials burden and output gas 

distribution effects on productivity and stability are known 

but not fully understood. This project has developed 

software which can simulate BF behavior utilizing 

computational fluid dynamics. The software predicts 

BF gas distribution by including fluid flow and chemical 

kinetics as well as other fundamental BF operation 

parameters. Optimized BF operation for a given fuel 

injection rate and efficiency can be calculated and the 

resulting gas distribution compared to process monitoring 

data thus enabling improved BF efficiency and productivity 

and lower emissions. 

uProcessing Electric Arc Furnace (EAF) 

Dust into Salable Chemical Products 

(www.drinkardresearch.com) 

This unique technology will hydro-metallurgically process 

EAF dust into saleable products. EAF dust is oxidized and 

digested in acid and then treated by a series of individual 

steps to isolate and retrieve individual components of the 

dust. 

uRegeneration of Hydrochloric Acid Pickling Liquor 

The PHAR® hydrochloric acid regeneration 

system is an innovative method of regenerating 

spent hydrochloric acid from steel pickling. Conventional 

pickling technology generates 1.5 billion gallons of spent 

pickle liquor nationwide each year, resulting in costly 

and energy-intensive handling, treatment, and disposal. 

This new technology eliminates the disposal problem, 

significantly reducing operating, environmental, and capital 

costs. The process uses sulfuric acid to restore hydrochloric 

acid for reuse. Salable ferrous sulfate heptahydrate is a byproduct. 

Steel 

(continued) 

uSteel Foam Materials and Structures 

Metal foams with high levels of controlled porosity are 

an emerging class of ultra-lightweight materials receiving 

increased attention for a broad range of applications. 

Steel foams produced via a powder metallurgy process 

are about 50% lighter than conventional steel materials 

and can be produced as monolithic foams, as foam-filled 

tubular structures, and in sandwich panel geometries. The 

efficient energy-absorption characteristics of steel foams 

can increase safety in commercial and military vehicles. 

The light weight can improve operational efficiency and 

competitiveness in shipbuilding and rail systems. These 

foams can also be recycled and reproduced, as well as 

produced from recycled metal scrap. Additional process 

scale-up development is required to position steel foams for 

production readiness and commercialization. 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 141 
ITP Emerging Technologies 

Crosscutting Technologies 

uAdvanced CHP System Utilizing Off-Gas from Coke 

Calcination 

(www.gastechnology.org) 

Calcined coke is a key component used in the iron, steel, 

and aluminum industries. Over the past few years, because 

of increased use of heavy oil grades, the sulfur content of 

green petroleum coke has increased by up to 7%. To reach 

a required sulfur content level (<2.5%) in the final calcined 

product, the green petroleum coke with high sulfur content 

requires higher temperatures and longer processing times 

for desulfurization versus that needed for calcination of 

the low-sulfur coke (<4%). As a result more excess heat 

and emissions are released to the environment, operating 

costs are increased, and more expensive materials and 

components are needed. The new technology aims to cost 

effectively utilize waste heat (both sensible and chemical) 

from the green petroleum coke calcination process in a 

fluidized bed. The recovered waste heat is converted into 

electricity and process steam, thereby reducing energy 

consumption and pollutant emissions. 

uAdvanced Diagnostics and Control for Furnaces, Fired 

Heaters and Boilers 

(www.dow.com) 

Fired heaters account for about 37% of U.S. manufacturing 

energy end use. One of the most important issues in 

efficiently operating fired heaters is to minimize the 

excess air from the combustion system because the excess 

air wastes heat from the combustion process by sending 

it out the stack to the atmosphere. To minimize excess 

air, current practice is to measure oxygen; however, the 

ideal control point is at an excess oxygen level just above 

CO breakthrough (indicative of fuel rich conditions). An 

accurate and representative CO measurement can determine 

the setpoint for excess oxygen control, which is typically 

referred to as “CO trim control.” With only oxygen 

analysis, the setpoint for control is fixed (based on design 

information + safety margin) and typically higher than the 

optimum; adding CO measurement can essentially measure 

where the excess air setpoint should be, independent of 

system conditions. This project seeks to develop and 

ultimately commercialize the measurement of oxygen and 

CO in the firebox and to develop a control strategy for 

ethylene furnaces. The ultimate benefit could be a 1% to 

2% reduction in U.S. fired heater energy consumption. 

IMPACTS 

Crosscutting Technologies

(continued) 

uAdvanced Membrane Separation Technologies 

for Energy Recovery 

(www.ornl.gov) 

Recovering energy from lower-temperature waste 

streams represents a significant savings’ opportunity but 

is technically challenging and has only been done with 

very limited success. To operate efficiently at lower 

temperatures, heat exchangers need a large surface area and 

are often too complex and cost prohibitive to integrate into 

existing systems. New separation membrane materials are 

being developed for use in a transport-membrane-condenser 

technology for recovering heat and water. The porous 

ceramic membrane condenses water and recovers heat from 

the waste stream. The new materials will be cost effective, 

efficient, durable, and resistant to corrosion and membrane 

fouling. This system has proven successful at laboratory 

scale and has the potential to recover waste heat in various 

industries or any application involving exhaust streams 

containing at least 15% moisture. 

uAdvanced Nano-Composites for Increased Energy Efficiency 

(www.ameslab.gov) 

This technology is a new cost-effective family of industrialscale process materials, which increase energy efficiency 

and the operating lifetime of wear-intensive industrial 

components and systems. Degradation of materials not only 

reduces energy efficiency of industrial processes, but lowers 

the nation’s overall industrial competitiveness. Because 

every material wears or degrades to some extent during 

normal use in industrial environments this technology will 

result in greatly improved usable tool life, faster and more 

efficient pumping speeds, higher reliability in severe service 

valves, and decreased replacement costs and downtime. 

uAdvanced Process Heater 

(www.spin-works.com) 

An innovative design combines the most advanced 

radiant tube heat transfer components into one highperformance package for industries that require highperformance heating. The advanced process heater (APH) 

incorporates a heat exchanger, burner, and flame holder 

with a traditional metallic radiant tube. Using time-proven, 

inexpensive composite material technology, the APH will 

provide superior heat transfer rates and thermal efficiencies 

compared with current equipment. In addition, the APH 

improves temperature uniformity by 50°F to 100°F while 

reducing NOx and CO2 emissions. 

142 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
ITP Emerging Technologies
 

IMPACTS 

Crosscutting Technologies

(continued) 

uCarbon Films for Next Generation 

Rotating Equipment Applications 

(www.uic.edu) 

Two super-low-friction carbon surfaces, Near Frictionless 

Carbon (NFC) film, and a carbon surface converted 

from carbide, Carbide Derived Carbon (CDC), have 

been combined to achieve extended wear life and higher 

energy savings in rotating-equipment applications. Results 

indicate that CDC has impressive commercial potential for 

improving the wear life, increasing reliability and reducing 

dry-running breakdowns in mechanical seals, sliding 

bearings, and shafts. The technology is a net shape and size 

process that forms an adherent, low-friction, wear-resistant 

layer, as opposed to a coating, for all silicon carbide and 

other metal carbide components. Friction coefficients in the 

same range as the best diamond or diamond-like coatings 

were demonstrated, as well as dry-running capability. 

uDewatering Membrane for Hazy Hydro-Desulfurization of Unit 

Effluents 

(www.compactmembrane.com) 

Oil refinery products such as gasoline, kerosene, diesel, and 

fuel oils often go through a hydrodesulfurization (HDS) 

process to remove sulfur to reduce sulfur dioxide emissions 

during combustion. HDS is prone to water emulsion 

contamination or “haze,” which can be difficult to remove. 

Hazy products cannot be used unless the haze is allowed to 

settle in a storage tank, creating shipping delays or storage 

constraints. A faster, cost-effective process to rapidly 

remove fuel haze is being developed using a new membrane 

in-line process. The process is expected to operate on a 

once-through basis and will target the removal of dissolved 

and dispersed water contamination. The membranes 

remove haze in a variety of water-fuel conditions and are 

very cost effective, having a product lifetime over 4 years. 

Other applications include removing water from chemical 

processing, pipeline ethanol, and other hydrocarbons such 

as lubricant and hydraulic fluids. The technology has 

already proven feasible at lab scale, and construction of a 

commercial size unit is in progress. Further testing will be 

conducted with industry partners in the laboratory and the 

field. 

Crosscutting Technologies

(continued) 

uEnergy-Efficient Thermomagnetic and Induction Hardening 

(www.eaton.com) 

In most industrial markets, maintaining dimensional 

tolerance of conventionally produced steel components 

during heat treatment or tempering can be challenging. To 

meet tolerance specifications, additional machining and 

retreatment are necessary but can be expensive and energy 

intensive. This project will develop an energy-efficient 

process using thermomagnetic processing and inductive 

high-frequency heat treatment. These new processes use 

thermal and magnetic interactions of bulk and surface 

material properties. The new processes consume less 

energy and achieves material durability without secondary 

non-value-added operations. 

uEnergy Saving Controls for HID Lamps 

(www.eesolutions.org) 

This new technology is a simple, cost effective 

approach designed to work with conventional (magnetically 

ballasted) HID lamps of 70 to 1000 Watts, conserving 

up to 40% of typical energy consumption by managing 

illumination to customer needs or applicable standards. 

These intelligent controls save up to 50% of the 

maintenance costs associated with HID lighting. Many 

solutions offer improved HID lighting efficiency, but 

require replacement of existing lamps. This technology 

can be retrofit onto existing lamps thus saving capital costs. 

The fact remains that HID lighting is the most cost- and 

energy-efficient technology available today for high power 

(>100 Watts) lighting applications and this technology 

significantly improves energy efficiency and reduces 

maintenance costs in this lighting category. 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 143 
ITP Emerging Technologies
 

Crosscutting Technologies

(continued) 

uEnergy-Savings’ Model for the Heat 

Treatment of Aluminum Castings 

(www.wpi.edu) 

A research program is extending the understanding of the 

evolution of microstructures during the heat treatment of 

complex, multi-component alloys. Quantitative relations 

among process, microstructure, and properties have 

been developed and applied to aluminum castings. The 

methodology developed can serve as a framework to 

develop quantitative process models for other alloy systems, 

including ferrous alloys. Compared with the current 

technology that specifies heat treatment cycle and furnace 

loadings based on prior specifications and historical “rules 

of thumb,” the models are expected to reduce solutioninzing 

heat treatment times by 50% to 80%, leading to 25% to 

50% reductions in cycle time and energy consumption 

and 50% indirect reduction in non-energy environmental 

impacts and variable costs. The models are available for 

further commercialization and applications. 

uErosion-Resistant Nanocoatings for Improved Energy 

Efficiency in Gas Turbine Engines 

(www.netl.doe.gov) 

Optimized erosion-resistant nanostructured composite 

coatings are being developed for gas turbine engine 

applications. This project will verify the nanomaterial 

technology as an enabler for inlet fogging in industrial gas 

turbines and as an effective erosion protection strategy in 

commercial aviation turbines. These nanocoatings will 

provide erosion protection to compressor airfoils, allowing 

engines to retain operational efficiency through a larger 

portion of their life cycle. Preventing airfoil degradation 

will decrease engine operating costs, reduce carbon 

emissions, and provide significant energy savings through 

reduced fuel consumption. 

uHigh Efficiency Liquid-Desiccant Regenerator 

(www.ailr.com) 

The use of desiccants, which have a high affinity 

for moisture, can greatly reduce the energy required for 

typical drying and dehumidification. A new generation 

of liquid desiccant technology was developed that lowers 

overall cost and size, while improving the performance 

characteristics of existing dehumidification technologies. 

This new regenerator has the potential to almost double the 

efficiency of liquid-desiccant systems. 

IMPACTS 

Crosscutting Technologies

(continued) 

uHigh-Efficiency Thermoelectric Materials/Devices for 

Industrial Process Refrigeration and Waste Heat Recovery 

(www.aegistech.net) 

Applications for recovering process waste heat often require 

an intermediate step to convert thermal energy into other 

useable forms of energy, such as thermo-mechanical. 

Another energy conversion pathway is the thermoelectric 

effect, where thermal energy is directly converted into 

electricity. This project will develop nanocomposite 

materials that generate electricity when a temperature 

difference exists across the bulk of the material – called the 

Seebeck effect. These new nanomaterial composites are 

thermodynamically efficient and overcome the barriers of 

high cost and large-scale manufacturing. 

uHigh Temperature Resistant Superhydrophobic 

Nanocomposite Coatings 

(www.neicorporation.com) 

During recovery of waste heat streams, heat exchanger 

technology performance and efficiency rely heavily on heat 

transfer. Heat transfer is primarily affected by the thin film 

condensate that forms on the surface, which reduces the heat 

transfer rate considerably. Preventing film formation has 

proven to be challenging in commercial vapor-to-liquid heat 

exchanger applications. This project will develop a viable 

and cost-effective superhydrophobic surface treatment that 

promotes “drop-wise” condensate formation, which will 

improve heat transfer significantly. The surface treatment 

derives its properties from a novel microstructure and is 

durable and cost effective. This surface treatment also can 

increase the exchanger’s heat transfer rate three to four 

times, improving efficiency and energy usage. 

uIntelligent Controls for Refrigeration Systems 

(www.adatech.com) 

As much as 15% of electricity consumed by commercial 

and industrial refrigeration units can be saved by using 

intelligent defrost cycle controls. In typical installations, 

the defrost cycle is initiated at regular intervals during 

the day by a timer clock that is set to accommodate the 

peak humidity conditions of summer. In many cases, this 

causes the defrost cycle to begin too soon, and to run for an 

extended period of time. A new, low-cost frost sensor for 

defrost control systems has been developed and patented 

to start the defrost cycle only when necessary and to stop 

the cycle as soon as the ice has been removed from the heat 

exchanger. 

144 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
ITP Emerging Technologies
 

IMPACTS 

Crosscutting Technologies

(continued) 

uIntensive Quenching Technology for 

Heat Treating and Forging Industries 

(www.intensivequench.com) 

Intensive quenching technology (IQT) for steel products 

was developed as an alternative way of quenching steel 

parts. While conventional quenching is usually performed 

in environmentally unfriendly oil, the IQT process uses 

environmentally friendly water or low-concentration 

water/mineral salt solutions. Complete development and 

commercialization of IQT in heat-treating, powder metal, 

and forging industries will significantly reduce energy 

consumption and environmental impacts, thus enhancing 

the economic competitiveness of the domestic steel, metal 

casting, and mining industries. 

uLarge-Scale Manufacturing of Nanoparticulate-Based 

Lubrication Additives 

(www.anl.gov) 

Lubrication applications currently consume 250 million 

barrels per year worldwide, and that consumption continues 

to increase. The major challenges for improving lubrication 

applications include reducing friction and increasing 

durability, which, if overcome, would reduce not only oil 

and fuel consumption but carbon dioxide emission and 

waste as well. This project is developing nanoparticulatebased additives using new boron-based materials instead 

of conventional sulphur- and phosphor-based additives. 

Producing these new high-performance additives uses 

advances in nano-manufacturing and nano-colloidal 

formulation. The raw materials required to manufacture 

these boron-based nano-lubricants are naturally occurring, 

abundant, nontoxic, and inexpensive. 

uLow-Cost, High-Efficiency, Periodic-Flow Gas 

Turbine for Distributed Energy Generation 

(www.ventions.com) 

An innovative gas microturbine is being developed that can 

realize higher thermal-to-electrical efficiencies and lower 

manufacturing costs compared with existing microturbine 

designs. The expensive recuperator used in current 

microturbines is replaced with a lower-cost regenerator 

that increases cycle thermal efficiency by 10% or greater 

and simultaneously reduces capital cost by 40%. The new 

system also is estimated to reduce CO2 and other pollutant 

emissions by 15% to 40%. 

Crosscutting Technologies

(continued) 

uLow-Cost Microchannel Heat Exchangers 

(www.altextech.com) 

Conventional brazed-plate heat exchangers are used across 

a broad range of industrial applications, including the 

industrial and commercial chiller market. These heat 

exchangers significantly contribute to system efficiency, 

energy losses, volume, weight, and cost. However, 

attempting to improve efficiency or reduce losses 

increases the heat exchanger’s volume, weight, and cost to 

unacceptable levels. This project will develop an alternative 

to a brazed-plate heat exchanger that is up to 84% and 75% 

lower in volume and weight, respectively, and has up to 

88% lower energy losses. The technology, the innovative 

WASHEX high-performance design and continuous 

manufacturing process, will reduce cost by over 70%. 

The size, weight, performance and low cost of WASHEX 

will allow it to be used in a wide variety of industrial and 

commercial chiller applications and will offer large market 

potential and energy savings. 

uMaximusTM Sonic Stop-Fill Device for LP Gas and 

Anhydrous Ammonia Tanks 

(www.adeptscience.net) 

A new technology is being developed to prevent liquefied 

petroleum (LP) gas and anhydrous ammonia tanks from 

being overfilled. Outage gauges, the current technology 

used for this function, release LP gas or anhydrous ammonia 

for the entire duration of the tank refill. The resulting 

vapor release is wasteful, environmentally unfriendly, and 

potentially a health and fire risk. In contrast, the Maximus 

stop-fill technology relies on an advanced acoustic method 

to noninvasively detect the presence of liquid or gas at 

a specific point on a tank. As the liquid level rises, the 

acoustic signals received by the sensor change, indicating 

the presence of liquid on the other side of the tank wall. 

The Maximus thereby achieves the exact same result as 

an outage gauge without wasted energy, environmental 

pollution, or safety risks. 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 145 
ITP Emerging Technologies
 

Crosscutting Technologies

(continued) 

uMicrochannel Magnetic Coolers with Negative 

Magnetocaloric Effect 

(www.mercorp.com) 

Magnetic refrigeration near room temperature using the 

magnetocalorific effect was shown possible in the mid to 

late seventies. Cooling systems using magnetic cooling 

have potentially significant energy savings by eliminating 

the use of liquid refrigerants and associated mechanical 

components used in conventional refrigeration devices. 

Unfortunately the high cost of the magnets and mediocre 

performance has prevented commercialization. Research 

has focused on improved material performance but the 

brittle nature of these new materials cause fabrication 

problems. This project will develop a viable commercial 

magnetic refrigerator with the efficiency near that of a 

convention carnot cycle cooling system using inexpensive 

gadolinium magnetic materials. The performance gain 

is obtained by controlling the energy flow in the system 

using synchronized magnetic field motion. Potential energy 

savings from this technology are expected to be at least 

20% over current convention refrigeration methods. 

uMicro Gas Analyzer Solutions for 

Advancing Industrial Efficiency 

(www.honeywell.com) 

An innovative technology for on-line sampling and analysis 

of gas process streams in an industrial environment is 

being developed to enhance industrial efficiency. This new 

device couples a sampling and measurement system with 

a revolutionary gas composition micro-analyzer to provide 

continuous, on-line monitoring of gas process streams. By 

identifying and communicating variations in gas stream 

composition, the technology will improve product quality, 

reduce process upsets, avoid product loss and reduce waste. 

IMPACTS 

Crosscutting Technologies

(continued) 

uMicroreactor-Assisted Nanomaterial Deposition for 

Photovoltaic Thin-Film Production 

(www.pnl.gov) 

Despite reducing fossil fuel consumption for energy 

generation, renewable energy sources have obstacles 

and technical challenges – e.g., cost, efficiency, 

and environmental impact. A cost-effective and 

environmentally friendly manufacturing process is being 

developed for photovoltaic (PV) related nanomaterials 

and thin films. Current PV manufacturing involves high 

costs, poor material utilization, high carbon emissions, 

and significant chemical waste. A microreactor-assisted 

nanomaterial-based process is being developed to enable 

just-in-time production of intermediates or particles for 

immediate deposition on the desired substrate. In addition, 

portions of the process are enabled by supercritical fluids, 

which drastically reduce the use harmful solvents in these 

processes. The nanomaterial deposition part of the process 

allows better material utilization and film formation 

via particle property (e.g., size and shape) control and 

molecular level deposition control for solid films. The 

process improves PV films and offers shorter manufacturing 

times and could be applicable to other nanoscale material 

production. 

uMiniature, Inexpensive, 

Amperometric Oxygen Sensor 

A new sensor to measure oxygen partial pressure 

from parts-per-million levels to 100% oxygen has been 

developed. It has particularly good sensitivity in the 

combustion range of 0.1% to 5% oxygen partial pressure. 

