Stories of Technology, Innovation, & Entrepreneurship in the Southeast

With last week’s announcements, five East Tennessee companies have received almost $4.75 million under one of two U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) programs focused on small businesses.

The Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) programs are designed to accelerate the commercialization of technologies important to America’s future. Three of the five recipients are from the Knoxville area while the other two come from Chattanooga. There are no other winners from Tennessee.

According to the DOE website, the awards were as follows:

SBIR Phase I –

• Accurate Automation Corporation of Chattanooga received $149,983.65 to address the susceptible of electronic systems that monitor and control critical infrastructure to disruption and damage from natural or manmade electromagnetic pulses. The proposed solution involves carbon nanotube-based plasma limiters to provide a first line defense against these types of attacks.
• AMS Corporation of Knoxville received two awards, each valued at $149,956.54. One was to demonstrate a unique solution for advancing the current state-of-the-art in electromagnetic compatibility testing to identify faults and ensure the safe and reliable operation of digital devices in nuclear facilities. The other for the same amount is focused on developing a passive monitoring system using electromagnetic fields to determine the health and condition of instrumentation and control equipment in nuclear power plants. This will result in improved safety and reliability of nuclear power plants while significantly reducing the cost of operations and maintenance.
• E&G Associates Inc. of Chattanooga was awarded $149,751.27 to develop a compact material-based solution to allow high volume hydrogen storage in a small footprint, making hydrogen-powered vehicles more feasible.

STTR Phase I –

• Cryomagnetics of Oak Ridge – A $149,959 STTR award for high energy physics research, modern medicine and advanced materials continually demand higher magnetic fields. In this research a new superconductor material will be used to generate higher magnetic fields than previously possible in commercial magnets.

SBIR Phase II –

• AMS Corporation that received two DBIR awards. One was for $999,794.41 and is designed to help ensure the safe and efficient operation of new Small Modular Reactors. The other was for $999,807.63 and will aid in the deployment of cost-effective wireless infrastructure and technology that is vendor independent, easily scalable and upgradable, secure, and can be used as a high-speed data highway for nuclear facilities.
• PHDs Co. of Knoxville also received two Phase II SBIR awards. Both are for $1,000,000. One is for the NP Imager that provides a new high-resolution commercial tool to help maintain DOE as a leading agency in scientific progress. The other is focused on the development of low-cost germanium CCDs that are important to DOE’s telescope initiatives.

 

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