PNNL recognized for innovations in energy efficiency technology, materials science
February 11, 2008
Lab receives FLC awards for technology transfer.
RICHLAND, Wash. –
The Department of Energy’s Pacific Northwest National Laboratory has been recognized for transferring to the marketplace a technology for diagnosing energy use in buildings, an improved design of reflector-style lamps for the growing recessed can and compact fluorescent lighting industries, and a breakthrough titanium injection molding technique for high-quality parts.
The Federal Laboratory Consortium is honoring PNNL with three 2008 Excellence in Technology Transfer Awards for these developments.
Energy Expert
Energy Expert is the commercial version of PNNL’s Whole-Building Energy Diagnostician tool. The technology was adapted for the Web and licensed to NorthWrite Inc., which shares the FLC award with PNNL. Energy Expert monitors energy use in buildings and by major building systems. The technology uses trend data to automatically detect and provide alerts for anomalies in energy consumption as well as supporting information on impacts. The technology automatically creates a model of energy use as data is accumulated. The model is then used to predict future energy use and alerts building operations staff to variances between actual measured consumption and the expected measurements.
R-CFLs
PNNL’s Technology Procurement program implemented a market transformation project aimed at expanding the performance, availability and use of energy-efficient reflector-compact fluorescent lamps (R-CFLs). Recessed downlights are among the most popular lighting fixtures in the country, with an estimated 350 million installed in U.S. homes. Standard incandescent reflector lamps typically used in these fixtures use up to three times more energy than R-CFLs. The PNNL team conducted market research to identify problems with existing R-CFLs, developed technical specifications for production of new models, requested proposals from lighting manufacturers, and tested the products submitted to verify they met size and performance requirements such as minimum life and light output in the high temperature environments found in residential recessed cans. R-CFLs that met those requirements are now widely available commercially and the Department of Energy has adopted the testing requirements in the draft ENERGY STAR criteria for R-CFLs. The R-CFL market transformation project was funded by DOE’s Emerging Technologies Program.
Ti MIM
Ti MIM is a technique for titanium metal injection molding that enables production of high-quality titanium metal parts for biomedical, aviation and automotive industries at lower cost, higher production rates, and better quality than existing production processes. The non-oxidizing binder reduces or eliminates the swelling, cracking or other distortions to the component that can result from other binders used in traditional injection molding processes. The technology provides for faster production time and lower costs, making titanium’s high specific strength, lightweight and excellent corrosion resistance available to aviation, automotive and biomedical implant industries. Ti MIM has been licensed to Praxair Inc.
This year’s awards bring PNNL’s total to 67 since the FLC began awarding them in 1984. The awards will be presented at the FLC’s annual meeting in Portland in May.
Business inquiries on the award-winning technologies or other PNNL innovations can be directed to 1-888-375-PNNL or techcomm@pnl.gov.