The new amperometric sensor, which is a multi-layer 

ceramic capacitor, is ideal for inexpensive mass production. 

The large reduction in cost of the sensor will economically 

allow any combustion process, including industrial, 

commercial, or residential furnaces and boilers, to be more 

closely monitored and controlled, thus saving energy. 

146 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
IMPACTS 

Crosscutting Technologies

(continued) 

uModifications and Optimization of the Organic Rankine Cycle 

(www.inl.gov) 

Waste heat from industrial applications and processes 

has been recognized as an extremely abundant source of 

recoverable energy. An optimized organic rankine cycle 

has been developed for the conversion of low-temperature 

waste heat from gas turbine or reciprocating engine exhaust 

to electricity. An evaporator placed directly in the hot 

exhaust gas stream reduces system cost and improves 

efficiency by eliminating the usual secondary heat 

exchanger loop. This safe, robust direct evaporator design 

can be integrated with the gas turbine or reciprocating 

engine as a single package that is easy for customers to 

install and operate. 

uNanocatalysts for Diesel Engine Emissions Remediation 

(www.ornl.gov) 

The widespread use of highly fuel-efficient diesel engines 

instead of gasoline engines can occur only if NOx emissions 

in diesel engine exhaust can be reduced to benign gases 

to enable them to meet EPA regulatory requirements. 

Conventional catalysts are unable to reduce NOx in the 

presence of excess air found in diesel emissions. As such, 

several new approaches are being investigated, with ureaor ammonia-assisted selective catalytic reduction (urea- or 

NH3-selective catalytic reduction [SCR]) of NOx as the 

leading technology. This technology needs to overcome 

poor durability and a narrow operating temperature range. 

A project is developing zeolite-based nanocatalysts whose 

modified molecular structures overcome the constraints 

in urea- or NH3-SCR technology for treating diesel engine 

emissions. The new technology will enable a wider market 

share for diesel engines, thereby increasing energy savings 

as well as reducing exhaust emissions per mile driven. 

ITP Emerging Technologies 

Crosscutting Technologies

(continued) 

uNanostructured Superhydrophobic Coatings 

(www.ornl.gov) 

Water-based drag, corrosion, icing, biofouling, and 

wetting in most water-exposure applications and processes 

increase energy consumption as well as replacement and 

maintenance costs. Many applications could benefit 

from a coating that reduces these problems (e.g., marine 

transportation, industrial liquid handling, structural steel, 

communication and power cables, roofing, and roadway 

materials). Water-repelling, durable, nanostructured 

superhydrophobic materials will be developed that 

substantially reduce a variety of negative effects between 

water and a treated substrate. The key to this application 

is the nanomaterials’ ability to trap a layer of air between 

the substrate coating and any liquid having a high surface 

tension, like water. These remarkable, water-repellant, 

powder-based coatings are cost effective and easy to 

apply and can be manufactured from readily available raw 

materials. 

uNew Regenerative Cycle for Vapor Compression 

Refrigeration 

(www.mdienergy.com) 

A new refrigeration technology is being developed 

that increases efficiency and saves energy relative to 

existing refrigeration techniques. The technology uses 

a novel thermodynamic cycle characterized by the 

regenerative use of the potential energy of the working 

fluid. A compressor compresses the working fluid to 

only 50% to 60% of the final pressure, while a jet device 

provides additional compression by using the internal 

potential energy of the working fluid flow. The compressor 

requires less mechanical energy, resulting in significant 

energy savings. 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 147 
ITP Emerging Technologies
 

Crosscutting Technologies

(continued) 

uNovel Refractory Materials for High-Temperature, HighAlkaline Environments 

(www.ornl.gov) 

New refractory materials are being developed for use in 

high-temperature, high-alkaline industrial environments 

such as those found in industrial aluminum, lime, and 

gasification environments. These magnesia- and aluminabased compositions use unique bond systems, protective 

coatings, and in-situ phase formation techniques. The 

improved performance and reduced degradation under 

harsh chemical and thermal conditions will result in 

reduced energy losses through refractory walls. In 

addition, through alternative application techniques such as 

shotcreting, the materials reduce downtime and energy loss 

associated with repairing and replacing degraded refractory 

linings. The project will also focus on developing new 

application techniques and systems to facilitate hot 

installation and repairs. 

uParticulate Ejection Coal Fired Turbine 

(www.novafilter.com) 

A sub-scale prototype of a medialess inertial 

rotary disk filter was successfully evaluated to operate at 

the high temperatures/pressures typically found in coalfired gas turbine generators. This technology demonstrates 

98% to 99% coal ash removal efficiency without fouling, 

thus reducing the need for conventional disposable porous 

ceramic candle filters for hot gas filtration. Constant 

filtration efficiency and non-varying pressure drop across 

the all-metal filter eliminates brittle ceramic failures 

and allows operation at higher gas temperatures, which 

eliminates gas reheating and improves energy efficiency. 

The continuously self-cleaning technology may also 

eliminate landfilling of spent/replaced ceramic candles. 

uProcess Heater System 

(www.exxonmobil.com) 

A new generation of process heaters has been developed 

and demonstrated that is extremely low in emissions. 

This innovative system incorporates several advanced 

technologies: 1) ultra-low-emission (ULE) burners; 2) a 

specially designed fired heater with enhanced heat recovery, 

optimized for use with the ULE burner systems; and 3) 

on-line tube metal temperature sensors and burner control 

system to optimize heater operation, reduce maintenance 

costs, and increase run lengths. The technology will have 

applications for a broad range of refining and chemical 

processes. The advanced heater components are being 

developed for new or retrofit applications. 

IMPACTS 

Crosscutting Technologies

(continued) 

uProduction Scale-up of Activated 

Carbons for Ultracapacitors 

(www.tda.com) 

Electric and hybrid vehicles are promising technologies for 

decreasing the dependence on petroleum. Cost effective 

and efficient energy storage devices are needed for these 

vehicles to remain economically viable, and ultracapacitors 

are a leading energy storage technology for this purpose. 

The most important parameter in determining the power 

and energy density of a carbon-based ultracapacitor is the 

amount of surface area accessible to the electrolyte, which 

is primarily determined by pore size distribution. The 

major problems with current carbons are that their pore size 

distribution is not optimized for liquid electrolytes and the 

best carbons are very expensive. Methods that use low-cost 

feedstock (carbohydrates) were developed to prepare porous 

carbons with tunable pore size distribution at a greatly 

reduced production cost. 

uRadiation Barrier Heating Mantle 

for High-Temperature Furnaces 

(www.procedyne.com) 

Retort furnaces, which consist of a heating-mantle jacket 

surrounding a retort vessel, are widely used to generate high 

temperatures for the metal-processing, chemical-processing, 

and heat-treating industries. A new porous wall radiation 

barrier (PWRB) heating mantle represents a breakthrough 

in heating mantles that significantly increases heat-transfer 

rates over both the existing gas-fired heating mantle and the 

electrically heated mantle. This unique development results 

in a heat-transfer rate in the 1,800°F to 2,400°F range that is 

2 to 4 times greater than electric and conventional gas-fired 

mantles. 

uRobotically Enhanced Manufacturing Line 

(www.timken.com) 

Conventional metal processing lines employ equipment 

that frequently use energy inefficiently, release greenhouse 

gases, and increase the exposure of laborers to process 

related safety risks. A new project is developing an 

advanced, low-volume manufacturing line that operates ondemand, thereby saving energy and manpower. The system 

is designed to replace over-sized, energy-intensive furnaces 

that require continuous and therefore unproductive heating. 

In development, the novel process has been demonstrated to 

be about 22% more energy efficient than conventional small 

lot processing methods. This manufacturing line is also 

more productive and produces fewer emissions. 

148 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
ITP Emerging Technologies
 

IMPACTS 

Crosscutting Technologies

(continued) 

uSelf-Assembled, Nanostructured Carbon for Energy Storage 

and Water Treatment 

(www.ornl.gov) 

Materials research has far-reaching implications in many 

industrial applications. Energy storage and water treatment 

are of particular interest as their demand and usage increase. 

Carbon-nanomaterials can provide solutions to a wide 

gamut of applications where technical progress has become 

challenging. Implementing the products of nanostructured 

materials research is not without constraints, especially 

scale-up, reliability, and high manufacturing costs. This 

project will overcome those difficulties by producing 

materials for use in cost-effective ultracapacitor devices for 

energy storage and safe, effective, and affordable capacitive 

deionization water treatment systems. 

uSelf-Healing Polymeric Coatings 

(www.neicorporation.com) 

Materials used for industrial and consumer applications are 

usually coated to improve their appearance and protect them 

from the damaging effects of weathering (e.g., ultraviolet 

light and acid rain), corrosion, and mechanical wear. 

Typical coatings used are paints, stains or sealers, waxes, 

and other chemical treatments. Inevitably, this protection 

weakens and microscopic damage occurs, leading to more 

extensive damage or eventual failure, which requires 

recoating or replacement. This project will develop selfhealing nanocomposite polymeric-based coatings. When 

mild heat is applied to these coatings, they can self-repair or 

self-heal minor surface scratches and relatively deep cracks. 

These coatings allow multiple healings, increase service 

life, and reduce costs and environmental impact from 

emissions and waste. 

uSunlight Responsive Thermochromic (SRTTM) 

Window System 

(www.pleotint.com) 

A new high-performance window capable of 

variable tint is being developed that combines dynamic 

sunlight control, high insulation values, and low solar 

gain. The Sunlight Responsive Thermochromic windows 

can reversibly change light transmission based on 

thermochromic materials activated solely by the heating 

effect of the sun. The window design allows for good 

daylighting, a low solar heat gain coefficient, a low U-value, 

and a high insulation value. Energy savings up to 30% are 

estimated compared with traditional window systems. 

Crosscutting Technologies

(continued) 

uSuper Boiler 

(www.gastechnology.org) 

The Super Boiler concept using ultra-high-efficiency, 

ultra-low-emission steam generation technologies is 

targeted for broad industrial applications over the next 15 

to 25 years. The concept combines a suite of enabling 

technologies such as a staged intercooled combustion 

system with forced internal recirculation, high-intensity 

heat transfer surfaces, an advanced transport membrane 

condenser, and a smart control system in an integrated 

package. The performance goals include 94% fuel 

efficiency, 5 vppm NOX and CO, and 50% size and weight 

reduction compared with a conventional firetube boiler. 

uThermal Imaging Control of High Temperature Furnaces 

(www.gastechnology.org) 

The near-infrared thermal imaging system fine-tunes 

the main furnace controller for improved combustion 

performance. The system uses multiple infrared 

wavelengths combined with a periscope probe to map the 

full field of combustion space during furnace operation. 

Control algorithms minimize differences between 

measured field temperatures and temperature set points 

and send output signals to the main furnace combustion 

control. Optimizing the combustion process has been 

shown to decrease the total fuel use by at least 5%, with a 

corresponding decrease in airborne emissions. 

uThermoelectric Generator for Diesel Engines 

(www.hi-z.com) 

This new technology generates electric energy 

from waste heat and has many applications in the 

power industry, as well as in the chemical and petroleum 

industries. One possible application is as an array on the 

exhaust of the gas turbine to increase efficiency. Heavy 

earth moving equipment for mining presents another 

potential application. A prototype generator is being tested 

by a truck manufacturer and has been driven on their test 

track for 500,000 miles to demonstrate the ability to endure 

shock and vibration. 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 149 
ITP Emerging Technologies
 

Crosscutting Technologies

(continued) 

uThird-Generation Flywheels for Electricity Storage 

(www.launchpnt.com) 

A new type of electricity storage flywheel is being 

developed that can be scaled up cost effectively to much 

larger power and capacity than existing flywheel designs. 

This new third-generation flywheel – the Power Ring – uses 

totally new architecture and is designed to eventually reach 

electricity storage capacities exceeding 5 megawatt-hours 

per unit. The design uses a new class of magnetic bearing 

and a thin-walled composite hoop rotated at high speed to 

store kinetic energy. Power Ring flywheels will have many 

applications to support the U.S. power grid and to provide 

a reliable source of emergency power during electrical 

outages. 

uTough-Coated Hard Powders 

(www.allomet.net) 

Revolutionary tough-coated hard powder (TCHP) 

pseudoalloys combine the extremes of fracture toughness, 

hardness, wear resistance, light weight, low coefficient of 

friction, and thermal properties. Designed nanostructures 

are created by nano-encapsulating extremely hard 

micrometer-scale core particles (e.g., diamond) with very 

tough materials (e.g., tungsten carbide and cobalt), which 

in the consolidation process become the contiguous matrix. 

As many unique properties can coexist in a TCHP variety 

as there are different core particle materials present in the 

uniform tough substrate. Extreme strength, double-digit 

component and tool life, and reduced friction and thermal 

losses combine to enable the potential for billions of 

dollars in annual cost, energy, and environmental impact 

improvements. 

uUltra-Efficient and Power-Dense Electric Motors 

(www.baldor.com) 

A new technology increases motor efficiency while 

reducing the size and weight of the motor. The lowloss, high power density motor is more efficient, lighter, 

and smaller than current alternatives, including NEMA 

Premium® motors. The product will be a general-purpose 

motor that can replace existing induction motors for a wide 

range of line-start and variable-speed applications. The 

motor will be able to be started and run across the line 

or operated from a standard (volts/hertz) drive without 

requiring a rotor position feedback device. 

IMPACTS 

Crosscutting Technologies

(continued) 

uUltra-Fast Boriding in High-Temperature Materials 

Processing Industries 

(www.anl.gov) 

To improve the performance and durability of metals, some 

form of surface treatment is used. Ultra-fast boriding is a 

faster process that is energy efficient and environmentally 

friendly. It is a thermo-electrolytic process that forms 

a very hard and durable compound at the surface of the 

treated material. Despite the shorter processing times, 

the ultra-fast process deposits thicker protective coatings 

compared with conventional techniques. The process 

consumes less energy and does not produce gaseous 

emissions or environmental waste. The process also 

provides the added benefits of increased productivity and 

product durability. 

uUltratough, Thermally Stable Polycrystalline Diamond/Silicon 

Carbide Nanocomposites for Drill Bits 

(www.lanl.gov) 

The search for natural resources continues to deeper 

depths and presents new drilling challenges for the gas, 

petroleum, and geothermal energy industries. New 

super-hard, wear-resistant, and durable materials are 

needed to improve drilling performance. Conventional 

polycrystalline diamond (PCD) compact materials have 

two major weaknesses–poor thermal stability and low 

impact strength–which can lead to slower drilling or 

premature failure. To offset these weaknesses, this project 

is developing new nanocomposite materials that combine 

PCDs with silicon carbide nanocomposites and nanofibers. 

The improved drilling efficiency of these nanocomposite 

materials will reduce energy consumption and capital costs. 

150 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
ITP Emerging Technologies
 

IMPACTS 

Crosscutting Technologies

(continued) 

uUtility Interactive Inverter System 

for Distributed Generation 

(www.advanced-energy-conv.com) 

A 2.5-kW utility interactive inverter system 

has been developed and is being tested and refined for 

use in distributed generation. The system embodies zerovoltage switching technology that will yield a system that is 

smaller, less expensive to manufacture, and more efficient 

than existing commercial technologies. By strategically 

focusing on a 2.5-kW utility interactive inverter employed 

in solar photovoltaic applications the company has found a 

stable regulatory environment and a market that is quickly 

expanding in this power level which supports numerous 

technologies. 

uVariable Speed, Low Cost Motor 

for Residential HVAC Systems 

(www.dynamotors.com) 

Existing variable-speed motors cost at least four 

times as much as single-speed motors and thus are 

currently used in only 5% of residential HVAC systems. 

A revolutionary low-cost, brushless, variable-speed 

motor technology uses solid-state switches on the rotating 

armature to control motor torque and speed. A variablespeed motor running continuously at half speed compared 

with a single-speed motor running at full speed but half the 

time uses 25% of the power to move the same amount of air 

in an HVAC blower, thus saving energy. 

uWireless Sensor Network for Motor Energy Management 

(www.eaton.com) 

Energy use of large motors (over 200 hp) has already been 

reduced with advanced monitoring and diagnostic systems 

served by conventional field-wired sensors. Deploying 

monitoring systems on smaller motors could further 

reduce motor energy use by 18% but is not cost-effective 

with conventional wiring and thereby does not promote 

the identification of energy savings and opportunities to 

improve uptime. Wireless sensors that monitor voltage and 

current and integrate with advanced energy and inferential 

condition management software are being developed to 

serve this need. The technology will use smart sensors with 

embedded intelligence as well as network system robustness 

to ensure system security, self-configuration capability, 

cost effectiveness, and the ability to accommodate plant 

complexity. 

Crosscutting Technologies

(continued) 

uZero-Emission Mechanical Seal 

(www.cerom.lsu.edu/projects_seal.htm) 

Several zero emissions mechanical seal designs 

have been developed for use in petroleum and chemical 

processing pumps. The seals offer superior heat transfer 

capability compared with conventional seals by introducing 

special cooling channels into the surface of the stationary 

(mating) ring. The surface temperature can be controlled 

with simultaneous reduction of surface wear, allowing seals 

to run dry and qualify for zero emissions. This technology 

should reduce downtime, increase seal life, and decrease 

harmful environmental effects that occur from seal leakage. 

By reducing the friction and wear between the seal surfaces, 

the new designs should decrease power loss and save 

energy. 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 151 
ITP Emerging Technologies
 

Other Industries
 

uAdvanced Water Removal via Membrane Solvent Extraction 

(www.3m.com) 

As U.S. ethanol production increases, two major concerns 

need to be addressed – water consumption and input 

energy. For every gallon of ethanol produced, about four 

gallons of water are used and at least 30% of the input 

energy is consumed during the distillation process. A 

new technology is being developed, membrane solvent 

extraction (MSE), that will reduce water and energy usage. 

The MSE’s pervaporation process increases the process 

yield almost 10 times and can reuse waste energy streams 

(heat) within the plant. MSE technology can be retrofitted, 

reduces energy and water consumption by about 40%, and 

can be applied to various bioethanol production paths. 

uBEI Cellulose Hydrolysis Process 

The BEI Dilute-Acid Cellulose Hydrolysis 

(DACH) Process and Reactor System uses a 

double tubular reactor system in two stages, which is 

automatically controlled to continuously convert cellulose 

feedstock into fermentable sugars solution products. The 

second stage of the BEI-DACH process reactor system 

recovers excess and surplus process heat and acid-chemicals 

for reuse in the first stage, providing exceptional energy and 

acid efficiencies and related economic savings. The BEIDACH reactor system process hydrolyzes cellulose into a 

pentose, hexose, and glucose sugars solution at the point of 

use. These DACH sugars may then be continuously yeastfermented into ethanol and/or single-cell-protein and into 

other organic chemicals as commercial products. 

uBiofine Technology 

(www.biometicsma.com) 

The Biofine technology can convert low-grade cellulosecontaining wastes from paper mills, municipal solid waste 

plants, logging and agricultural operations, and other 

sources into levulinic acid, a versatile platform chemical 

that is an intermediate to several high-value chemical 

and oxygenated fuel products. Cellulose is converted to 

levulinic acid using a novel, high-temperature, dilute acid 

hydrolysis reaction system. 

IMPACTS 

Other Industries 

(continued) 

uDistributed Optical Fiber Sensors for 

Continuous Liquid Level Tank Gauging 

The Noverflo Multipoint Tank Gauging (NMTG) 

system is a family of fiber optic sensor arrays designed 

for the oil and gas, transportation, and food/beverage 

processing industries. Compared with similar products, 

the NMTG offers a simple design that allows both low and 

high accuracy measurements to be made at a very low cost. 

