SBIR-STTR Award

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project proposes to create a novel low-cost micro-turbine engine that will revolutionize small-scale distributed power generation. The end goal is to install the generator onto residential HVAC systems to provide combined heat and power (CHP) for single-family homes. The engine will generate 1kW of electricity and the excess heat will be used for space heating and water heating, resulting in more efficient use of thermal energy. Currently there are no commercially available low-cost micro-turbine CHP systems that operate in this power range. The objective of this Phase I work is to demonstrate the feasibility of building a low-cost yet efficient micro-turbine by combining innovative morphologies with conventional materials and manufacturing technologies. The broader/commercial impacts of this research is to enable distributed generation at unprecedented power density and cost effectiveness, making it accessible for residential consumers. Customer adoption of combined heat and power (CHP) technologies is very low due to the lack of systems with a reasonable payback period. CHP systems powered by the proposed micro-turbine have a 75% reduction in upfront cost and 90% reduction in volume compared to existing systems. A small, cost effective and efficient CHP system will help families reduce monthly utility bills, provide peak hour load-leveling for power grid utilities, and reduce annual CO2 emissions by 1 ton per household. The proposed technology has significant market potential; beyond a multi-billion dollar residential CHP market with an enormous customer base are other applications in distributed generation.

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project proposes to develop a low-cost 10kW micro-turbine power generator that provides the basis for portability, fuel flexibility, and reduced maintenance of conventional turbo-machines at a cost that is competitive with reciprocating engines. Current micro-turbines have prohibitively high costs due to complicated geometry and materials, but the proposed research will develop a micro-turbine with significantly lower manufacturing costs using a novel layered stackable architecture for the core micro-turbine engine. The primary research objectives are 1) to optimize micro-turbine components within the framework of the new proposed geometry using a combination of in-house numerical analysis and computational fluid dynamics, 2) to design application-specific peripherals and user interface for power generation at oil and gas wells - the proposed entry market, and 3) to build and test a field-ready prototype to validate the engine design and benchmark engine performance. The result of the proposed project is a compact, and low-maintenance 10kW micro-turbine power generator that will be produced for lower than $500 per kW. The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is greatly increased commercial viability of micro-turbine power generators. The primary advantages of micro-turbines are portability, fuel flexibility, and low maintenance. Micro-turbines do not have significant market share due to prohibitively high upfront costs, but the proposed technology will bring costs down and enable micro-turbines to gain significant traction in many markets, including emergency response, oil and gas well power generation, and other remote/distributed power generation applications. Due to their portability, micro-turbine generators can be deployed quickly in emergency situations. Due to their fuel flexibility, implementing micro-turbines can significantly reduce the costs associated with the fuel supply chain, for example, associated gases that would otherwise be flared at oil/gas wells can be used to power equipment onsite. Due to their low maintenance, microturbines can be adopted where operating costs can be prohibitive for reciprocating engines. Lastly, the proposed project will lead to reduced carbon footprint by efficiently using fuel that would be otherwise wasted (as in the case of flare gas), reduce other toxic emissions via more efficient combustion