Business Development and Partnership Office

In a recent interview, NASA Glenn Research Center’s (GRC) Director, Woodrow Whitlow Jr., was quoted as follows: “Because of the growing concerns of the nation’s dependency on oil, GRC is looking to expand its renewable energy efforts that began in the 1970s during the U.S. energy crisis. Not many people know that GRC’s research helped develop today’s renewable wind, solar, and coal energy.”

Woodrow Whitlow Jr., Inside Business, July 2007

The advanced energy field includes renewable energy sources that are important for future terrestrial and space development. New and renewable sources of energy will be critical to the energy security and independence of the nation and the state. There is a close synergy between research and development opportunities to increase revenue for the center and the institutional goal of conserving energy and costs. GRC is the NASA lead for ground source heat power technologies to conserve electricity usage and costs in future building construction throughout the agency. The Center is currently evaluating several demonstration projects, to test, evaluate and advance institution applications of wind turbines, fuel cells, and photovoltaics at locations within GRC and Plum Brook Station. Lessons learned from these demonstration projects will be used to improve these technologies for future Advanced Energy applications. Please contact Dr. Robert (Joe) Shaw Chief, Business Development and Partnership Office for more information on how our Advanced Energy technologies can support your work.

Advanced Energy Opportunities

This list represents some of the many energy-related opportunities for new business and partnership that are currently available at Glenn.

Alternative Fuels

- Bio-fuels from renewable crop sources – conversion kinetics and combustion diagnostics - Liquid fuels from coal – combustion processes, diagnostics, and emissions predictions - High temperature, harsh environment instrumentation and controls - Clean combustion processes

Clean Coal

- Combustion chemistry and diagnostics to understand burning processes, contaminants, particulates - Emissions prediction methods and validation - Combustion devices to enhance clean burning - High temperature, harsh environment instrumentation and controls

Fuel Cells / Batteries

- Lithium-based batteries with lower weight, smaller volume, and low temperature capability - Regenerative fuel cells which combine a fuel cell with an electrolyzer capable of converting water back into hydrogen and oxygen (functions like a battery) - Long life, high temperature structural materials and seals

Nuclear Energy

- Simulation, modeling, and visualization - Materials degradation under high thermal and radiation environments - Systems analysis and systems engineering - High temperature, harsh environment instrumentation and controls - Thermal energy conversion

Photovoltaics

- High power, lightweight systems - Modeling and measurement of plasma interactions with high voltage arrays - Measurement and characterization of cells and arrays

Wind Turbines

- Long-life, light-weight gear box components - Advanced materials and structural analysis for light-weight blades - Aeroelasticity and aerodynamic analysis tools for increased efficiency - Acoustics prediction models and validation techniques - Communication techniques to and from remote locations

Historical examples of GRC’s energy technologies

Glenn’s rich history in the development of energy technologies will continue to lead us to new discoveries to support the State of Ohio and our nation.

Photovoltaics

Using its expertise in solar cells for space in the 1970’s, Glenn deployed stand-alone power systems in remote areas of the world, see below. NASA brought these villages capabilities for grain grinding, lighting, communications, water pumping and the ability to refrigerate medicines and vaccines. NASA Glenn photovoltaic power system African village of Tangaye, Upper Volta, Africa. In 1978, GRC chose the village of the Papago Tribe in Schuchuli, Arizona, as the site for the world’s first solar-powered village. From 1975 to 1985, Glenn designed, fabricated and installed 57 photovoltaic systems in 27 U.S. locations and developing countries.

Stirling Engines

A Stirling engine is a heat engine without valves. Cleaner, quieter and more efficient than gasoline and diesel engines, Stirling engines are used in submarines. In the 1970s, Stirling work focused on car engines that would eventually use hydrogen as the working fluid. Additionally, Glenn began a Dish Stirling program to provide electrical power in small towns. Stirling work continues at Glenn for electrical power in space, and in the private sector for electric power and commercial products such as refrigerators, generators and coolers.

Fuel Cells and Batteries

Fuel cells, have recently received considerable attention for terrestrial applications ranging from automobiles to stationary power generation. Fuel cells may enable new aerospace missions and offer fuel savings, quiet operations, and reduced emissions for future aircraft. NASA has extensive experience with fuel cells on manned space flight systems for over four decades. Consequently, GRC has an ongoing effort to investigate and develop fuel cell technologies for multiple aerospace applications.

Alternative Fuels

Biomass resources are plentiful and varied throughout the world. They are primarily food crops, energy crops and wastes. Glenn has contributed to the advanced combustion and emissions research base in alternative fuels for jet engines.

Wind Energy

Between 1974 and 1981, NASA Glenn led the U.S. Wind Energy Program for large wind horizontal-axis turbines — the predominant systems used today to convert wind energy into mechanical energy. With funding from the National Science Foundation and the Department of Energy, NASA constructed and operated its first experimental 100 kilowatt wind turbine at Plum Brook Station in Sandusky, Ohio. Throughout the program, a total of 13 experimental wind turbines were put into operation. The turbines included four major designs: 200 kilowatt, 2000 kilowatt, 2.5 megawatt and 3.2 megawatt wind turbines.