The system can make accurate measurements in liquids 

of shifting densities and performs continuous density 

measurements at any tank level. A new data acquisitions 

system allows the NMTG to monitor hundreds of sensors 

and numerous external-switching devices without any 

upgrades to existing systems. 

uEco Oil: A Superior-Performance, Bio-Based 

Motor Oil 

One way to reduce dependence on foreign oil is to 

reduce the consumption of refined petroleum products. Eco 

Oil is an enhanced, bio-based synthetic motor oil that will 

help reduce refined petroleum consumption, adding stability 

to our national supply. Increased availability of bio-based 

motor oil also provides product diversity, creating additional 

options for government and consumer purchases, and results 

in fuel savings because of reduced engine friction. Reduced 

fuel usage also could lead to lowered emissions from 

internal combustion engines, reducing pollution. 

uFlexible Distributed Energy and Water from Waste for the 

Food and Beverage Industry 

(www.geglobalresearch.com) 

A comprehensive wastewater processing solution is being 

developed that recovers energy and purified water from 

industrial wastewater effluent streams. The integrated 

waste-to-value system consists of multiple components, 

including pretreatment, anaerobic digestion, aerobic 

reaction, filtration and gas processing, and combustion 

in a boiler and/or gas engine. This project addresses 

the challenge of variations in operating conditions and 

wastewater composition by developing an automated 

monitoring and supervisory controls solution. The control 

solution aims to improve the performance and reliability 

of the integrated waste-to-value system and reduce the 

occurrence of severe upsets by up to 90% using automated 

corrective action. 

152 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
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IMPACTS 

Other Industries 

(continued) 

uHelical Reaction Hydraulic Turbine 

(www.lucidenergy.com/gck) 

The Gorlov Helical Turbine (GHT) is a newly 

developed technology that is relatively inexpensive and 

ecologically benign and provides a reliable source of 

electricity by extracting the kinetic energy from flowing 

water. It is designed for hydroelectric applications in free 

flowing watercourses, which eliminates the need for a 

dam or other obstruction to the natural current flow. The 

GHT uses airfoil-shaped blades, which provide a reaction 

thrust that can rotate the GHT at twice the speed of the 

water flow. The GHT is self-starting and can produce 

power from a water flow as low as five feet per second, 

with power increasing in proportion to the water velocity 

cubed. Testing has demonstrated the GHT’s superior power 

efficiency (35%) in free flowing water currents compared 

with conventional turbines. 

uHigh Speed/Low Effluent Process for Ethanol 

(www.bio-process.com) 

The High Speed/Low Effluent (HS/LE) process 

increases ethanol fermentation 5 to 8 times faster 

compared with current industry rates by using a newly 

developed, self-aggregating yeast strain. Either a 

“consecutive batch” or “continuous cascade” technology 

can be used for this fermentation process, for either wet 

mill or dry mill corn ethanol production. Cane juice, 

molasses, sweet sorghum, and other sugar/starch feedstocks 

may also be used with this process. In addition, a lowenergy distillation process can improve ethanol production 

economics. 

uHi-Q Rotor 

(www.hiqproducts.com) 

The Hi-Q Rotor is an advanced low-wind speed, 

hight efficiency, tri-symmetric wind blade theat presents a 

new geometry for wind blade technology. This innovative 

technologyy has high value for collecting wind in low and 

very low wind speeds where conventional turbines are 

ineffective. The Hi-Q Rotor was developed to harvest wind 

in Class 2, 3, and 4 wind sites. 

Other Industries 

(continued) 

uHorizontal Ribbon Growth 

(www.oakland.edu) 

This innovative technology consists of a process to 

develop crystalline silicon sheet from a polycrystalline 

silicon source. Its primary goal is the efficient, low-cost 

production of high-quality crystal silicon sheet for the solar 

and electronics industry. Development of this process will 

provide several important benefits, such as high production 

rates, low cost in terms of material and energy input, 

good dimensional control, improved crystal quality, and 

remarkable purity the same as the source material. 

uHydrogen Generation from Biomass 

(www.virent.com) 

A newly patented process is enabling the 

economic production of hydrogen from a range of biomassderived feedstocks, including glycerol and sugars. The 

key breakthrough in the reforming process is a proprietary 

catalyst that operates in the aqueous phase and has high 

hydrogen selectivity at low temperature. The process 

reforms water soluble oxygenated hydrocarbons in a single 

step and produces a hydrogen rich gas that is easily purified 

and that can be used as fuel stock for energy systems 

requiring a clean source of hydrogen, including fuel cells 

and transportation. 

uLow Head, Vortex Induced Vibrations 

River Energy Converter 

(www.vortexhydroenergy.com) 

A revolutionary technology is being developed 

to extract useful energy from low-head or low-power 

falling water resources. The technology is based on the 

vortex-induced vibrations (VIV) of cylinders. For decades, 

engineers have been trying to prevent VIV from damaging 

offshore equipment and structures. By exploiting and 

maximizing VIV rather than preventing it, the vibrations 

can be transformed into a valuable electrical resource. In 

harnessing this potentially destructive force, the calculated 

energy density is five times greater than the best available 

competing technology, which is a free-flowing water 

turbine. 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 153 
ITP Emerging Technologies
 

Other Industries 

(continued) 

uNanoparticle Technology for Biorefinery of 

Non-Food Source Feedstocks 

(www.ameslab.gov) 

Rising petroleum prices and renewable energy initiatives 

have increased research into alternative fuels, in particular, 

biodiesel, which is biodegradable and nontoxic and is 

produced from various feedstocks. The use of cropbased feedstock for biodiesel fuel is limited by available 

cultivation acreage, low yield, and potential negative impact 

of higher prices in the food source market. Alternatively, a 

non-foodstock approach using waste animal fat or biomass 

or microalgae would be costly and complex. To overcome 

these drawbacks, a new process is using nanoparticlebased catalysts to cultivate microalgae to produce biodiesel 

fuel that meets industry standards. The new nanoparticle 

technology will be scaled up from pilot to industrial scale. 

uNovel Membrane-Based Process 

for Producing Lactate Esters 

(www.vertecbiosolvents.com) 

This research aims to develop nontoxic replacements for 

halogenated and toxic solvents. The new method, called 

“Direct Process”, uses proprietary advanced fermentation, 

membrane separation, and chemical conversion 

technologies to convert renewable carbohydrate feedstocks 

into lactate esters in an energy-efficient, waste-reducing, 

and cost-effective way. 

uPlastics, Fibers, and Solvents from 

Biosynthetically Derived Organic Acids 

(www.bio-amber.com) 

Biologically-derived succinic acid is produced by 

fermenting sugar derived from grains and other biomass. 

After separation and purification, the succinic acid is used 

as a chemical intermediate that is converted into a wide 

assortment of products such as plastics for automobiles 

and household items, fibers for clothing, food additives, 

solvents, deicers, agricultural products, ink, and water 

treatment chemicals. 

IMPACTS 

Other Industries 

(continued) 

uPowering Cell Phones with Fuel Cells 

Running on Renewable Fuels 

(www.tekion.com) 

Small passive fuel cells that operate on air and formic acid 

are being developed to reduce electricity consumption 

from charging batteries. This renewable-fuel micro fuel 

cell will be used to charge cell phones, which use about 1.5 

billion kWh per year, two-way radios, laptops, PDAs, and 

other portable devices, including military and emergency 

applications. 

uThermophotovoltaic Electric Power 

Generation Using Exhaust Heat 

(www.jxcrystals.com) 

This new technology produces electricity directly from 

furnace exhaust waste heat by using infrared-sensitive 

photovoltaic cells. The cells are mounted inside ceramic 

tubes that are heated in the high-temperature exhaust 

stream from furnaces. This technology allows on-site 

generation of electricity from waste heat in industrial or 

residential applications. 

uTidal Energy Systems 

(www.verdantpower.com) 

The kinetic energy of flowing water is a source of 

renewable energy. Systems similar to underwater wind 

turbines have been developed and are being demonstrated 

in tidal currents. The systems convert the kinetic energy 

of the tidal current to mechanical power, which is applied 

through a gearbox to an internal generator or to a directdrive generator for electrical power. These water-to-wire, 

dam-less hydro systems have demonstrated little to no 

environmental impacts. On-going studies are showing that 

fish are safely swimming either around or through the slow 

revolving rotors of these kinetic hydropower systems.

154 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
ITP Emerging Technologies
 

IMPACTS 

Other Industries 

(continued) 

u Variable Length Wind Turbine Blade 

(www.frontierwind.com) 

The use of variable length blades on wind 

turbines, as opposed to the current use of fixed 

length blades, improves the wind turbine’s performance, 

efficiency, and cost-effectiveness. Low wind speed 

provides better electrical output with longer blades, while 

high wind speeds demand shorter blades to minimize 

mechanical loading. The outboard (tip portion) of the blade 

fits inside the inboard (inner portion) and can be telescoped 

in and out according to wind conditions. Energy capture is 

expected to increase by about 10% to 15%, by increasing 

wind capture at existing sites and by expanding the number 

of locations where wind energy is feasible. Can be used in 

new or retrofit applications. Reduces system loading thus 

increasing system life while increasing energy generation. 

u Wind Fins: Novel Lower-Cost Wind Power System 

An innovative vertical axis wind turbine is being 

developed as an alternative to conventional small 

horizontal-axis wind turbines (HAWTs). The Wind Fin 

technology exploits the kinetic energy of a vertically 

aligned, aerodynamic oscillating blade to generate 

electricity. The unique design blends more readily into the 

natural landscape than HAWTs and virtually eliminates 

lethality to birds and bats. Wind tunnel tests have shown 

that this technology will be comparable to or superior in 

performance to similar-sited wind turbines (20 kW) but at 

approximately half of the system cost. In addition, the Wind 

Fin can generate power at wind speeds as low as 5 mph, 

whereas many alternative systems require wind speeds of 

10 mph or greater to begin operation. Testing has indicated 

that the technology will be technically and economically 

feasible over a wide range of sizes, potentially resulting in 

Wind Fins with a power output of 50 kW to 100 kW. 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 155 
IMPACTS
 

156 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
DOE Industrial Technologies Program 157 

Appendix 3:

Historical ITP Technology Successes 

u Absorption Heat Pump/Refrigeration Unit ........................................................................................................................................160 

u Advanced Turbine System..................................................................................................................................................................160 

u Aerocylinder Replacement for Single-Action Cylinders....................................................................................................................160 

u Aluminum Roofing System................................................................................................................................................................160 

u Aluminum Scrap Decoater.................................................................................................................................................................160 

u Aluminum Scrap Sorting....................................................................................................................................................................160 

u Aqueous Cleaner and CleanRinseTM Recycling System.....................................................................................................................160 

u Arc Furnace Post-Combustion Lance ................................................................................................................................................160 

u Auxiliary Air-Conditioning, Heating and Engine Warming System for Trucks...............................................................................160 

u Biomass Grain Dryer.......................................................................................................................................................................... 161 

u Biphase Rotary Separator Turbine ..................................................................................................................................................... 161 

u Brick Kiln Design Using Low Thermal Mass Technology................................................................................................................ 161 

u Catalytic Distillation .......................................................................................................................................................................... 161 

u Cement Particle-Size Classifier.......................................................................................................................................................... 161 

u Chemical for Increasing Wood Pulping Yield ................................................................................................................................... 161 

u Chemical Separation by Fluid Extraction .......................................................................................................................................... 161 

u Chemical Vapor Deposition Optimization of Ceramic Matrix Composites ...................................................................................... 161 

u Cogeneration – Coal-Fired Steam Turbine......................................................................................................................................... 162 

u Cogeneration – Slow-Speed Diesel Engine ........................................................................................................................................ 162 

u Coil Coating Ovens ............................................................................................................................................................................ 162 

u Combination Grain Drying ................................................................................................................................................................ 162 

u Component Cleaning.......................................................................................................................................................................... 162 

u Computer-Controlled Oven ................................................................................................................................................................ 162 

u Continuous Cascade Fermentation System for Chemical Precursors................................................................................................ 162 

u Cupola Stack Air Injection ................................................................................................................................................................. 162 

u Delta T Dryer Control System............................................................................................................................................................ 163 

u Dilute Oxygen Combustion System.................................................................................................................................................... 163 

u Direct Source-to-Object Radiant Heating Panels .............................................................................................................................. 163 

u D’MAND® Hot Water Recirculating and Waste Prevention System ................................................................................................. 163 

u DryWash® ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 163 

u Dual-Cure Photocatalyst .................................................................................................................................................................... 163 

u Dual-Pressure Euler Turbine for Industrial and Building Applications............................................................................................. 163 

u Dye Bath Reuse .................................................................................................................................................................................. 163 

u Electric Tundish..................................................................................................................................................................................164 

u Electronic Starter Device for Fluorescent Lamps ..............................................................................................................................164 

u Energy-Efficient Canning ..................................................................................................................................................................164 

u Energy-Efficient Fertilizer Production (Pipe Cross Reactor) ............................................................................................................164 

u Energy-Efficient Food Blanching.......................................................................................................................................................164 

u Energy-Efficient Process for Hot-Dip Batch Galvanizing .................................................................................................................164 

u Evaporator Fan Controller for Medium-Temperature Walk-in Refrigerators.....................................................................................164 

u Fluidized-Bed Waste Heat Recovery System.....................................................................................................................................164 

u Foam Processing.................................................................................................................................................................................164 

u Glass Feedstock Purification..............................................................................................................................................................164 

u Guide for Window Routing Device .................................................................................................................................................... 165 

u Heat Exchanger Dryer ........................................................................................................................................................................ 165 

u High-Effectiveness Plate-Fin Recuperator ......................................................................................................................................... 165 

u High-Efficiency Dehumidifier ........................................................................................................................................................... 165 

u High-Efficiency Direct-Contact Water Heater................................................................................................................................... 165 

u High-Efficiency Weld Unit................................................................................................................................................................. 165 
Historical ITP Technology Successes
 

IMPACTS 

u High-Temperature Burner Duct Recuperators....................................................................................................................................165
 

u High-Temperature Radiant Burner.....................................................................................................................................................165
 

u Hot Blast Stove Process Model and Model-Based Controller............................................................................................................165
 

u Humidity Sensor (Optical) .................................................................................................................................................................166
 

u Hydrochloric Acid Recovery System .................................................................................................................................................166
 

u Hyperfiltration – Textiles ........................................................................................................................................................................166
 

u Hyperfiltration Process for Food........................................................................................................................................................166
 

u Improved Composite Tubes for Kraft Recovery Boilers....................................................................................................................166
 

u Improved Poured Concrete Wall Forming System.............................................................................................................................166
 

u Infrared Polymer Boot Heater ............................................................................................................................................................166
 

u Ink Jet Printer Solvent Recovery........................................................................................................................................................166
 

u Irrigation Systems............................................................................................................................................................................... 167
 

u Irrigation Valve Solenoid Energy Saver ............................................................................................................................................. 167
 

u Lightweight Steel Containers ............................................................................................................................................................. 167
 

u Membrane Filtration Technology to Process Black Olives ................................................................................................................ 167
 

u Membrane Separation of Sweeteners ................................................................................................................................................. 167
 

u Meta-Lax Stress Relief Process.......................................................................................................................................................... 167
 

u METHANE de-NOX® Reburn Process.............................................................................................................................................. 167
 

u Methanol Recovery from Hydrogen Peroxide Production ................................................................................................................. 167
 

u Method of Constructing Insulated Foam Homes ............................................................................................................................... 167
 

u Micell Dry-Cleaning Technology.......................................................................................................................................................168
 

u Nickel Aluminide Trays and Fixtures for Carburizing Heat Treating Furnaces ...............................................................................168
 

u Night Sky – A New Roofing Technology...........................................................................................................................................168
 

u Nitrogen-Methanol Carburization ......................................................................................................................................................168
 

u No-Clean Soldering Process...............................................................................................................................................................168
 

u No-VOC Coating Products .................................................................................................................................................................168
 

u Onsite Process for Recovering Waste Aluminum..............................................................................................................................168
 

u Organic Rankine-Cycle Bottoming Unit ...........................................................................................................................................168
 

u Oxy-Fuel Firing ..................................................................................................................................................................................169
 

u Oxygen-Enhanced Combustion for Recycled Aluminum ..................................................................................................................169
 

u Paint Wastewater Recovery ................................................................................................................................................................169
 

u Pallet Production Using Postconsumer Wastepaper...........................................................................................................................169
 

u Pervaporation to Recover and Reuse Organic Compounds ...............................................................................................................169
 

u PET Bottle Separator..........................................................................................................................................................................169
 

u Pinch Analysis and Industrial Heat Pumps........................................................................................................................................169
 

u Plating Waste Concentrator ................................................................................................................................................................169
 

u Powder Paint Coating System............................................................................................................................................................. 170
 

u PowerGuard® Photovoltaic Roofing System....................................................................................................................................... 170
 

u PowerRimTM High Wattage Energy Saving Compact Fluorescent Lamp Adaptor for Recessed Down Lights................................. 170
 

u Pressurized Ozone Ultrafiltration Membrane System ....................................................................................................................... 170
 

u Radiation-Stabilized Burner............................................................................................................................................................... 170
 

u Real-Time Neural Networks for Utility Boilers ................................................................................................................................. 170
 

u Recovery of Acids and Metal Salts from Pickling Liquors................................................................................................................ 171
 

u Recuperators ....................................................................................................................................................................................... 171
 

u Recycling of Aluminum Dross/Saltcake Waste ................................................................................................................................. 171
 

u Removal of Bark from Whole Logs ................................................................................................................................................... 171
 

u Restaurant Exhaust Ventilation Monitor/Controller .......................................................................................................................... 171
 

u Retractable® Labyrinth Packing Seals for Turbine Shafts ................................................................................................................. 171
 

u Reverse Brayton Cycle Solvent-Recovery Heat Pump ....................................................................................................................... 171
 

u Robotic Inspection System for Storage Tanks.................................................................................................................................... 171
 

158 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
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IMPACTS 

u RR-1 Insulating Screw Cap ................................................................................................................................................................ 172
 

u Scrap Tire Recycling .......................................................................................................................................................................... 172
 

u Selective Zone Isolation for HVAC Systems...................................................................................................................................... 172
 

u SIDTECTM Condenser Maintenance Program..................................................................................................................................... 172
 

u Slot Forge Furnace/Recuperator......................................................................................................................................................... 172
 

u Smart Screening Systems for Mining ................................................................................................................................................ 172
 

u Solar Process Heat.............................................................................................................................................................................. 172
 

u SolaRoll® Solar Collector System....................................................................................................................................................... 172
 

u SOLARWALL® Air Preheating System............................................................................................................................................. 172
 

u Solvent Recovery from Effluent Streams........................................................................................................................................... 173
 

u Stalk and Root Embedding Plow........................................................................................................................................................ 173
 

u Steel Reheating for Further Processing.............................................................................................................................................. 173
 

u Supercritical Purification of Compounds for Combinatorial Chemical Analysis ............................................................................. 173
 

u SuperDrive – A Hydrostatic Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) ........................................................................................ 173
 

u System 100® Compressor Controls..................................................................................................................................................... 173
 

u Textile Finishing Process.................................................................................................................................................................... 173
 

u The Solar SKYLITE Water Heater .................................................................................................................................................... 173
 

u Thin Wall Casting of Stainless Steel.................................................................................................................................................. 174
 

u Transfer Rolls for Steel Production .................................................................................................................................................... 174
 

u Ultrasonic Tank Cleaning................................................................................................................................................................... 174
 

u Use of Recovered Plastics in Durable Goods Manufacturing............................................................................................................ 174
 

u Variable-Frequency Microwave Furnace ........................................................................................................................................... 174
 

u V-PLUSTM Refrigerant Oil Cooling System ....................................................................................................................................... 174
 

u Wallace Energy Systems Solar Assisted Heat Pump Water Heater ................................................................................................... 174
 

u Waste Atactic Polypropylene to Fuel.................................................................................................................................................. 175
 

u Waste Energy Recovery...................................................................................................................................................................... 175
 

u Waste Fluid Heat Recovery System.................................................................................................................................................... 175
 

u Waste-Minimizing Plating Barrel ...................................................................................................................................................... 175
 

u XTREME CleanerTM – Removal of Light and Sticky Contaminants................................................................................................. 175
 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 159 
Historical ITP Technology Successes
 

uAbsorption Heat Pump/Refrigeration Unit 

(www.energy-concepts.com) 

An advanced water ammonia absorption unit was developed 

that is powered by waste heat and provides refrigeration to 

refineries. The unit also recovers salable products, liquid 

petroleum gas or gasoline, which were formerly flared as 

reformer waste propane gas. Two units were installed in 

refineries and have cumulatively saved 2.87 trillion Btu 

since 1997. 

uAdvanced Turbine System 

As part of the Industrial Power Generation Program, an 

advanced metallic material, first-stage turbine vane was 

developed. This vane allows turbines to operate at higher 

compression ratios and/or temperatures than conventional 

gas turbines resulting in an efficiency improvement of 15%, 

less down-time, and less maintenance. The use of these 

vanes has resulted in an energy savings of 245 billion Btu. 

uAerocylinder Replacement for Single-Action Cylinders 

(www.smedbergmachine.com) 

The aerocylinder, a machinery shock absorber, replaces 

conventional, single-action compressed-air cylinders in 

industrial forging, stamping, and welding applications. 

