The DOE has announced it will award $89 million to support innovative, advanced manufacturing R&D projects. This DOE Funding Opportunity Announcement (FOA) specifically requests proposals in three areas:
1.Innovations for Manufacturing Advanced Materials: Focuses on employing machine learning to develop better batteries, phase change storage materials for heating and cooling applications, and new semiconductors that convert temperature differences into electricity. A key focus is developing and scaling new, low-cost manufacturing processes to accelerate domestic battery manufacturing for both vehicle and stationary applications.
2. Lower Thermal Budget Processes for Industrial Efficiency & Productivity: With 70% of all process energy use related to heating, this focuses on novel research on industrial process drying technologies that increase energy efficiency throughput and product quality. It also seeks new ideas on process intensification to reduce overall heating energy.
3. Connected, Flexible and Efficient Manufacturing Facilities and Energy Systems: With recent advances in new, wide-bandgap semiconductors supported by the DOE, this topic seeks application of more efficient industrial power conversion equipment and new opportunities for converting process energy to electrical energy and better integrating it with the electrical grid. It also seeks advancements in combined heat and power that result in higher electrical efficiencies.
The DOE’s Advanced Manufacturing Office will lead the initiative, and it anticipates making up to 55 awards for up to three years. The DOE requires a cost-share of at least 20% for all R&D projects.
The full application submission deadline is August 20, 2019.
Source: US Department of Energy via Green Car Congress