The aerocylinder has been installed on over 400 stamping 

and welding presses, primarily in the automotive industry. 

Using this system reduces downtime, prolongs equipment 

life, improves final product quality, and has resulted in an 

energy savings of more than 340 billion Btu since 1988. 

uAluminum Roofing System 

(www.transmet.com) 

This technology uses aluminum chips to reflect about 

70% of the solar radiation received on asphalt roofs, which 

reduces building cooling needs. This invention has saved 

over 635 billion Btu since its introduction in 1984 and is 

now used on more than 35 million square feet of roofing. 

uAluminum Scrap Decoater 

(www.er-co.com) 

An innovative aluminum-scrap melting process was 

developed that efficiently recycles oil-laden aluminum 

scrap, reducing solid waste and emissions. The process 

uses an indirect-fired controlled-atmosphere kiln to 

remove machining lubricants, oils, and other materials 

from the scrap aluminum. Once removed, these materials 

are combusted in an afterburner, destroying all VOCs 

and releasing heat that can be used to drive the process. 

Since 1997, the three facilities using this process have 

cumulatively saved 1.93 trillion Btu. 

IMPACTS 

uAluminum Scrap Sorting 

This particle-sorting technology used laser induced 

breakdown spectroscopy to sort nonferrous metal scrap 

from the reusable materials from aluminum-intensive 

vehicles. The process included physical property sorting 

and chemical composition sorting and was capable of realtime, piece-by-piece batching of specific alloy compositions 

from the analyzed scrap. This process improves the melt 

composition of recycled materials and is more efficient and 

less energy intensive than existing chlorination, fractional 

solidification, and electro-refining processes. This 

technology has resulted in cumulative energy savings of 

more than 2 trillion Btu since 2002. 

uAqueous Cleaner and CleanRinseTM Recycling System 

(www.ecoshieldenv.com) 

A simple mini-reactor system for cleaning aqueous waste 

streams chemically converts organic oily contaminants 

into surfactants and emulsifiers. This conversion increases 

the cleaning solution’s ability to remove oil, grease, and 

dirt. The system regenerates the cleaning solution onsite, generating less waste water and often decreasing the 

cleaning time required. The system has low energy needs 

and can be coupled with an energy-efficient bioreactor that 

will convert excess soap into biomass. Since 1997, the two 

systems in use have cumulatively saved 149 billion Btu. 

uArc Furnace Post-Combustion Lance 

(www.praxair.com) 

A technology was developed that was applied in electric 

arc furnaces to increase productivity, reduce energy 

requirements, and improve control. The system consists of a 

water-cooled lance and controls to inject oxygen to combust 

the carbon monoxide in and above the furnace’s foamy slag. 

The six installed systems have saved a total of 2.46 trillion 

Btu of energy. 

uAuxiliary Air-Conditioning, Heating and 

Engine Warming System for Trucks 

(www.ponypack.com) 

An auxiliary power unit was developed to maintain cab 

power in heavy-duty, long-haul trucks when the main engine 

is not operating. This unit takes fuel from the truck’s 

fuel tanks to heat and air-condition the cab and sleeper, 

to generate electricity to keep the battery charged, and to 

furnish hot water to keep the truck’s engine warm. Since 

1988, more than 3000 units have been installed on trucks 

and have saved an estimated 19.9 trillion Btu in the form of 

diesel fuel. 

160 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
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IMPACTS 

uBiomass Grain Dryer 

Originally developed for grain-drying processes, this heat 

exchanger system later expanded into the furniture industry. 

By burning husklage, wood waste, or other biomass fuels, 

the process quickly disposed of combustible waste, provided 

an alternative energy source, and saved landfilling fees. 

Used within both the corn and furniture manufacturing 

industries, this system resulted in a cumulative 1.35 trillion 

Btu in energy savings and reduced landfill scrap by 

thousands of tons since being commercialized. 

uBiphase Rotary Separator Turbine 

A biphase turbine recovers waste energy from pressurized 

process streams that separate into liquid and gas when the 

streams are depressurized. Conventional turbines cannot be 

used efficiently with two-phase flows because they cannot 

withstand the forces released during the liquid’s rapid 

evaporation to a vapor. This turbine is being used by 125 

large (500-ton) chillers and is saving 15 kW per chiller, for 

a cumulative savings of 107 billion Btu. 

uBrick Kiln Design Using Low Thermal Mass Technology 

(www.swindelldressler.com) 

An innovative brick kiln was developed that uses low 

thermal mass and low-NOX burner technologies. This 

brick kiln uses three technical innovations: ceramic-fiber 

insulation in lieu of traditional refractory brick, a lower 

profile stack design for brick kiln cars, and more but 

smaller low-NOX gas burners. These innovations result 

in a reduction in natural gas usage of 35% compared to a 

conventional kiln. The two brick kilns have cumulatively 

saved 280 billion Btu. 

uCatalytic Distillation 

(www.neochem.net) 

Distillation is one of the most energy-intensive industrial 

processes, accounting for over 40% of the energy consumed 

by the chemicals industry each year. This single-stage 

catalytic reaction/distillation process has become a major 

commercial success and has improved the energy efficiency 

and productivity of certain chemical processes, including 

the production of methyltertiary- butyl-ether (MTBE) and 

tertiary-amyl-methyl-ether (TAME). Since its introduction 

in 1982, the 36 units installed in the United States have 

saved 43 trillion Btu. 

uCement Particle-Size Classifier 

A system was developed to control the size distribution 

of cement particles and to help reduce the current energyintensive regrinding process. Cement products produced 

from the improved particle distribution consumed less 

energy and were of better quality. This system yielded a 

total of approximately 9.5 trillion Btu in energy savings 

since its commercialization in 1984. 

uChemical for Increasing Wood Pulping Yield 

(www.chemstone.com) 

Unevenly processed wood chips in the pulp industry result 

in poor-quality pulp, often requiring reprocessing. A 

cooking aid was developed that reduced the amount of 

virgin wood feedstock needed to process wood chips and 

increased pulp yield and quality. The cooking aid helps 

pulp-cooking liquors penetrate the chips, resulting in more 

uniform cooking, and enabling the production of more 

uniform fibers in less time and with less energy. Since 

1995, 23 mills in the United States have used this chemical 

system to save over 8 trillion Btu. 

uChemical Separation by Fluid Extraction 

This technology removes hazardous organic compounds 

from contaminated solid or liquid waste streams. The 

technology is more energy efficient than conventional 

technical hazardous waste treatment methods. The use 

of this technology has resulted in energy savings of 440 

trillion Btu since 1990. 

uChemical Vapor Deposition Optimization 

of Ceramic Matrix Composites 

Ceramic matrix composites comprise a technology that 

is practical for a wide range of industrial and aerospace 

applications. Ceramic matrix composites are extremely 

heat-tolerant and corrosion-resistant, making them ideal 

for applications requiring lightweight materials capable of 

withstanding high temperatures. Chemical vapor deposition 

(CVD) is used to enhance the physical characteristics of 

the ceramic matrix composites. A computer model was 

developed and used to increase the throughput of two CVD 

coating reactors that optimized the coating process used to 

make ceramic matrix composites. 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 161 
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uCogeneration – Coal-Fired Steam Turbine 

Using a coal-fired boiler and turbine exhaust steam system, 

a cogeneration process was developed for use primarily 

within the textile industry. The 16 systems installed saved 

more than 31 trillion Btu of energy/year and significantly 

reduced emissions due to lower demand for utility-generated 

electricity. 

uCogeneration – Slow-Speed Diesel Engine 

This stationary internal combustion, slow-speed, twostroke diesel engine was developed to accommodate 

limited space and/or varying load demands. The compact, 

slow-speed diesel engine has excellent efficiency, greater 

load flexibility, and lower fuel and maintenance costs than 

conventional cogeneration options. The three installed 

units have saved a total of approximately 17.7 trillion Btu of 

energy. 

uCoil Coating Ovens 

This system was developed to recover thermal energy 

previously lost in the solvent-based paint curing/ 

incineration process. Heat, recovered from solvent vapor 

combustion in zone incinerators, was routed back into 

the curing oven to vaporize more solvent. The thermal 

incinerators normally used were replaced by afterburners 

and a waste heat boiler to produce process steam. A 

three-fourths reduction in natural gas requirements and a 

reduction in pollution control energy resulted in over 35 

trillion Btu of cumulative energy savings since the system 

was commercialized. The savings were increased even 

further as a result of a technology upgrade that eliminated 

the zone-burning portion of the process. 

uCombination Grain Drying 

Designed to prevent spoilage during storage and reduce 

energy consumption, this system used a high-speed dryer 

and storage bin equipped with a drying fan. The grain was 

first dried by a high-speed, hot-air dryer, then transferred to 

a drying/storage bin that delivered ambient air to cool and 

further dry the grain to a moisture content of around 14%. 

This combination drying method improved grain quality, 

increased drying capacity, and reduced propane and natural 

gas consumption. 

IMPACTS 

uComponent Cleaning 

A chemical product for industrial cleaning was developed 

based on supercritical fluid technology. Equipment was 

developed that converted carbon dioxide (CO2) into a fluid 

that was used to clean metal, plastics, printed wire boards, 

etc. This technology takes the place of chlorofluorocarbon 

(CFC) solvents in the cleaning process and has reduced the 

energy needed to evaporate the solvents during the drying 

process. 

uComputer-Controlled Oven 

To lower volatile organic compound (VOC) emissions, the 

computer-controlled oven technology was developed that 

permits operation at a higher percentage of lower explosive 

limits, reducing in dilution air requirements and the energy 

required to heat the high-temperature ovens. Optimizing 

airflows reduces VOC emissions that, in turn, reduces VOC 

incineration requirements. Fifteen installations saved a 

cumulative total of 27.75 trillion Btu of energy since being 

commercialized in 1982. 

uContinuous Cascade Fermentation 

System for Chemical Precursors 

(www.bio-process.com) 

A cascade reactor for ethanol production from carbohydrate 

feedstocks was developed that eliminated the need to fill, 

empty, and wash a fermenter as part of a batch operation. 

Feed is introduced continuously into the first of three to 

five stirred reactors placed in series, with the outflow of 

one reactor flowing into the next reactor. This continuous 

operation allows quick and complete saccharification and 

fermentation of feedstocks and removal of ethanol into a gas 

phase as it is produced. Since its introduction in 1996, this 

reactor has saved over 800 billion Btu. 

uCupola Stack Air Injection 

This process reduced the carbon monoxide (CO) content 

of the effluents from a cupola furnace and improved the 

efficiency of combustion in the furnace during production of 

gray iron. This process eliminated the need for afterburners 

and the large amounts of energy they used to reduce the 

CO content in the emissions. By injecting air into the 

exhaust gases below the furnace charging door, the CO was 

ignited at temperatures already existing in the stack, with 

the resulting final exhaust gas having a CO concentration 

of less than 1%. Cupola stack air injection saved a total of 

80 billion Btu of energy before being superseded by more 

advanced technology. 

162 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
 

 

Historical ITP Technology Successes
 

IMPACTS 

uDelta T Dryer Control System 

(www.moisturecontrols.com) 

This dryer control system significantly improves 

control capability because it measures moisture content 

continuously in the dryer rather than only at the exit from 

the dryer. This more precise temperature control saves 

10% to 20% more energy than conventional dryer control 

systems. Over 300 Delta T control systems have been 

installed and have saved more than 17 trillion Btu since 

1985. 

uDilute Oxygen Combustion System 

(www.praxair.com) 

The dilute oxygen combustion (DOC) system improved 

steel reheat furnace performance and provided very low 

NOx emissions. By replacing combustion air with oxygen, 

the DOC system needs less fuel to heat steel and also gives 

lower flue gas temperatures. These features allow a reheat 

furnace to operate economically at higher production rates. 

The 24 systems installed in the United States have saved 

more than 28 trillion But since 1999. 

uDirect Source-to-Object Radiant Heating Panels 

(www.radiantnow.com) 

Radiant heating systems transfer heat directly to a person or 

object in a manner similar to sunlight, eliminating energy 

consumed by mechanical heat-delivery requirements. 

These systems can save up to 50% in heating costs 

compared with baseboard electric-resistance heating and up 

to 30% compared with heat pumps. Since 1981, more than 

375,000 radiant heating panels have been sold, saving more 

than 1.45 trillion Btu. 

uD’MAND® Hot Water Recirculating 

and Waste Prevention System 

(www.gothotwater.com) 

A system was developed for water heaters to conserve water 

and energy while providing hot water on demand. The 

system moves the tepid water back to the water heater rather 

then discarding it prior to hot water delivery. The primary 

energy savings are from the reduced amount of energy 

needed to heat the water returned to the water heater tank. 

More than 33,000 units have been installed in residential 

and commercial applications and have cumulatively saved 

604 billion Btu. 

uDryWash® 

A CO2-based system for dry cleaning fabrics was 

developed that eliminated the need to use perchlorethylene 

as the cleaning solvent. Perchlorethylene has adverse 

environmental impacts. DryWash uses liquid CO2-based 

fluid as the base solvent but adds a new surfactant (dirt 

removing detergent additive) and then applies this new 

combination of cleaning liquids with a unique spraying 

device and agitation mechanism in a self-contained system. 

The 86 DryWash machines in use in the United States have 

saved 88 billion BTU since 2000. 

uDual-Cure Photocatalyst 

Traditional volatile organic compound (VOC)-based 

coatings release undesirable organic chemical vapors into 

the atmosphere during the drying or curing phase of the 

coating application. A novel photocatalyst system was 

developed as part of a dual-cure process that allows lightactivated, simultaneous polymerization of two monomers 

to produce a material consisting of two independent but 

interpenetrating polymer networks. The VOC emission 

levels from this process are substantially below those 

obtained using conventional coating technologies, and cure 

times are shorter. Since its introduction in 1995, this system 

has saved over 3.7 trillion Btu. 

uDual-Pressure Euler Turbine for Industrial 

and Building Applications 

A dual-pressure Euler turbine was developed that 

dramatically improved generation efficiency. It can be 

used in place of a steam system’s pressure reduction valve 

and uses the energy dissipated by the valve to produce 

electricity. Combined with traditional technology, turbine 

efficiency can be increased from 40% up to 80%. The nine 

units operating in the United States have saved 187 billion 

Btu since 2004. 

uDye Bath Reuse 

To reduce the use of chemicals, water, and energy, two 

process modifications were developed for batch-dying 

textiles. These modified processes involved reconstituting 

and recycling the spent dye bath, eliminating the final rinsewater step. These modifications resulted in a cumulative 

energy savings of 2 trillion Btu prior to being replaced with 

advanced technologies. 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 163 
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uElectric Tundish 

An enclosed and more efficient holding furnace or tundish 

was developed and demonstrated for the continuous casting 

of copper alloys. Switching to electricity to heat the tundish 

rather than gas or oil results in an energy efficiency increase 

from 20% to 98%. Four tundishes were installed in 1994 

and operated until the manufacturing facility closed in 

1996. 

uElectronic Starter Device for Fluorescent Lamps 

A quick and reliable electronic lamp starter was developed 

for small fluorescent applications. This technology was 

an important improvement for lower wattage fluorescent 

lamps which still use older preheat circuit designs. Use of 

the inexpensive and easily installed starter can double the 

life of a fluorescent lamp. More than 1.6 million units have 

cumulatively saved 3.1 trillion Btu. 

uEnergy-Efficient Canning 

A thermal syphon recycle system using a recycling steam 

jet vacuum compressor and a recirculation pump and 

heat exchanger outside of the cooker were two methods 

developed to improve energy efficiency in the canning 

industry. From the installation of 100 new or retrofitted 

units, a cumulative energy savings of nearly 3 trillion Btu 

were realized. 

uEnergy-Efficient Fertilizer Production (Pipe Cross Reactor) 

An ammonia granulation technology was developed to 

reduce moisture content and energy consumption in the 

production of pellet fertilizers. The process employed a 

pipe-cross configured reactor, mounted within a granulator, 

where liquid raw materials were mixed and then dried 

via heat from the chemical reaction. Seven reactors were 

constructed that produced a superior product with a 1% 

moisture content, reduced pollution, and contributed a 

cumulative energy savings of 2.6 trillion Btu. 

uEnergy-Efficient Food Blanching 

(www.key.net) 

This blanching technology, for processing fruits, vegetables, 

and potatoes for shelf-life protection, recirculates and 

reuses steam, dramatically reducing water and energy use, 

and wastewater production. The system improves nutrient 

retention, taste, and appearance through shorter cook 

cycles and takes up only about 60% as much floor space 

as conventional blanching equipment. The 62 installed 

systems saved over 11 billion Btu since 1998. 

IMPACTS 

uEnergy-Efficient Process for Hot-Dip Batch Galvanizing 

(www.ferrotech.com) 

This process combines a thermally stable flux solution and 

a preheat furnace to reduce energy use and increase batch 

galvanizing productivity while reducing waste generation. 

Hot-dip galvanizing is widely used to protect steel from 

corrosion. The process was used at a Pennsylvania steel 

company and saved 4 billion Btu of energy. 

uEvaporator Fan Controller for Medium-Temperature Walk-in 

Refrigerators 

A new control system was developed for low- and mediumtemperature walk-in refrigerators and freezers that senses 

refrigerant flow and adjusts the evaporator fan speed, saving 

fan motor energy when cooling is not needed. Energy 

consumption is reduced by about 40%, and lower running 

times increase equipment life span and cut maintenance and 

replacement costs. Since 1997, more than 1400 controllers 

have cumulatively saved 85 billion Btu. 

uFluidized-Bed Waste Heat Recovery System 

A self-cleaning waste heat recovery system was developed 

to replace industrial furnace conventional recuperators. The 

system employed finned heat exchange tubes submerged in 

a bed of spherical alumina particles that absorbed heat from 

the hot gas and transferred it to the finned tubes. The water 

flowing through the tubes was converted to steam for use 

elsewhere in the plants while the alumina particle agitation 

kept the tubing clean and distributed the heat evenly. 

uFoam Processing 

To replace the very energy-intensive wet processing of 

textiles, a process was developed to substitute mediumdensity foam for some of the water processing. A 50% to 

70% moisture retention reduction was realized along with 

a significant decrease in energy previously required for 

drying, water usage, and pollution control. This technology, 

and several similar techniques, achieved a cumulative 

energy savings of more than 11 trillion Btu. 

uGlass Feedstock Purification 

An optical sortation technology, which removes ceramic 

and other contaminants from glass cullet using optical 

sensors and computer-controlled jets of compressed air, was 

developed. This technology was used to recycle 50 tons/ 

day of glass at one plant for two years thus resulting in a 

cumulative energy savings of 48 billion Btu. 

164 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
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IMPACTS 

uGuide for Window Routing Device 

(www.bi-glass.com) 

A tool guide to control the operation of a router was 

developed for converting single-glazed wooden-framed 

windows into double-glazed windows. Single-pane glass 

can thus be replaced with panes that are more energyefficient without replacing the sash members or the entire 

window. This technology was used by licensees in 

the United States and England and has saved more 

than 520 billion Btu of energy. 

uHeat Exchanger Dryer 

This modified multideck dryer that incorporated a heat 

recovery system, was developed for the wood board 

products industry. Air-to-air, air-to-water, and air-to-liquid 

heat exchangers enabled the previously lost heat from 

exhaust gases to be reused throughout the plant. Three 

installations yielded nearly 800 billion Btu in cumulative 

energy savings. 

uHigh-Effectiveness Plate-Fin Recuperator 

Materials and fabrication techniques were developed that 

made the previously cost prohibitive plate-fin recuperators 

more economically feasible for a larger number of industrial 

applications. The recuperators can recover 90% of the 

energy from exhaust as hot as 1550°F, are more compact 

than conventional techniques, and use a flexible flow 

pattern. Further, the technology provides more heat transfer 

surface per cubic foot of volume and is often used in 

nonfouling heat recovery applications. More than 100 units 

were installed with a cumulative energy savings of around 5 

trillion Btu. 

uHigh-Efficiency Dehumidifier 

(www.heatpipe.com) 

A system was developed to recover reheat energy and to 

control the humidity in all types of buildings. This system 

uses heat pipe technology to increase the humidifying 

capacity of air-conditioning equipment and operates without 

any mechanical or electrical inputs. More than 12,000 units 

have been sold and have cumulatively saved 1.38 trillion 

Btu. 

uHigh-Efficiency Direct-Contact Water Heater 

(www.kemcosystems.com) 

This industrial/commercial water heating system uses a 

water-cooled burner sleeve and combustion zone to extract 

all possible energy from natural gas combustion by bringing 

water into direct contact with a submerged-flame jet-type 

burner. More than 3,000 units are in use throughout the 

United States, and have saved a cumulative total of more 

than 300 trillion Btu in natural gas. 

uHigh-Efficiency Weld Unit 

An inverter welding power source that included a 

multiprocess capability was developed for arc welding 

processes. Up to 75% smaller in size and weight than 

conventional units, this system’s portability and improved 

weld quality also provided energy savings of up to 45% over 

conventional power sources. More than 75,000 units were 

sold, resulting in a cumulative energy savings of 21 trillion 

Btu before they were replaced by more advanced welding 

technology. 

uHigh-Temperature Burner Duct Recuperators 

Two ceramic tube recuperators, able to withstand 2000°F+ 

temperatures, were designed to recover heat from hightemperature industrial furnace exhausts. Used in iron 

forging and steel production, fuel consumption was reduced 

by approximately 50%. 

uHigh-Temperature Radiant Burner 

(www.alzeta.com) 

The high-temperature radiant burner forms the core of a 

thermal processing unit that destroys up to 99.9% of one 

of the most potent classes of global warming gases known 

– the perfluorocarbons (PFCs) that are generated during 

semiconductor manufacturing. The burner operates reliably 

at high process temperatures and provides uniform, well 

controlled heat while increasing the efficiency of traditional 

burner systems. Since its introduction in 1995, over 5000 

burners have saved more than 9.4 trillion Btu in the United 

States. 

uHot Blast Stove Process Model and Model-Based Controller 

A central control system was developed and installed on 

a blast furnace to optimize the thermal efficiency of the 

hot-blast stove system. The controller is linked to process 

optimization algorithms that determine heating fuel rates, 

thus minimizing fuel requirements and reducing the number 

of disruptions in iron production. This invention has saved 

more than 220 billion Btu since its installation in 1998. 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 165 
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uHumidity Sensor (Optical) 

An optical humidity sensor (hygrometer) that determines 

humidity by measuring the absorption of ultraviolet light 

was developed for the pulp and paper industry. Replacing 

less reliable humidity sensors, the hygrometer maximizes 

drying efficiency by optimizing the balance of exhausted 

and makeup air. Multiple installations realized a 

cumulative energy savings of 20 billion Btu. 

uHydrochloric Acid Recovery System 

(www.betacontrol.com) 

An on-site, closed-loop HCl recovery system was 

developed for galvanizers and small- and medium-size steel 

manufacturers. Benefits of the recovery system included 

reduced demand for virgin HCl, the elimination of the use 

of chemicals for neutralizing waste acid, and energy and 

cost savings associated with processing, transporting and 

disposing of the waste acid The use of this system resulted 

in cumulative energy savings of 410 billion Btu. 

uHyperfiltration – Textiles 

Hyperfiltration, a membrane-based separation technique, 

was adapted to treat textile industry wastewater. This 

process also found widespread use in the food-processing, 

biotechnology, pharmaceutical, pulp/paper, chemical, 

electronic, and nuclear industries. Allowing recovery of 

raw materials and minimizing waste, this process achieved 

a cumulative energy savings of nearly 1 trillion Btu. 

uHyperfiltration Process for Food 

(www.niroinc.com) 

A membrane hyperfiltration process is being used to 

separate juice into pulp and liquid fractions. This process 

replaces the energy-intensive thermal evaporation step in 

the concentration process. This process has been installed 

in 17 locations and has saved more than 13 trillion Btu since 

1989. 

IMPACTS 

uImproved Composite Tubes for Kraft Recovery Boilers 

(www.sandvik.com) 

Originally, carbon steel tubes were used for tube panels in 

black liquor recovery boilers, but severe corrosion thinning 

and occasional tube failures led the forest products industry 

and boiler manufacturers to search for materials that could 

better survive in the recovery boiler environment. As a 

result of this search, weld overlay and co-extruded tubing 

alloys were developed and are being used in over 18 U.S. 

kraft recovery boilers and numerous foreign installations. 

Boiler manufacturers used these improved tubes in new and 

rebuilt kraft recovery boilers to cumulatively save over 4.5 

trillion Btu in the United States. 

uImproved Poured Concrete Wall Forming System 

(www.liteform.com) 

A method for pouring concrete walls for building basements 

and crawlspaces was developed that uses lightweight, highly 

insulative extruded polystyrene forms. If left in place, these 

forms create walls that are both load-bearing and thermally 

insulating, up to R-22. Over 47 million square feet of walls 

have been installed that have cumulatively saved 978 billion 

Btu. 

uInfrared Polymer Boot Heater 

(www.inductoheat.com) 

This electric high energy flux infrared heater and control 

system efficiently heats thermoplastic and polymer boots 

for applications requiring placement of the boots on steel 

parts (e.g., vehicle steering assemblies and CV joints). The 

technology converts electrical energy to radiant energy at 

90% efficiency and delivers the heat only to areas needed 

to be heated. The 5 boot heater systems, in use since 2000, 

have cumulatively saved 0.22 billion Btu. 

uInk Jet Printer Solvent Recovery 

(www.quadtechworld.com) 

A solvent recovery system for commercial printers was 

developed that reduces emissions of VOCs, including methyl 

ethyl ketone, methanol, isopropyl alcohol, and acetone. This 

closed-loop recycling system reduces the amount of fluid 

required by ink-jet printing, thereby reducing printing costs 

and improving productivity by reducing printer downtime 

for fluid replacement. Since 1997, the 658 systems that were 

installed have cumulatively saved 450 billion Btu. 

166 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
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IMPACTS 

uIrrigation Systems 

The design of efficient low-pressure impact sprinklers, 

low-pressure spray heads, and improved drop tubes 

upgraded center-pivot irrigation systems dramatically. 

Operating at lower pressures, these systems required 10% 

less water intake, reduced runoff, and yielded a cumulative 

energy savings of approximately 49 trillion Btu due to 

reduced pumping requirements. 

uIrrigation Valve Solenoid Energy Saver 

(www.alextronix.com) 

A battery operated, multi-station, irrigation valve control 

unit was developed that can operate out to a distance of 

almost 20 miles without using any primary copper wiring. 

This controller provides 10 times the battery life and 100 

times the operating distance of any other controller. More 

than 3800 of these control units have been sold and have 

cumulatively saved 17 billion Btu since 1999. 

uLightweight Steel Containers 

A process for manufacturing lightweight steel containers 

uses the container’s internal pressure for rigidity rather than 

a thick wall. The resulting container wall is substantially 

thinner, which reduces the container’s metal content by 

40% but provides equivalent or better strength. The process 

saves energy by using less material in the container, less 

material processing, and less transportation weight. Two 

container production lines have cumulatively saved 3 billion 

Btu. 

uMembrane Filtration Technology to Process Black Olives 

A zero discharge wastewater purification and reclamation 

system was installed at an olive production plant. This 

system used a cyclone separation system followed by 

ultrafiltration and reverse osmosis to recycle wastewater 

back into the plant. Since its installation in 1997, it has 

saved 100 billion Btu. 

uMembrane Separation of Sweeteners 

A system to preconcentrate corn steep water was 

accomplished via a hollow-fiber membrane process. 

Resistant to fouling, this system extracted more than 50% 

of the water from the corn steep stream prior to evaporation, 

thus significantly reducing energy requirements. 

Additionally, a spinoff technology was commercialized for 

wastewater treatment. 

uMeta-Lax Stress Relief Process 

(www.bonal.com) 

A process applies subresonant vibrational energy to relieve 

stress in metal objects. The process replaces heat treating 

applications and reduces the energy and time needed to heat 

treat metal. The equipment is portable and treats a wide 

variety of work pieces in a pollution-free operation. More 

than 990 units have cumulatively saved 136 trillion Btu. 

uMETHANE de-NOX® Reburn Process 

(www.energysystemsassoc.com) 

This process is a reburn technology that uses 5% to 25% 

natural gas heat input to improve combustion of solid 

waste fuels and to control emissions of NOx and CO. The 

METHANE de-NOX process injects natural gas above the 

grate and uses flue gas recirculation to enhance mixing 

and create an oxygen-deficient atmosphere that retards NOx 

formation. Overfire air is injected higher in the furnace to 

burn out the combustibles. The process helps combustion 

systems operate more efficiently; require less maintenance; 

and reduce emissions of NOx, CO, and VOCs. The reburn 

technology is operating on three paper mill boilers and on 

26 utility coal-fired cogeneration boilers. These 29 units 

have saved 1.34 trillion Btu since 1998. 

uMethanol Recovery from Hydrogen Peroxide Production 

(www.fmc.com) 

A process was developed to recover and clean contaminated 

methanol for reuse in producing hydrogen peroxide. This 

process recovers more than 90% of the methanol needed 

to produce hydrogen peroxide, thereby saving the energy 

needed to produce virgin methanol. The process also saves 

energy by reducing the transportation of virgin methanol. 

The two units using this process have cumulatively saved 

244 billion Btu. 

uMethod of Constructing Insulated Foam Homes 

(www.homecorpintl.com) 

A method was developed for constructing buildings that 

are both energy efficient and structurally sound. The 

home consists of an exterior patented wall system made of 

expanded polystyrene (EPS) foam insulation panels with 

an internal steel-reinforced concrete post and beam design. 

This wall has an R-40 insulation panel with an internal 

steel-reinforced concrete post and beam design. The roof is 

insulated by EPS slabs sandwiched between the rafters and 

has an R-50 insulation value. The 326 homes constructed 

using this method saved a cumulative total of 38 billion Btu 

since 1996. 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 167 
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uMicell Dry-Cleaning Technology 

A new dry-cleaning technology was developed that replaces 

perchlorethylene or petroleum-based solvents used by 

conventional dry-cleaning systems. The Micell technology 

uses liquid CO2 and a patented detergent system that 

enhances the cleaning ability of the liquid CO2. Most of 

the CO2 is recycled after cleaning and the operating time of 

the machine is much less than a conventional system saving 

energy. Since 1999 more than 39 Micell units have been 

sold and used in the United States and have saved 34 billion 

Btu. 

uNickel Aluminide Trays and Fixtures for Carburizing Heat 

Treating Furnaces 

Nickel aluminide alloy is a high-strength heat-resistant 

alloy that is very resistant to carburization. Nickel 

aluminide heat-treating furnace assemblies were used to 

replace steel rack assemblies that failed at high heat in an 

auto parts production plant. Compared with conventional 

alloys, the new assemblies last three to five times longer 

and are at least three times stronger at the high operating 

temperatures, which improves energy and production 

efficiencies. Since 2001, the new assemblies have 

cumulatively saved 34 billion Btu. 

uNight Sky – A New Roofing Technology 

A natural evaporating roofing/cooling system was 

developed for flat or slope-roofed commercial buildings 

to increase the roof’s life expectancy and reduce building 

cooling loads by 50%. This system spray-cools water 

on the roof at night and then applies the cooled water 

to reduce subsequent cooling loads. Systems involving 

more than 95,000 square feet have been installed and have 

cumulatively saved 2 billion Btu. 

uNitrogen-Methanol Carburization 

A system was developed for steel manufacturers that 

replaced the conventional endothermic atmosphere process 

with a nitrogen-methanol carburization process. In addition 

to improving the strength, hardness, and wear resistance of 

the steel parts, the system proved more reliable and easier 

to operate. Significant reductions in carbon dioxide and 

other pollutants were noted along with a cumulative energy 

savings of 12 trillion Btu. 

IMPACTS 

uNo-Clean Soldering Process 

After soldering, electronic equipment used to be cleaned 

using CFC solvents. Changing the soldering technique 

eliminated the need to use CFC solvents for cleaning, 

resulting in energy savings and reduced CFC waste. This 

process has cumulatively saved 3.9 trillion Btu. 

uNo- VOC Coating Products 

(www.rustoleum.com) 

A new line of waterborne coatings was developed that 

reduce or eliminate VOC emissions during formulation 

and application. The production of these new coatings 

requires lower processing temperatures, which reduces their 

energy impact. The coatings’ quick-drying characteristics 

save further energy by avoiding heating and ventilation in 

the drying process. These new coatings can be applied to 

many surfaces including metal products. Many of these 

new products dry far more quickly than other products so 

multiple coats can be applied in one day rather than two 

or three. This dramatically cuts labor costs and returns 

the facility to use much sooner. Similarly, the corrosion 

resistance of the coatings is superior to any solvent-based 

coatings on the market. The use of these coatings has saved 

7 billion Btu since 1998. 

uOnsite Process for Recovering Waste Aluminum 

In the production of aluminum automobile wheels 

approximately 30% of the aluminum content is machined 

away as chips during the cutting and grinding steps. A 

process for recycling the chips onsite rather than offsite 

improves the energy efficiency and productivity of chip 

recycling while simultaneously reducing airborne pollutants 

and other manufacturing wastes. This process has resulted 

in cumulative energy savings of 139 billion Btu. 

uOrganic Rankine-Cycle Bottoming Unit 

This organic Rankine-cycle system was developed to 

replace less-efficient, conventional steam Rankine-cycle 

systems in generating electricity from lower temperature 

waste-heat sources. It was found to be adaptable to a variety 

of solar and geo-thermal energy applications as well as 

suitable for many types of industrial waste-heat streams. 

The system consists of a standard Rankine-cycle engine, 

toluene as the working fluid, a waste-heat boiler, a wastegas flow-control valve, system controls, and an electric 

generator. The installation of several units cumulatively 

saved 500 billion Btu of energy. 

168 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
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IMPACTS 

uOxy-Fuel Firing 

(www.praxair.com) 

This oxygen-enriched combustion system for glass-melting 

furnaces significantly reduces energy requirements. About 

one-fourth of all glass-melting capacity in the United 

States has been converted to oxy-fuel firing. In addition 

to energy savings, this technology reduces NOX emissions 

by up to 90% and particulates by up to 30%. Since its 

commercialization in 1990, oxy-fuel firing technology has 

saved more than 25 trillion Btu. 

uOxygen-Enhanced Combustion for Recycled Aluminum 

(www.airproducts.com) 

A new metal melting system was developed and 

demonstrated that uses a low-NOx combustion burner 

integrated with an onsite vacuum-swing-absorption (VSA) 

oxygen-generation system. This new burner system 

operated on a recycled aluminum furnace and used 

controlled mixing of fuel, air, and high-purity oxygen 

streams to lower emissions and improve flame quality. 

The integration of the new burner with the VSA system 

greatly reduces NOx emissions while reducing energy usage 

and increasing melting productivity. This technology has 

cumulatively saved 25 billion Btu since 1999. 

uPaint Wastewater Recovery 

(www.zenon.com) 

A system was developed to reclaim and reuse wastewater 

generated during equipment cleaning used in water-based 

paint-production operations. The system vastly reduces 

the volume of wastewater contaminated with metals and 

solvents that must be disposed of as hazardous waste. 

Energy savings resulted from the reduced fuel use for 

transporting and incinerating the waste. The process has 

cumulatively saved over 30 billion Btu of energy. 

uPallet Production Using Postconsumer Wastepaper 

A process produces paper pallets made of 40% 

postconsumer waste paper. Substituting virgin wood with 

this recycled product reduces by 60% the energy required to 

produce pallets, saves landfill space, and decreases air and 

water pollution. The process has cumulatively saved over 2 

billion Btu. 

uPervaporation to Recover and Reuse Organic Compounds 

(www.mtrinc.com) 

A membrane technology was developed which treats smallvolume, less than 20 gallons per minute, waste streams 

contaminated with organic compounds. Small-volume 

wastewater streams are difficult and expensive to treat with 

most conventional organic-compounds control technologies. 

The three installed units cumulatively saved 57 billion Btu. 

uPET Bottle Separator 

Recycling certain plastics for conversion into fuel oil 

necessitated the development of a separation process that 

could sort containers of PET (polyethylene terephthalate), 

high-density polyethylene, and aluminum. One bottling 

plant using this process recycled 18 million pounds of PET 

and saved a total of 1.2 trillion Btu of energy. 

uPinch Analysis and Industrial Heat Pumps 

(www.kbcat.com) 

Pinch analysis was used to locate the most productive 

process modifications and heat pump opportunities within 

a complex process to improve overall process efficiency. 

A pinch analysis of a wet-corn-milling plant showed that 

adding two new thermal vapor recompression heat pumps 

to existing evaporators could reduce overall process fuel use 

by 33%. These two heat pumps have cumulatively saved 

917 billion Btu. 

uPlating Waste Concentrator 

A low-cost, vapor-recompression evaporation system was 

developed for the plating and surface-finishing industry to 

reduce water pollution and recover costly plating chemicals. 

The waste concentrator was designed with two evaporators, 

one to concentrate the wastewater and the other to use 

waste heat as an energy source. Recovery of plating metals, 

reduced hazardous material treatment costs, and energy 

recycling all contributed to improved operating costs 

and energy efficiencies. This technology was used in 62 

applications and resulted in a cumulative energy savings 

of 3 trillion Btu. 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 169 
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IMPACTS
 

uPowder Paint Coating System 

The current standard for applying anti-chip primer to 

vehicles is a solvent-borne paint spray system that has a 

transfer efficiency (ratio of paint solids deposited on the 

vehicle to total volume used) of about 50%. A powder 

anti-chip process that contains no solvents and, considering 

recycling, has an effective transfer efficiency exceeding 

99% was developed. The system virtually eliminates VOC 

emissions and paint sludge generation, eliminating the costs 

to transport and dispose of sludge. Energy requirements for 

the powder process are much lower than for solvent-based 

processes due to greatly reduced air-heating requirements 

and the elimination of energy requirements for incinerating 

VOCs. This system has been installed in 14 locations in the 

United States and has saved more than 5.6 trillion Btu since 

1996. 

uPowerGuard® Photovoltaic Roofing System 

(www.sunpowercorp.com) 

A roofing system was developed that offers building 

insulation, shading, roof protection, and solar power 

generation encompassed in a single roofing panel. These 

have been installed on commercial or residential buildings 

that have flat or low-slope roofs. Since its introduction 

in 1994, more than 21 MW have been installed across the 

United States for an energy savings of 385 billion Btu. 

uPowerRimTM High Wattage Energy Saving Compact 

Fluorescent Lamp Adaptor for Recessed Down Lights 

(www.powerlux.com) 

Compact fluorescent lamps (CFLs) use one-fourth the 

electricity and last nearly 10 to 13 times longer than 

incandescent bulbs. Many commercial settings – malls, 

hotels, motels – are excellent sites for CFLs. The 

PowerRim high-wattage CFL retrofit adaptor kit for 

recessed down lights was developed that allows 100-W 

to 200-W incandescent lights to be converted to higherwattage CFLs. The ballast is located at ceiling level 

keeping it cooler, thus extending ballast life and improving 

operating efficiency. The use of an optional glare shield 

placed below the lamp further reduces the operating 

temperature of the ballast, thus increasing its life and its 

efficiency. In addition, the glare shield radiates light out 

from the fixture, using it more efficiently. Since 1998 more 

then 47,000 PowerRim units have been installed and have 

saved 330 billion Btu. 

uPressurized Ozone/Ultrafiltration Membrane System 

This technology for closed-loop systems uses pressurized 

ozone with dissolved air flotation and an ultrafiltration 

membrane in series. This system allows total dissolved 

solids (TDS) in process water to be readily converted to 

total suspended solids for efficient removal. Contaminated 

mill process water thereby can be continually and cost 

effectively cleaned to the high-quality process water 

standards required for reuse in the mill. After passing 

through the new system, process water is far cleaner and of 

higher quality than water from other processes and requires 

far less energy for reheating than fresh water. The system 

reduces the production problems associated with buildup 

of TDS in paper mill operations and provides operational 

benefits such as reduced energy needs and fewer chemicals 

and additives. This system substantially reduces both 

effluent discharge and the need for fresh water. The paper 

plant where this system was installed in 2004 saved 1.26 

trillion Btu. 

uRadiation-Stabilized Burner 

(www.alzeta.com) 

A new technology, the radiation-stabilized burner (RSB), 

was developed that is an ultra-low NOx and CO burner 

for applications in industrial boilers and process heaters. 

Characteristics of the RSB that improve performance 

relative to conventional burners include full premixing 

of fuel and air to the greatest extent possible prior to 

combustion, surface stabilization through the use of 

radiant zones and high flux zones on the burner surface, 

and controlled flame shape above the burner surface. 

This results in low emissions without sacrificing thermal 

efficiency or boiler reliability. Since 1999, over 350 burners 

in the United States have cumulatively saved more than 337 

billion Btu. 

uReal-Time Neural Networks for Utility Boilers 

(www.neuco.net) 

A computer model was developed that uses an advanced 

form of artificial intelligence known as neural networks 

to optimize combustion in coal-fired boilers. This system 

improved boiler efficiency by as much as 5% and reduced 

NOX, CO2 and SOX emissions. The cost of reducing NOX 

emissions using the model is much lower than the cost of 

installing low-NOX burners or catalytic converters. The 

system has been installed on 64 boilers and has saved more 

than 57 trillion Btu since 1995. 

170 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
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IMPACTS 

uRecovery of Acids and Metal Salts from Pickling Liquors 

Steel fabrication processes often use pickling (immersing 

steel in acid) to remove oxide layers from recently heated 

steel. The Pickliq® process was developed to make sulfuric 

acid recovery cost-effective for smaller installations. The 

process combines diffusion dialysis, energy transfer, and 

low-temperature crystallization technologies to efficiently 

recover acids and metal salts. It has demonstrated 

significant gains in production capacity, quality control, and 

productivity. Since its introduction in 1995, the process has 

saved more then 11 billion Btu in the United States. 

uRecuperators 

A cross-flow ceramic recuperator made of cordierite (a 

magnesium-aluminum silicate) was developed to recover 

heat from exhaust gases in high-temperature (up to 2600°F) 

furnaces. Corrosion and oxidation resistant, the compactly 

sized recuperator eliminated the need for a flue gas dilution 

system. These units cumulatively saved over 24 trillion 

Btu in energy and reduced both thermal and emissions 

pollution. 

uRecycling of Aluminum Dross/Saltcake Waste 

(www.aleris.com) 

The melting process used by the secondary aluminum 

industry when recycling aluminum creates a waste 

stream known as black dross/saltcake. A new process 

was developed that separates the dross into its basic 

components — aluminum metal, fluxing salts, and 

nonmetallic products. The aluminum metal and salt fluxes 

can be sold back to the secondary aluminum industry or 

other industries. The remaining nonmetallic products can 

be made into commercially salable products completely 

avoiding land filling. Since 1997, the three plants using this 

new process have cumulatively saved 13.5 trillion Btu. 

uRemoval of Bark from Whole Logs 

A machine, the Cradle DebarkerTM, was developed that 

removes bark from delimbed tree stems in a process that 

strips off less wood, allows for greater operator control, and 

improves the productivity of the debarking process. Unlike 

drum debarkers, which use a covered cylinder, the open top 

of this debarker lets the operator remove stems that have 

completed the debarking process and recycle others that 

require further processing. The four debarker units have 

cumulatively saved 132 billion Btu. 

uRestaurant Exhaust Ventilation Monitor/Controller 

(www.melinkcorp.com) 

Typical exhaust hoods in restaurants operate at full speed all 

day long and sometimes all night long even when cooking 

is not taking place. A microprocesor-based controller for 

commercial kitchen ventilation systems was developed that 

optimizes system performance for four key parameters: 

kitchen comfort, fire safety, occupant health, and energy 

efficiency. It monitors and reduces the fan speed during 

idle periods of kitchen activity to save energy and employs 

sensors that monitor heat and smoke levels for safety. More 

than 2,700 units have been sold and have saved more than 

600 billion Btu since 1994. 

uRetractable® Labyrinth Packing Seals for Turbine Shafts 

(www.turbocare.com) 

This invention is a redesigned shaft-sealing ring for utility 

and industrial steam turbines that self-adjusts from the gap 

required for start-up to that required for normal operation. 

The result is less wear damage and improved turbine 

efficiency. The packing seals are still available for sale 

from TurboCare, Inc. More than 600 of these seals have 

been installed and have saved more than 74 trillion Btu. 

Additionally, spinoff technologies were developed to further 

improve steam power efficiency. 

uReverse Brayton Cycle Solvent-Recovery Heat Pump 

A reverse Brayton cycle heat pump was developed to 

economically and efficiently recover solvents from 

numerous industries. This heat pump reduces the demand 

for new solvents, saving petroleum feedstock and the energy 

used to produce virgin solvents, and captures for reuse 

solvents that would have been released to the atmosphere. 

Ten heat pumps have been installed and have cumulatively 

saved 4.98 trillion Btu. 

uRobotic Inspection System for Storage Tanks 

(www.solexrobotics.com) 

This technology consists of a remotely operated robotic 

inspection vehicle that is submerged in bulk liquid storage 

tanks to gather input on structural and corrosion problems. 

This system replaces the time-consuming conventional 

inspection process of draining the tank, washing it out, 

inspecting it, and then refilling it. This technology has 

cumulatively saved 280 billion Btu. 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 171 
 

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uRR-1 Insulating Screw Cap 

A new insulated screw cap assembly was developed for use 

on commercial and industrial buildings with membrane and 

metal roofs. The new assembly replaces conventional metal 

or plastic fasteners and improves the energy performance of 

the roofs. The assembly reduces heat transfer through the 

fastener and is more resistant to condensation and corrosion. 

More than 300,000 fastener assemblies have been sold since 

1997, cumulatively saving 13 billion Btu. 

uScrap Tire Recycling 

This process converts scrap tires into high-value products, 

conserving energy and new materials while reducing the 

amount of scrap tires sent to landfills. This treatment 

process combines surface-treated rubber particles with 

other polymers such as polyurethane, epoxy, and polysulfide 

to form unique composites with improved strength, tear 

resistance, and resilience. This process has saved a 

cumulative 0.16 trillion Btu in natural gas. 

uSelective Zone Isolation for HVAC Systems 

(www.retrozone.com) 

A method for selectively controlling air flow from a central 

HVAC system can now fit into ducts that cannot accept 

conventional dampers because of poor access. The flexible 

dampers can save 20% to 30% of a typical heating and 

cooling bill in a large house or commercial building by 

sealing off unoccupied rooms. More than 4000 systems 

have been sold and have cumulatively saved 305 billion Btu. 

uSIDTECTM Condenser Maintenance Program 

(www.gewater.com) 

An on-line condenser tube cleaning system uses ultra-high 

molecular weight polyethylene tube cleaners to remove 

both soft and hard deposits. The system maintains system 

efficiency and keeps the thermal power plant operating. 

Twelve power plants have used the system and have 

cumulatively saved 136 trillion Btu. 

uSlot Forge Furnace/Recuperator 

A high-performance slot forge furnace design that 

incorporated a ceramic shell-and-tube recuperator was 

developed to recover approximately half of the heat energy 

previously lost in the furnace exhaust gases. Additionally, 

modified recirculation burners, improved temperature 

and air/fuel ratio controls, and lightweight furnace wall 

insulation reduced energy requirements per pound of steel 

by approximately 4100 Btu. The use of this technology 

resulted in a cumulative energy savings of 13 trillion Btu. 

IMPACTS 

uSmart Screening Systems for Mining 

A smart screening system was developed that vibrates only 

the screen rather than the entire machine and supporting 

structure in the material separation process. The system 

saves energy by replacing the massive electrical motor 

and eccentric shaft with miniaturized “smart” motors 

combination with multi-staged resonators. The motors are 

programmed to vibrate the screening panel at an optimal 

set rate, even as the material load varies over time, thus 

optimizing the throughput and energy savings of the 

screening system. Since its introduction in 2003, the 44 

units installed in the United States have saved 3 billion Btu. 

uSolar Process Heat 

This project was developed to expand the use of solar 

process heating systems primarily within the government 

and institutional sectors. Reducing the need for fossil fuels, 

solar heat supplies water preheating, process hot water, and 

steam as well as process hot air, cooling, and refrigeration. 

uSolaRoll® Solar Collector System 

A flexible rubber tubing solar collector system was 

developed to be used to heat hot water, swimming pools, 

and building heating systems. The collectors are an 

extrusion of ethylene-propylene-diamine rubber and are 

primarily used for heating swimming pools. The systems 

replace conventional natural gas or electric heat pump 

systems. More than 35 million square feet of SolaRoll® 

have been sold and have saved more than a cumulative 25 

trillion Btu of energy. 

uSOLARWALL® Air Preheating System 

(www.solarwall.com) 

A solar air heating system heats incoming ventilation and 

makeup air using a metal cladding system installed on the 

south-facing wall of a building. This system also reduces 

a buildings heat loss in the winter and lowers the cooling 

loads in the summer by preventing solar radiation from 

striking the south wall of the building. More than 40 

systems with over 200,000 square feet of wall are operating 

in the United States and have cumulatively saved 76 billion 

Btu. A spinoff technology has been developed that resulted 

in a combined solar heat and power system. 

172 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
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IMPACTS 

uSolvent Recovery from Effluent Streams 

(www.mtrinc.com) 

A membrane system was developed for recovering volatile 

organic compounds and chlorofluorocarbons from 

petrochemical waste streams. This system allows solvents 

to be recovered from waste streams that are too diluted or 

too concentrated with solvents to use other methods. In 

addition to eliminating the environmental release of these 

solvents, the 27 units in operation in the United States have 

saved more than 15 trillion Btu since 1990. 

uStalk and Root Embedding Plow 

(www.romeplow.com) 

A stalk and root embedding plow was invented that 

reduces costs and saves time in preparing cotton fields for 

planting. Disposing of cotton stalks and roots in the field 

after harvest is an energy-intensive operation. Nationwide, 

many cotton farmers use conventional tillage practices that 

involve shredding the stalks and making several tillage 

passes over the field to prepare a new seedbed. The plow 

deeply entrenches whole stalks and roots into the soil in one 

pass, eliminating the need to shred the stalks. The 79 plows 

sold in the United States have saved a cumulative total of 

123 billion Btu of energy. 

uSteel Reheating for Further Processing 

(www.praxair.com) 

A low NOX, oxygen-burner retrofit using 100% oxygen 

was developed for steel reheating that requires less fuel to 

heat steel. These burners result in energy savings of 60% 

per ton of steel while increasing the quality of the metal. 

Emissions are reduced enough to eliminate the need for 

NOX removal equipment and the steel is more uniformly 

heated resulting in better mill performance and an increase 

in productivity. Since its introduction in 1998, this system 

has saved 1 trillion Btu. 

uSupercritical Purification of Compounds for Combinatorial 

Chemical Analysis 

An innovative approach to combinatorial chemistry for the 

drug discovery industry was developed called supercritical 

fluid chromatography (SFC). Using the SFC process, 

samples can be purified and dried 20 to 100 times faster 

than by conventional liquid chromatography systems. The 

SFC technology provides a solute purity of 95% or greater, 

very rapid fraction collection with full automation, no need 

for manual intervention and reduces liquid-solvent waste. 

Over 150 SFC systems have been installed and have saved 

3.77 trillion Btu since 2000. 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 

uSuperDrive – A Hydrostatic Continuously Variable 

Transmission (CVT) 

This hydraulic transmission system increases efficiency by 

uncoupling engine revolutions per minute (rpm) from wheel 

speed. This design allows an electronic control module to 

seek the lowest rpm at which sufficient torque is available to 

maintain the desired speed. This method allows the vehicle 

to maintain a constant speed over varying terrain with little 

or no increase in engine rpm. Because this is a closed-loop 

hydraulic system incorporating variable pumps and motors, 

it has the capacity for hydraulic braking by activating 

a flow control valve. The improved fuel efficiency, an 

average of 25% to 40%, more than offsets the reduction in 

transmission efficiency for heavy-duty trucks and buses. 

The SuperDrive system was installed on three buses and has 

saved 6 billion Btu since 2004. 

uSystem 100® Compressor Controls 

(www.cccglobal.com) 

A compressor control system was developed that allows 

the operation of both pipeline and process compressors 

to operate efficiently without surge or recycle. The 

compressors are usually powered indirectly by natural gas 

(steam for process compressors and gas-powered turbines 

for pipeline compressors). Energy savings are typically in 

the 5% to 10% range. Total sales of the control systems 

were more than 3600 units and they have cumulatively 

saved more than 400 trillion Btu. 

uTextile Finishing Process 

A new process for finishing textiles was developed that 

increases productivity and energy efficiency. In the new 

process finishing chemicals are diluted with air instead 

of water and applied to the fabric as foam. No additional 

mechanical or vacuum moisture removal is necessary, thus 

saving energy and water. The moisture content of the fabric 

is cut in half, allowing a new energy-efficient, high-speed 

tenter frame to be used. This technology has cumulative 

saved more than 227 billion Btu since 1999. 

uThe Solar SKYLITE Water Heater 

(www.solarroofs.com) 

A solar skylight water heater system was developed that 

uses lightweight, low-cost polymeric materials. A typical 

installation uses two solar collectors and the entire system 

can be installed in a few hours. The system can serve as 

a skylight and provide energy to the home’s water heater. 

More than 1400 systems have been installed and these have 

cumulatively saved more than 75 billion Btu of energy. 

A spinoff technology was developed that improves solar 

energy capture. 

173 
Historical ITP Technology Successes
 

uThin Wall Casting of Stainless Steel 

An alloy of cast stainless steel composition was developed 

that allows the use of the Hitchiner counter-gravity casting 

process for stainless steel parts rather than conventional 

sand casting. Using the Hitchiner process allows 

components to be cast with wall thickness of less than 3mm 

- nearly two to three times less than conventional casting. 

This process increases automation, increases throughput 

by a factor of two to three compared with the conventional 

process, and produces a significantly higher yield with very 

low defect rates. The use of this alloy has saved over 460 

billion Btu since 2000. 

uTransfer Rolls for Steel Production 

(www.duraloy.com) 

A nickel aluminum alloy was developed and demonstrated 

that was used to move steel plates through the heat 

treatment process in heat-treat roller hearth furnaces. 

Nickel aluminide is a strong, hard, inter-metallic material 

that resists wear, deformation, and fatigue from repeated 

stress or high temperatures. Because the alloy becomes 

stronger and harder at high temperatures, nickel aluminide 

transfer rolls are well suited to replace steel transfer 

rolls. Benefits include reductions in maintenance, greater 

throughput and productivity, and fuel cost reduction per ton 

of steel. The 273 transfer rolls installed in the United States 

have cumulatively saved 154 billion Btu. 

uUltrasonic Tank Cleaning 

(www.telsonic.com) 

Chemical and pharmaceutical companies typically use 

volatile organic compound (VOC)-emitting solvents to 

clean their storage tanks in a process that is both labor 

and energy-intensive. An ultrasonic tubular resonator 

was developed that eliminates the use of VOC-emitting 

cleaning solvents and reduces cleaning time from about 

1 day to 1 hour. The unit is small and can be placed into 

the tank through an opening in the top, eliminating the 

need for maintenance workers to enter the tank as required 

with conventional cleaning. Energy savings from the use 

of this technology are based on decreased cleaning energy 

use as well as the reduced use of solvents. Since 1995, this 

technology has saved more than 40 billion Btu. 

IMPACTS 

uUse of Recovered Plastics in Durable Goods Manufacturing 

(www.mbapolymers.com) 

An advanced mechanical recovery technology that can 

effectively recover plastic waste material from complex 

manufacturing scrap and end-of-life durable goods 

including automobiles, appliances, electrical, and electronic 

equipment was developed. This technology separates as 

many as three different plastics at one time in a mixed 

waste stream and segregates metal, metal coatings, rubber, 

glass, foam, and fabric from the plastic waste. Since its 

introduction in 1996, this technology has cumulatively saved 

over 400 billion Btu. 

uVariable-Frequency Microwave Furnace 

(www.microcure.com) 

Microwave heating can speed the curing of thermo-setting 

resins and polymer-matrix composites. Conventional 

microwave furnaces use standing waves that create a 

non-uniform energy distribution in the working cavity. A 

variable-frequency microwave furnace was developed that 

eliminates non-uniform energy distribution and provides 

reproducible heating with every batch. Various types of 

polymer products can be uniformly cured, often in 5% of 

the time of conventional processing. The 48 units in the 

United States have saved 47 billion Btu since 1995. 

uV-PLUSTM Refrigerant Oil Cooling System 

(www.vilter.com) 

The V-Plus system injects refrigerant liquid into the outlet 

stream of a screw-compressor for industrial refrigeration 

and cooling systems. The result is increased system 

capacity, extended system lifetime, and energy savings. 

Over 250 units have been installed and have saved more 

than 1 trillion Btu since 1982. 

uWallace Energy Systems Solar 

Assisted Heat Pump Water Heater 

A system was developed for extracting heat from a source 

(air or water) and applying this heat to water. The heat 

pump water heater provides both water heating and space 

cooling. The systems can be used in applications that need 

large amounts of hot water and cooling, such as laundries 

and schools. More than 103 units are in use and have 

cumulatively saved 118 billion Btu. 

174 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
Historical ITP Technology Successes
 

IMPACTS 

uWaste Atactic Polypropylene to Fuel 

This pyrolysis process converted a polypropylene plastic byproduct, called atactic polypropylene, to fuel oil and gas. A 

total of 17 million pounds/year of atactic polypropylene was 

pyrolyzed into 2 million gallons/year of commercial-grade 

fuel oil that yielded a cumulative energy savings of 500 

billion Btu. 

uWaste Energy Recovery 

Two waste-to-energy plants were constructed, one in 

Honolulu, Hawaii and one in Tacoma, Washington, that 

burn the combustible portion of municipal solid waste 

(MSW). The combustible MSW materials are burned 

to produce steam, which in turn, is used to power a 

conventional steam turbine/generator to produce electricity. 

These plants reduce the amount of electricity that must be 

produced by fossil fuels, as well as the amount of MSW that 

must be disposed of in landfills. These two installations 

have yielded more than 35 trillion Btu of energy since being 

commercialized. 

uWaste Fluid Heat Recovery System 

A heat recovery system that extracts energy from 

waste fluids was developed that increases heat transfer 

coefficients two to four times higher than conventional 

designs. Using a new coil and tube design for the heat 

exchanger reduces energy consumption by recovering up to 

70% of heat usually lost in the waste fluid. More than 2660 

units were sold since 1997, cumulatively saving 144 billion 

Btu. 

uWaste-Minimizing Plating Barrel 

(www.selectives.net) 

An innovative plating barrel uses a honeycomb formation 

that results in a thinner walled barrel. The new barrel has 

greater solution transfer, higher current density plating, 

reduced bath concentration, and better plating of difficult 

chemistries such as alloy plating. Energy savings result 

from reduced process time and better plating efficiency. 

More than 1100 of these new barrels have been sold since 

1997, cumulatively saving 4.1 trillion Btu. 

uXTREME CleanerTM – Removal of Light and Sticky 

Contaminants 

(www.kadant.com) 

A new centrifugal cleaner was developed that replaces 

conventional dispersion systems in paper mills for recycling 

waste paper containing “stickies,” wax, polyethylene, and 

binding glue. The new cleaner uses 50% less energy than 

the conventional systems, significantly reducing costs 

for paper mills and allowing them to use lower-grade, 

lower-cost furnish without compromising the quality of 

the final paper product. The cleaner eliminates downtime 

for removing sticky contaminant buildup from processing 

machinery and reduces machine or paper breaks. Since 

1997, twelve cleaner systems have cumulatively saved 1.56 

trillion Btu. 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 175 
IMPACTS
 

176 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
Appendix 4:

Method of Calculating Results for the IAC Program 

u IAC Table.................................................................................................................................................................................... 179-180
 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 177 
Method of Calculating Results for the IAC Program
 

The Industrial Assessment Centers (IAC) within the 

Industrial Technologies Program (ITP) have been successfully 

generating energy savings for over 30 years. Twenty-six IACs 

located within engineering departments at top universities 

across the U.S. conduct energy assessments for small- and 

medium-sized manufacturers and train the future workforce of 

energy engineers. 

The following table presents energy savings calculated 

and summed from four sources associated with the IAC 

program from 1977-2009: (1) IAC energy assessments, 

(2) assessments performed by IAC student alumni, (3) 

replication assessments within firms served by the IAC, and 

(4) IAC website-related energy savings. Output and savings 

estimates rely on information from the IAC assessment 

database (administered by Rutgers University), the IAC 

student registry, and evaluations conducted by Oak Ridge 

National Laboratory (ORNL). The IAC database documents 

savings recommendations and implementation history for 

plant assessments conducted over a 28-year period, covering 

more than 14,800 assessments and nearly 110,000 savings 

recommendations. The IAC student registry, established in 

2001, tracks the progress of students from their starting date 

until their departure from the IAC. Finally, ORNL evaluations 

have studied the longer-term effects of plant assessments, 

career paths of IAC alumni, and the savings potential of webbased materials offered by the IAC. 

Tabulations shown in the table are based on data collected 

by the IACs and studies done to estimate the nonassessment 

benefits. The first two rows of the table show the number of 

assessments conducted each year and the savings associated 

with each new assessment. The savings from each assessment 

are assumed to persist for seven years. Therefore, the energy 

saved in each year (shown in row three) is the sum of energy 

savings from new assessment savings for that year plus the 

savings from measures implemented in the previous six years 

that continue to persist. 

The contribution of assessments (or other, equivalent 

professional services) performed by IAC student alumni 

is estimated based on averaged student registry data and 

feedback from IAC alumni who are practicing energy 

engineers. In 2009, 115 fully trained students graduated 

from the IAC, and cumulatively over 2,955 IAC students 

graduated. According to ORNL research and alumni 

feedback, about 50% of the alumni have remained in the 

energy-efficiency business and each alumnus performs the 

equivalent of 4 assessments per year for 11 years after leaving 

the IAC program. The benefits of each energy assessment 

(or equivalent intervention) were assumed to persist for seven 

years, after which the aged energy assessment was “retired” 

for the purposes of this estimation. The annual energy savings 

from alumni assessments are shown in row four in the table. 

IMPACTS
 

The savings from replications from assessment activities 

are calculated as 25% of the energy saved in the prior year 

from all assessment activities. This calculation accounts for 

the ancillary effect of additional implementations that are 

initiated later but are the result of the IAC’s influence. These 

implementations may be accomplished at the same plant as the 

original implementations, or at other plants within the same 

company, or within other plants at other companies as plant 

managers/engineers/workers change jobs but take the energy 

efficiency know-how with them. The annual energy savings 

from replication activities are shown in row five in the table. 

The IAC website maintained at Rutgers University was 

estimated to begin having an impact on energy savings in 

1998. The methodology for determining the savings from web 

users relies on server data, IAC assessment savings, and data 

from the literature to approximate energy savings associated 

with the on-line, user-friendly version of the IAC database. 

While most centers host IAC-related websites, several 

of which contain useful software tools and publications 

developed by students and faculty, IAC savings estimates 

focus solely on the on-line version of the IAC database. The 

output estimate for the IAC website is based on the number of 

unique plants that used the on-line database. Server reports 

from Rutgers have identified about 24,540 annual visitors to 

the website, 6,050 of which were likely to represent unique 

U.S. plants. According to software use experience for similar 

programs, only 11% of those accessing the IAC database 

likely use it and only 14% of this number implement energy 

saving projects with the information provided. The estimates 

of energy savings are based on the savings generated by 

the unique plants that use the on-line database each year to 

implement energy-saving projects. Each unique plant that 

implements a project is assumed to save the equivalent of a 

single IAC assessment, or 7,040 MMBtu in 2009. As with the 

other assessments, energy savings are assumed to persist for 

seven years. 

The annual and cumulative energy savings from all IAC 

activities are shown in the table for each year. In 2009, the 

annual energy savings are 245 TBtu and the cumulative 

energy savings through 2009 are 2,202 TBtu. Energy cost 

savings, carbon reduction, and other benefits are related 

to energy savings by projected fuel prices and emission 

coefficients. The cumulative energy cost savings and the 

cumulative carbon reduction are shown for the IAC program 

through 2009 in the last two rows of the table. 

178 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
Method of Calculating Results for the IAC Program
 

IMPACTS
 

Item 1977 1978 1979 1980 1981 1982 1983 1984 

Number of Assessments 82 70 636 224 359 253 211 248 

Annual Energy Saved Per New Assessment

(MBtu/Assessment-Year) 

3,212 3,212 3,212 3,212 3,212 1,782 2,047 3,504 

Energy Saved From Assessments (TBtu) 0.263 0.488 2.53 3.39 5.01 5.65 6.41 7.11 

Energy Saved From Alumni Assessments (TBtu) – – 0.09 0.27 0.57 0.84 1.26 2.27 

Replication Energy Savings (TBtu) 0.0 0.065 0.125 0.52 0.24 0.37 0.16 0.19 

Annual Energy Savings (TBtu) 0.263 0.553 2.74 4.18 5.82 6.86 7.82 9.57 

Cumulative Energy Savings (TBtu) 0.263 0.816 3.56 7.74 13.6 20.4 28.2 37.8 

Energy Cost Savings (B$) 0.001 0.002 0.009 0.024 0.050 0.085 0.125 0.173 

Carbon Reduction (MMTCE) 0.005 0.015 0.066 0.143 0.250 0.376 0.519 0.695 

Item 1985 1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 

Number of Assessments 368 298 324 388 340 360 455 531 

Annual Energy Saved Per New Assessment

(MBtu/Assessment-Year) 

4,208 4,520 3,898 3,842 4,724 3,821 3,207 3,942 

Energy Saved From Assessments (TBtu) 8.49 7.92 8.40 8.87 10.0 11.2 12.2 12.8 

Energy Saved From Alumni Assessments (TBtu) 3.96 6.27 8.79 11.8 16.0 19.9 23.3 27.1 

Replication Energy Savings (TBtu) 0.44 0.80 0.84 0.88 1.09 1.39 1.19 1.26 

Annual Energy Savings (TBtu) 12.9 15.0 18.0 21.5 27.1 32.5 36.7 41.2 

Cumulative Energy Savings (TBtu) 50.7 65.7 83.7 105 132 165 202 243 

Energy Cost Savings (B$) 0.238 0.303 0.379 0.468 0.587 0.736 0.899 1.09 

Carbon Reduction (MMTCE) 0.932 1.21 1.54 1.93 2.43 3.02 3.68 4.43 

Item 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 

Number of Assessments 585 776 879 867 720 723 755 705 

Annual Energy Saved Per New Assessment

(MBtu/Assessment-Year) 

3,314 3,074 2,978 3,002 2,500 2,185 2,856 2,408 

Energy Saved From Assessments (TBtu) 13.4 14.6 16.0 17.1 17.8 18.2 18.4 18.1 

Energy Saved From Alumni Assessments (TBtu) 30.0 33.3 36.4 38.9 41.0 43.2 45.9 47.7 

Replication Energy Savings (TBtu) 1.70 1.54 1.84 2.04 2.17 1.84 1.66 2.25 

Web Users Energy Savings (TBtu) – – – – – 0.04 0.12 0.20 

Annual Energy Savings (TBtu) 45.1 49.6 54.2 58.1 61.0 63.3 66.1 68.3 

Cumulative Energy Savings (TBtu) 288 337 392 450 511 574 640 709 

Energy Cost Savings (B$) 1.29 1.51 1.74 2.02 2.31 2.58 2.89 3.28 

Carbon Reduction (MMTCE) 5.24 6.13 7.10 8.14 9.24 10.4 11.6 12.8 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 179 
Method of Calculating Results for the IAC Program
 

IMPACTS
 

Item 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 

Number of Assessments 639 649 620 635 555 450 385 403 

Annual Energy Saved Per New Assessment

(MBtu/Assessment-Year) 

3,935 6,800 6,620 7,140 7,070 9,540 8,182 7,809 

Energy Saved From Assessments (TBtu) 18.2 19.9 21.3 24.5 27.4 30.3 32.3 33.5 

Energy Saved From Alumni Assessments (TBtu) 54.3 69.4 85.1 106 127 155 178 198 

Replication Energy Savings (TBtu) 1.97 3.33 6.14 6.05 6.78 6.65 8.68 7.23 

Web Users Energy Savings (TBtu) 0.38 0.79 1.29 1.91 2.76 3.98 4.65 5.00 

Annual Energy Savings (TBtu) 74.9 93.4 114 139 164 196 224 243 

Cumulative Energy Savings (TBtu) 783 877 991 1,129 1,294 1,490 1,714 1,957 

Energy Cost Savings (B$) 3.72 4.22 4.95 5.97 7.42 9.25 11.4 14.3 

Carbon Reduction (MMTCE) 14.1 15.8 17.9 20.4 23.3 26.9 30.9 35.3 

Item 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 

Number of Assessments 325 

Annual Energy Saved Per New Assessment

(MBtu/Assessment-Year) 

7,040 

Energy Saved From Assessments (TBtu) 31.6 

Energy Saved From Alumni Assessments (TBtu) 202 

Replication Energy Savings (TBtu) 6.76 

Web Users Energy Savings (TBtu) 5.15 

Annual Energy Savings (TBtu) 246 

Cumulative Energy Savings (TBtu) 2,203 

Energy Cost Savings (B$) 16.4 

Carbon Reduction (MMTCE) 39.7 

180 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
DOE Industrial Technologies Program 181 

Appendix 5:

Method of Calculating Results for the Save Energy Now Initiative 

u Large Plant Assessments .................................................................................................................................................................... 182 

u Training .............................................................................................................................................................................................. 183 

u Software Tools Distribution................................................................................................................................................................ 183 

u Qualified Specialists .......................................................................................................................................................................... 183 

u Conclusion .......................................................................................................................................................................................... 183 

u Save Energy Now Table............................................................................................................................................................... 184-185 
Method of Calculating Results for the Save Energy Now Initiative
 

IMPACTS
 

In support of the Industrial Technologies Program’s 

(ITP’s) mission to improve the energy intensity of the U.S. 

industrial sector, the Save Energy Now Initiative (formerly 

the BestPractices Program) is designed to provide industrial 

plant managers with information to evaluate opportunities 

and implement projects that improve the efficiency of energy 

systems within their production facilities. These processsupporting energy systems include those with motors and 

drives, fans, pumps, air compressors, steam, and process 

heat. Save Energy Now relies on four main activities to 

deliver technical information to a target audience of larger, 

more energy-intensive manufacturing establishments: (1) 

large energy-intensive plant assessments, (2) training, (3) 

software tools, and (4) qualification of specialists by ITP to 

address improving energy efficiency from the system-based 

perspective. 

Estimates of energy savings presented in this report are 

based on a methodology originally developed by Oak Ridge 

National Laboratory in 2002 and refined as the result of a 

peer review conducted in 2004. The impacts presented for 

2009 Save Energy Now activities reflect the on-going efforts 

to implement recommendations from the peer review and 

improve the accuracy of savings estimates. Improvements 

include (1) integration of results from a participant survey, (2) 

better understanding of energy characteristics of participating 

plants, (3) consistent registration information for software 

users, and (4) follow-up implementation information from 

assessments. Savings estimates for years prior to 2004 have 

not been adjusted to reflect these most recent improvements. 

The ITP data system provides information on participants 

in all activity areas and uses the data to estimate output 

and savings outcome performance of Save Energy Now. 

Participants include representatives from domestic or 

international manufacturing plants, corporations, research 

or educational institutions, state and local governments, and 

engineering or consulting organizations. Using information 

on participant affiliation, the data system provides the 

number of unique, domestic plants participating in each 

activity. The number of unique plants is then scaled back to 

estimate the number of unique U.S. plants that are believed to 

take action to implement energy savings projects as a result of 

the dissemination of this information. 

Estimates of energy savings from Save Energy Now’s 

activities focus on the four core activities of assessments, 

training, software, and qualified specialists. As a result 

of the peer review, estimates were constrained to these 

activities because of their significant savings potential and 

the higher quality of available data. The basic methodology 

for estimating the energy outcome is a combination of 

implemented energy savings reported for assessments and 

calculated savings for training, software use, and qualified 

specialists. Energy benefits generated by assessments 

are based on implementation results from follow-up with 

participating manufacturing plants. Savings associated with 

unique U.S-based plants that implement projects following 

interaction with qualified specialists or by participating 

in training or use of software are estimated using recent 

participant survey feedback and historical assessment data 

from Save Energy Now and the Industrial Assessment Centers 

(IACs). Savings and descriptions for each of the four main 

delivery activities are summarized below. 

Large Plant Assessments 

In 2006, under the Save Energy Now campaign, ITP shifted 

resources to conduct system-focused assessments at 200 

energy-intensive manufacturing plants across the country. 

Prior to this, ITP offered annual plant-wide assessments 

(PWAs) to a limited number of large plants. The two 

assessment approaches are vastly different. The Save Energy 

Now assessments are provided to a larger number of plants; 

however, they are limited to analysis of a single energy system 

and demonstration of and training for using the relevant 

ITP software tool. Conversely, PWAs were delivered to 

a smaller group of plants to identify overall energy use in 

manufacturing processes and develop a more comprehensive 

set of opportunities for savings. Both approaches highlight 

opportunities for best energy management practices for 

industry, including the adoption of new, efficient technologies. 

In 2009, 159 Save Energy Now assessments (SENA) were 

completed; replication activities were limited and are not 

included in the impacts estimate. Implemented savings 

reported from SENAs totaled 6.64 TBtu. Savings from the 

PWAs in previous years are assumed to persist for seven 

years, and this effect adds 103.09 TBtu in savings for 2009. 

The total energy savings generated in 2009 from the old 

assessments in large, energy-intensive plants was 109.73 TBtu, 

and the cumulative savings generated from 2000 through 

2009 was 490.8 TBtu. 

182 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
Method of Calculating Results for the Save Energy Now Initiative
 

IMPACTS 

Training 

Training activities continue to play a key role in the Save 

Energy Now strategy. Participants who attend end-user 

training learn how to apply the software in their own plants 

to identify and implement savings in energy-intensive 

systems. The number of unique plants participating in a 

training activity is recorded in the ITP data system. From 

1998 through 2009, representatives from almost 6,900 

unique plants attended training sessions. In 2009, of 652 

plants attending training sessions, about 198 were estimated 

to actually take action to implement projects in their own 

energy-intensive systems, resulting in an estimated savings of 

1.08 TBtu. Additionally, savings that persist from measures 

implemented as a result of training conducted in previous 

years contributed 31.61 TBtu in 2009. BestPractices’ training 

saved 32.70 TBtu in 2009 and cumulatively saved 386.7 TBtu 

from 1998 through 2009. 

Software Tools Distribution 

Save Energy Now has a variety of resources to help address a 

company’s energy management needs and facilitate energyefficiency decision-making. A range of software tools is 

available to help a plant manager perform a self-assessment 

of a plant’s fan, motor, pumping, compressed air, steam, and 

process heating systems. Software tools available in 2009 

included Fan System Assessment Tool (FSAT), AirMaster+, 

MotorMaster, Pumping System Assessment Tool (PSAT), 

Steam System Scoping Tool, Steam System Assessment Tool, 

Process Heating Assessment Tool (PHAST), and 3E Plus. 

Users may download the software from the BestPractices 

website or use the Save Energy Now CD-ROM, which 

contains the entire suite of software tools. 

Software is proving to be a powerful means of disseminating 

technical information for Save Energy Now. According to the 

ITP data system, over 3,600 unique plants obtained software 

in 2009. Over 495 plants are estimated to have taken action to 

implement projects, saving an estimated 4.97 TBtu. Savings 

from measures implemented in previous years that persist in 

2009 contributed 36.43 TBtu. Save Energy Now software 

saved 41.40 TBtu in 2009 and cumulatively saved 334 TBtu 

from 1998 through 2009. 

Qualified Specialists 

Qualified specialists are industry professionals who have 

completed additional training and demonstrated proficiency 

in using Save Energy Now software tools. Specialists apply 

these tools to help industrial customers identify ways to 

improve system efficiency. In 2009, Save Energy Now offered 

specialist qualifications in the following software tools: Steam 

Systems, PSAT, AirMaster+, FSAT, and PHAST. 

By the end of 2009, 415 software specialists were qualified by 

Save Energy Now. That same year, an estimated 1,064 plants 

interacted with qualified specialists, resulting in implemented 

projects at 543 plants. Estimated savings from qualified 

specialists’ activities in 2009 are 5.97 TBtu. Savings that 

persist in 2009 from measures implemented in 2001 through 

2008 contributed 33.87 TBtu. Qualified specialists saved 

39.83 TBtu in 2009 and cumulatively saved 152.95 TBtu from 

2001 through 2009. 

Conclusion 

The table below shows the total annual energy savings from 

ITP’s Save Energy Now activities from 1998 through 2009. 

The subtotals from the four delivery activities are added 

together to calculate the total annual energy savings for 2009 

of 224 TBtu and a cumulative energy savings of 1,365 TBtu. 

Fuel prices and emission coefficients for various fuels from 

Energy Information Administration publications were used 

to determine cumulative energy cost savings and carbon 

reduction. 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 183 
Method of Calculating Results for the Save Energy Now Initiative
 

IMPACTS
 

1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 

Large Plant Assessments 

Unique Plants Implementing Improvements Each Year – – 2 14 17 8 9 

New Plant Replications – – – 1 10 22 5 

Annual Energy Savings from Large Plant Assessments (TBtu) – – 0.61 1.28 9.45 20.5 27.4 

Cumulative Energy Savings from Large Plant Assessments (TBtu) – – 0.61 1.28 11.3 31.9 59.3 

Training 

Unique Plants Reached Each Year 75 150 300 330 791 652 693 

Unique Plants Implementing Improvements Each Year 38 75 150 165 396 326 347 

Annual Energy Savings from Training (TBtu) 0.84 2.51 5.86 10.2 28.5 44.0 49.8 

Cumulative Energy Savings from Training (TBtu) 0.84 3.35 9.21 19.4 47.9 91.9 142 

Software Tools Distribution 

Unique Plants Reached Each Year 479 959 4,793 10,718 9,608 5,847 1,842 

Unique Plants Implementing Improvements Each Year 96 192 959 2,143 1,922 1,169 368 

Annual Energy Savings from Software (TBtu) 0.24 1.04 4.63 13.3 21.1 32.4 36.0 

Cumulative Energy Savings from Software (TBtu) 0.24 1.28 5.91 19.2 40.3 72.7 109 

Qualified Specialists

Number of Qualified Specialists – – – 27 89 177 300 

Unique Plants Interacting Each Year with Qualified Specialists – – – 13 43 85 667 

Unique Plants Implementing Improvements Each Year – – – 7 22 43 352 

Annual Energy Savings from Qualified Specialists (TBtu) – – – 0.17 0.77 3.30 8.42 

Cumulative Energy Savings from Qualified Specialists (TBtu) – – – 0.17 0.94 4.24 12.7 

Sum of All Save Energy Now Areas 

Unique Plants Reached Each Year 554 1,109 5,095 11,076 10,469 6,614 3,216 

Unique Plants Implementing Improvements Each Year 134 267 1,111 2,330 2,367 1,568 1,081 

Annual Energy Savings (TBtu) 1.08 3.55 11.1 25.0 59.8 100 122 

Cumulative Energy Savings (TBtu) 1.08 4.63 15.7 40.7 101 201 322 

Energy Cost Savings (B$) 0.005 0.021 0.084 0.233 0.555 1.19 2.09 

Carbon Reduction (MMTCE) 0.019 0.083 0.282 0.732 1.81 3.61 5.81 

184 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
Method of Calculating Results for the Save Energy Now Initiative
 

IMPACTS
 

2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 

Large Plant Assessments 

Unique Plants Implementing Improvements Each Year 8 200 258 260 159 – – 

New Plant Replications 1 0 0 0 0 – – 

Annual Energy Savings from Large Plant Assessments (TBtu) 40.8 75.9 93.8 111 110 – – 

Cumulative Energy Savings from Large Plant Assessments (TBtu) 100 176 270 381 491 – – 

Training 

Unique Plants Reached Each Year 1,197 929 562 566 652 – – 

Unique Plants Implementing Improvements Each Year 599 282 171 172 198 – – 

Annual Energy Savings from Training (TBtu) 54.1 55.3 53.1 49.9 32.7 – – 

Cumulative Energy Savings from Training (TBtu) 196 251 304 354 387 – – 

Software Tools Distribution 

Unique Plants Reached Each Year 3,088 3,536 2,547 2,740 3,663 – – 

Unique Plants Implementing Improvements Each Year 618 477 344 370 495 – – 

Annual Energy Savings from Software (TBtu) 41.7 49.2 49.1 44.3 41.4 – – 

Cumulative Energy Savings from Software (TBtu) 150 200 249 293 334 – – 

Qualified Specialists

Number of Qualified Specialists 351 443 613 431 415 – – 

Unique Plants Interacting Each Year with Qualified Specialists 844 1,084 1,150 913 1,064 – – 

Unique Plants Implementing Improvements Each Year 434 553 587 466 543 – – 

Annual Energy Savings from Qualified Specialists (TBtu) 14.9 22.3 28.8 34.5 39.8 – – 

Cumulative Energy Savings from Qualified Specialists (TBtu) 27.6 49.9 78.7 113 153 – – 

Sum of All Save Energy Now Areas 

Unique Plants Reached Each Year 5,138 5,749 4,517 4,479 5,538 – – 

Unique Plants Implementing Improvements Each Year 1,660 1,512 1,352 1,268 1,365 – – 

Annual Energy Savings (TBtu) 151 203 225 240 224 – – 

Cumulative Energy Savings (TBtu) 474 676 901 1,141 1,365 – – 

Energy Cost Savings (B$) 3.42 5.32 7.51 10.03 12.3 – – 

Carbon Reduction (MMTCE) 8.55 12.2 16.3 20.6 24.6 – – 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 185 
IMPACTS
 

186 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
Appendix 6:

Method of Calculating Results from DOE’s Combined Heat 

and Power Activities 

u CHP Table........................................................................................................................................................................................... 189
 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 187 
Method of Calculating Results from DOE’s Combined Heat 

and Power Activities 

Industrial Distributed Energy, a cross-cutting activity within 

the Industrial Technologies Program (ITP), builds on activities 

conducted by DOE’s Office of Industrial Technologies 

during the 1980s and 1990s and the DOE Distributed 

Energy Resources program since 2000. Since 1990, the use 

of distributed energy within the United States, primarily 

combined heat and power (CHP), has increased significantly. 

CHP capacity additions between 1990 and 2009 totaled 56.4 

GW, according to the CHP Installation Database maintained 

by ICF International for DOE through a contract with Oak 

Ridge National Laboratory. 

According to a report prepared by ORNL, if CHP capacity 

were to reach 20% of U.S. electricity production by 2030, 

more than 5.3 quad of energy would be saved, and CO2 

emissions would be reduced by 848 million metric tons. This 

represents 60% of the projected greenhouse gas emissions 

production from 2006 to 2030. 

DOE distributed energy activities since 1990 include 

R&D, market transformation, and deployment activities. 

R&D activities have focused on developing advanced 

reciprocating engine systems, advanced industrial gas 

turbines, microturbines, thermally activated technologies, 

fuel cells, and integrated energy systems. As a result, many 

commercial products have been successfully developed. 

Market transformation activities have focused on project 

support, education, and outreach and have recently been led 

by eight Regional Clean Energy Application Centers that offer 

individualized solutions to end users and promote the adoption 

of CHP to state policymakers and regulators. DOE also has 

continually supported public-private partnerships with various 

CHP stakeholders through collaborations with other federal 

agencies, state governments and agencies, trade associations 

and private industry, and non-government organizations in 

order to increase market deployment of CHP technology. 

Before 2007, attribution of energy from DOE distributed 

energy activities was not well documented. ICF International 

recently developed a preliminary methodology for calculating 

and attributing energy savings from DOE distributed energy 

activities. This methodology will be refined and reviewed by 

external peers. 

The energy savings’ benefit of a CHP system is from the 

aggregate reduction in overall fuel consumption. A CHP 

system replaces both a separate on-site thermal system 

(furnace or boiler) and purchased power (typically electricity 

from a central station power plant) with a single, integrated 

system that produces thermal energy and power concurrently. 

To calculate the fuel use avoided by a CHP system, both 

outputs of the CHP system must be accounted for. The CHP 

system’s thermal output displaces the fuel normally consumed 

in on-site thermal generation in a boiler or other equipment, 

IMPACTS 

and the power output displaces the fuel consumed from gridconnected power plants. Quantifying a CHP system’s fuel 

savings involves subtracting the fuel use released from the 

CHP system from the fuel use that normally would occur 

without the system (i.e., using conventional separate heat and 

power). 

The CHP energy savings’ estimates are based on CHP 

operating characteristics contained in the CHP Installation 

Database, which is recognized as the leading source for 

current and comprehensive data on U.S. CHP installations 

and market trends. As of June 1, 2009, the database contained 

3,518 operating CHP installations representing 84,923 MW 

of electric capacity. The database includes detailed data for 

each site including location, application, CHP technology, 

fuel type, electric generating capacity, ownership, servicing 

utility, and system start-up date. The database contains partial 

information on thermal application and capacity, sales to the 

grid, thermal sales, annual fuel use, annual generation, and 

annual thermal utilization. Annual CHP capacity additions 

were generated from the database starting in 1990 by system 

size (<20 MW, 20 to 50 MW, > 50MW) and fuel type. 

CHP energy savings’ estimates are derived from operating 

information (i.e., fuel consumption, electricity, and 

thermal energy generated) for the CHP fleet contained 

in or derived from the CHP database. A key operating 

parameter is the CHP system’s power-to-heat ratio. This 

parameter was calculated directly for sites with data on both 

electric generation and thermal output. For sites missing 

information on the thermal output, a typical power-to-heat 

ratio was assumed based on the prime-mover technology 

and the electric capacity of the CHP system. Performance 

characteristics, including the power, thermal, and overall 

efficiencies of the operating CHP capacity, are estimated for 

13 different fuel types; and summary data are derived for each 

fuel type, including annual electric generation, thermal output, 

and fuel consumption. 

In the absence of data to track the DOE program impact for 

every CHP installation, a portion of energy savings from 

all CHP systems installed since 1990 were linked to DOE’s 

efforts. Attribution of benefits for DOE activities are based on 

DOE program activities to advance CHP technology in each 

market segment and are estimated to be 50% of the capacity 

additions <20 MW, 25% of the capacity additions from 20 to 

50 MW, and 10% of the capacity additions >50 MW. DOE’s 

most extensive efforts have supported CHP <20 MW, which 

uses engine, microturbine, and fuel cell technologies. DOE 

also supported turbine technology focused on CHP units 

from 20 to 50 MW; manufacturers have also transferred these 

technologies to CHP units >50 MW. 

188 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
 

 

 

Method of Calculating Results from DOE’s Combined Heat 

and Power Activities 

IMPACTS 

Total CHP capacity additions from 1990 to 2009 and the 

resulting energy savings attributed to DOE activities based 

on the methodology described above are depicted in the table. 

The annual and cumulative energy savings from CHP systems 

are shown in the table for each year. In 2009, the annual 

energy savings are 210 TBtu and the cumulative energy 

savings through 2009 are 2,748 TBtu. Energy cost savings, 

carbon reduction, and other benefits are related to energy 

savings by projected fuel prices and emission coefficients. 

The cumulative CHP energy cost savings and the cumulative 

carbon reduction are shown through 2009 in the last two rows 

of the table. 

Through current and expanded funding from the American 

Reinvestment and Recovery Act, ITP is advancing CHP as 

one of the more promising efficient energy solutions that 

can help to revitalize the American economy, enhance the 

nation’s energy security, and reduce carbon pollution. CHP 

can achieve efficiencies of as much as 80% compared with 

roughly 45% for conventional heat and power production. 

Total CHP Capacity Additions with Energy, Cost, and Carbon Savings Attributed to DOE Activities
 

Item 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 

Capacity Additions (MW)

 <20 MW 385.7 243.0 234.1 179.4 200.1 201.1 206.9 164.8 154.8

 20 -50 MW 903.1 687.8 342.3 435.7 398.0 372.2 229.1 93.6 221.9

 >50 MW 3,462.3 2,453.8 2,693.0 2,651.9 5,131.4 2,162.5 2,123.4 2,311.3 1,123.5 

Total Capacity Additions 4,751 3,385 3,269 3,267 5,730 2,736 2,559 2,570 1,500 

Annual Energy Savngs (TBtu) 23.2 39.8 52.7 66.6 85.6 96.2 107.1 116.7 124.6 

Cumulative Energy Savings (TBtu) 23.2 63 115.7 182.3 267.9 364.1 471.2 587.9 712.5 

Cumulative Energy Cost Savings (B$) 0.027 0.072 0.130 0.199 0.283 0.371 0.469 0.575 0.684 

Cumulative Carbon Reduction (MMTCE) 0.6 1.6 2.9 4.6 6.7 9.1 11.8 14.8 17.9 

Item 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 

Capacity Additions (MW)

 <20 MW 252.6 317.2 299.3 238.2 222.9 182.8 214.2 187.4 171.7

 20 - 50 MW 177.7 386.8 379.8 361.0 132.0 124.5 28.0 149.2 99.0

 >50 MW 1,825.9 2,425.4 5,528.9 4,436.0 3,395.0 3,192.0 1,391.0 0.0 224.0 

Total Capacity Additions 2,256 3,129 6,208 5,035 3,750 3,499 1,633 337 495 

Annual Energy Savngs (TBtu) 134.5 149.6 170.3 180.3 190.6 194.0 199.6 199.8 201.3 

Cumulative Energy Savings (TBtu) 847.0 996.6 1,167 1,347 1,538 1,732 1,931 2,131 2,332 

Cumulative Energy Cost Savings (B$) 0.802 0.935 1.095 1.256 1.438 1.655 1.922 2.166 2.418 

Cumulative Carbon Reduction (MMTCE) 21.3 25.1 29.3 33.9 38.7 43.6 48.6 53.7 58.7 

Item 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 

Capacity Additions (MW

 <20 MW 189.8 201.9 – – – – – – –

 20 - 50 MW 81.2 169.0 – – – – – – –

 >50 MW 141.0 235.0 – – – – – – – 

Total Capacity Additions 412 606 – – – – – – – 

Annual Energy Savngs (TBtu) 205.5 210.2 – – – – – – – 

Cumulative Energy Savings (TBtu) 2,538 2,748 – – – – – – – 

Cumulative Energy Cost Savings (B$) 2.729 3.059 – – – – – – – 

Cumulative Carbon Reduction (MMTCE) 64.0 69.3 – – – – – – – 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 189 
IMPACTS
 

190 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
DOE Industrial Technologies Program 191 

Appendix 7:

Methodology for Technology Tracking and Assessment of Benefits 

u Technology Tracking............................................................................................................................................ 192 

u Methods of Estimating Benefits.............................................................................................................................. 192 

u Deriving the ITP Cost/Benefit Curve ...................................................................................................................... 193 
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Methodology for Technology Tracking and Assessment of Benefits
 

IMPACTS
 

Technology Tracking 

For over 30 years, the Industrial Technologies Program (ITP), 

previously the Office of Industrial Technologies (OIT), has 

been tracking and recording information on technologies 

developed through cost-shared R&D projects with industry. 

The tracking process considers technologies that can be 

classified as commercially successful, mature, or emerging. 

When full-scale commercial units of a technology are 

operational in private industry, that technology is considered 

commercially successful and is on the active tracking list. 

When a commercially successful technology unit has been 

in operation for approximately 10 years, that particular unit 

is then considered a mature or historical technology and is 

usually no longer actively tracked. 

Emerging technologies are those in the late development or 

early commercialization stage of the technology life cycle 

(roughly within one to two years of commercialization). 

While preliminary information is collected on emerging 

technologies, they are not placed on the active tracking list 

until they are commercially available to industry. 

The active tracking process involves collecting technical and 

market data on each commercially successful technology, 

including details on the following: 

uNumber of units sold, installed, and operating in the 

United States and abroad (including size and location) 

uUnits decommissioned since the previous year 

uEnergy saved by the technology 

uEnvironmental benefits from the technology 

uImprovements in quality and productivity achieved 


through use of the technology
 

uOther impacts of the technology, such as 


employment and effects on health and safety
 

uMarketing issues and barriers 

Methods of Estimating Benefits 

Information on technologies is gathered through direct contact 

with either vendors or end users of the technology. These 

contacts provide the data needed to calculate the unit energy 

savings associated with an individual technology, as well as 

the number of operating units. 

Unit energy savings are unique to each technology. 

Technology manufacturers or end users usually provide 

unit energy savings, or at least enough data for a typical 

unit energy savings to be calculated. The total number of 

operating units is equal to the number of units installed minus 

the number of units decommissioned or classified as mature in 

a given year—information usually determined from sales data 

or end user input. Operating units and unit energy savings 

can then be used to calculate total annual energy savings for 

the technology. 

The cumulative energy savings represents the accumulated 

energy saved for all units for the total time the technology has 

been in operation. This includes previous savings from nowmature units and decommissioned units, even though these 

units are not included in the current year’s savings. 

Once cumulative energy savings have been determined, longterm impacts on the environment are calculated by estimating 

the associated reduction of air pollutants. This calculation 

is straightforward, based on the type of fuel saved and the 

pollutants typically associated with combustion of that 

fuel. For example, for every million Btu of coal combusted, 

approximately 1.25 pounds of sulfur oxides (known acid 

rain precursors) are emitted to the atmosphere. Thus, every 

million-Btu reduction in coal use results in the elimination of 

1.25 pounds of polluting sulfur oxides. 

The results for annual and cumulative energy savings, as 

well as cumulative pollutant emissions reductions for actively 

tracked technologies, are shown in Table 1 on pages 12 and 13 

of this report. 

192 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
 

 

 

 

Methodology for Technology Tracking and Assessment of Benefits
 

IMPACTS 

Deriving the ITP Cost/Benefit Curve 

The approach to estimating the net benefits of ITP energy 

savings used here relied on the following methodology. 

First, estimate the cumulative production cost savings 

which provides an estimate of the gross benefit of the ITP 

program since its inception. Next, estimate the cumulative 

appropriations that were allocated by the government to 

support the development of these technologies that saved 

energy. Finally, make adjustments to the gross energy 

savings to account for the cost to industry of adopting the new 

technologies. The method is based on the following sequence 

of steps: 

uCumulative energy savings – The accumulated energy 

savings (Btu) produced by ITP-supported technologies 

have been commercialized and tracked since the program 

began. As of 1997, this figure was 1,728 trillion Btu and 

in 2009 it was 3,686 trillion Btu. 

uITP appropriations – This is the cumulative funding 

provided for ITP programs. As of FY 2009, this number 

was $3.14 billion. 

uCost of industrial energy saved – This is the average fuel 

price (dollars/Btu) that would have been paid to purchase 

energy multiplied by annual savings. The nominal prices 

(in dollars per million Btu) for various fuels are reported 

in the Energy Information Administration’s Annual 

Energy Review (AER). Nominal fuel prices extending 

back in time from 2009 to 1978 were obtained from the 

2009 AER. These prices are adjusted for inflation based 

on an index of all fuels and power as reported by the 

Bureau of Labor Statistics, but normalized to 2009 so that 

all prices are in current dollars. These real annual fuel 

prices are multiplied by the amount of energy saved per 

fuel type per year for each of the ITP commercialized and 

tracked technologies. 

u	 Correct for Implementation Costs – Since reliable 

information was not available about the incremental 

capital and operating and maintenance costs of these 

new technologies, an assumption must be made to adjust 

for these costs. The assumption used is that industry 

demands at least a two-year payback period on all such 

investments, so the first two years of the cumulated 

energy savings was ignored for each of the technologies, 

given that these first two years savings are needed to 

recoup the life-cycle capital costs of adopting the new 

technology. Again, these costs are normalized for 

inflation just as are the fuel prices for savings. 

For each technology, the annual energy savings by fuel type is 

multiplied by the real price of that fuel. The sum of all energy 

saved times the average real energy price yields an estimate of 

the annual savings for all technologies in that particular year. 

In addition to technology energy savings, savings from 

the IAC Program, the Save Energy Now Initiative, and 

CHP activities were also determined on an annual basis 

as described in Appendices 4, 5, and 6, respectively. The 

economic benefits are the accumulation of these savings 

over time adjusted for inflation, as described above. The 

economic costs are two-fold: ITP appropriations and the 

implementation costs reflected in the two-year payback 

period. The appropriations are adjusted for inflation by using 

the implicit deflator for non-defense federal government 

expenditures, as published by the Bureau of Economic 

Analysis of the U.S. Department of Commerce. The 

implementation costs are adjusted for inflation in the same 

manner as fuel savings. The net economic benefits are then 

the benefits minus the costs. 

Just as this method may not account for some benefits – 

spinoffs, derivative technologies, etc. – this method also may 

not account for some incremental costs. For example, there 

may be incremental capital costs associated with the use of 

a particular technology that are not currently captured in the 

tracking process, and thus are not included in the cost side of 

the equation. 

The results of the application of this method are shown in the 

following graph. 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 193 
Cumulative Production Cost Savings Minus Cumulative Program and Implementation Costs 

Methodology for Technology Tracking and Assessment of Benefits
 

IMPACTS 

Cumulative Production Cost Savings Minus Cumulative Program and Implementation Costs 

59000 

49000 

39000 

29000 

19000 

9000 

-1000 

Years 

The cumulative federal costs for ITP through fiscal year 2009 total $3.14 billion. Cumulative energy savings from completed and tracked ITP projects and 

programs add to approximately 10.0 quadrillion Btu in 2009, representing a net cumulative production cost savings of $50.55 billion after adjusting for inflation 

(using the implicit price deflators for fuels/power and non-defense federal government expenditures, normalized to 2009). These production cost savings 

represent the net total value of all energy saved by technologies developed in ITP programs plus the energy cost savings from the IAC Program, the Save Energy 

Now Initiative, and CHP activities, minus the cost to industry of using the technologies (estimated by assuming a two-year payback on investment) minus ITP 

appropriations. The graph shows that benefits substantially exceed costs. $ Millions 

1976 1978 1980 1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004 2006 2008 

194 DOE Industrial Technologies Program 
IMPACTS
 

DOE Industrial Technologies Program 195 
Where to Go to Get More Information. 

Visit our Web Site: http://www1.eere.energy.gov/industry 

For periodic updates sign up for our monthly ITP “E-Bulletin” or our technical quarterly electronic “Energy 

Matters” newsletter. http://www1.eere.energy.gov/industry/resources/ebulletin 

Learn about all EERE Programs: http://www.eere.energy.gov 

For Print Copies of EERE and ITP Publications. 

EERE Information Center 

1-877-EERE-INF (1-877-337-3463) 

www.eere.energy.gov 

PNNL-20845