Energy

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The Energy technology area contains advancements that address some of the most significant national challenges across the energy, climate, and infrastructure sectors. Sandia’s energy research addresses generation, storage, transmission, and distribution. Work is aimed at promoting energy resilience, stability, and security. 

This technology area also contains specialized portfolios related to: 

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Deployable Centralizers for Directional Drilling

Sandia National Laboratories has developed a robust centralizer that actively...
Cast Thermal Battery Components Using a Salt Binder

A rapid, flexible, and low-cost method of producing thermal battery...
One-Pot Bioconversion of Distiller's Grains to Advanced Biofuels

Increases in bioethanol production throughout the US has led to...
Featured Opportunity (54)
Patents & Applications (241)
Patent Title Patent Number Grant Date
Systems and Methods for Blocking, Detecting, and Responding to Cyber Attacks on Distributed Energy Resources Pending Pending
MODULAR ANTI-ROTATION DRILLING SYSTEMS AND METHODS 11,566,497 01/31/2023
Systems and Methods for Shielding Falling Particles within a Solar Thermal Falling Particle Receiver 11,555,634 01/17/2023
Radial Particle-Based Terrestrial Thermocline for High Temperature Thermal Storage 11,549,761 01/10/2023
MOLDABLE PHOTOVOLTAIC SOLAR CELL MODULE 11,552,211 01/10/2023
Wave Energy Converter Buoy with Variable Geometry 11,536,243 12/27/2022
Alkyl Dialkoxyalkanoates as Bioderived, High Cetane Diesel Fuels 11,492,565 11/08/2022
Photovoltaic Array for a Power-by-Light System 11,476,376 10/18/2022
MODULAR LOW COST TRACKERLESS SPECTRAL SENSOR 11,460,344 10/04/2022
TOWERLESS VERTICAL-AXIS WIND TURBINE 11,421,650 08/23/2022
Systems and Methods for Detecting and Mitigating Cyber Attacks on Power Systems Comprising Distributed Energy Resources 11,388,178 07/12/2022
REDOX-ACTIVE OXIDE MATERIALS FOR THERMAL ENERGY STORAGE 11,339,766 05/24/2022
SOLAR RECEIVERS AND METHODS FOR CAPTURING SOLAR ENERGY 11,336,224 05/17/2022
Falling particle solar receivers 11,326,810 05/10/2022
System and method thermopile energy harvesting for subsurface well bore sensors 11,319,779 05/03/2022
Energy Storage Systems for Electrical Microgrids with Pulsed Power Loads 11,316,363 04/26/2022
FUEL AND FUEL BLEND FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINE 11,261,391 03/01/2022
Probe for Operando In Situ Electrochemical Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy 11,215,686 01/04/2022
CIRCUMFERENTIAL FLOW FOAM HEAT EXCHANGER 11,209,219 12/28/2021
LOW MODULATION INDEX 3-PHASE SOLID STATE TRANSFORMER 11,152,918 10/19/2021
Systems and methods that use harmonic drives for converting reciprocating axial motion to continuous rotary motion, helical drives for converting reciprocating rotary motion to reciprocating axial motion and combinations thereof for converting reciprocating rotary motion to continuous rotary motion 11,143,275 10/12/2021
Methods, systems, and devices to optimize a fluid harvester 11,047,360 06/29/2021
Systems and methods for controlling electrical grid resources 11,050,262 06/29/2021
Belt structures for rotary electrical contact device 11,031,744 06/08/2021
BLADED SOLAR THERMAL RECEIVERS FOR CONCENTRATING SOLAR POWER 11,015,838 05/25/2021
Methods and Computer Program Products for Locating and Characterizing Clutter in Large Spaces 11,010,513 05/18/2021
Systems and methods using collaborative controls to maintain unintentional islanding standards 10,985,568 04/20/2021
System and method for consolidating used nuclear fuel 10,978,212 04/13/2021
Belt structures for rotary electrical contact device 10,971,876 04/06/2021
Solar thermal receivers with multi-scale light trapping geometry and features 10,935,281 03/02/2021
Multi-stage falling particle receivers 10,914,493 02/09/2021
SURFACE BLOCKING AGENTS 10,894,913 01/19/2021
Passive high-power-density grid interface device 10,886,841 01/05/2021
Radical-ion battery and operation thereof 10,879,552 12/29/2020
Heating and cooling devices, systems and related method 10,876,773 12/29/2020
MOLECULAR TRACERS AND MODIFIED PROPPANTS FOR MONITORING UNDERGROUND FLUID FLOWS 10,871,066 12/22/2020
Organosilicon-based electrolytes for long-life lithium primary batteries 10,862,163 12/08/2020
Nonlinear controller for nonlinear wave energy converters 10,823,134 11/03/2020
Redox-active oxide materials for thermal energy storage 10,800,665 10/13/2020
METHODS FOR OPERATING SOLAR-THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES 10,801,756 10/13/2020
Ducted fuel injection 10,801,395 10/13/2020
Air bearing heat exchanger methods 10,801,787 10/13/2020
Control valve arrangement of a fuel injector 10,801,456 10/13/2020
Nanoporous carbon as an anode material for Li-ion batteries 10,784,511 09/22/2020
Simulating current flow through a well casing and an induced fracture 10,767,465 09/08/2020
Modular low cost trackerless spectral sensor 10,760,972 09/01/2020
Cast thermal battery electrodes and separators using a salt binder 10,727,474 07/28/2020
Nonlinear power flow control for networked AC/DC microgrids 10,666,054 05/26/2020
Systems, methods and computer program products for constructing complex geometries using layered and linked hexahedral element meshes 10,657,301 05/19/2020
LITHIUM BATTERY CATHODE 10,651,461 05/12/2020
Battery cell with safety layer 10,637,011 04/28/2020
Cryogenic heating system 10,627,050 04/21/2020
Battery cell with safety layer 10,608,236 03/31/2020
System and method for cooling using a heat exchanger having a membrane 10,584,926 03/10/2020
Aqueous Na-ion redox flow battery with ceramic NaSICON membrane 10,586,997 03/10/2020
Communication enabled fast-acting imbalance reserve 10,574,056 02/25/2020
Cooling systems and methods for thermoelectric power generation 10,563,923 02/18/2020
Low pressure drop advanced swirl technology gas filter 10,537,839 01/21/2020
Electrically conductive proppant and methods for detecting, locating and characterizing the electrically conductive proppant 10,538,695 01/21/2020
Falling particle solar receivers 10,508,834 12/17/2019
High current density, low contact resistance wide bandgap contacts 10,505,031 12/10/2019
Magnetic field falling particle solar receiver systems and methods 10,502,459 12/10/2019
Metal-organic framework electrodes for sodium ion batteries 10,497,971 12/03/2019
Multi-resonant feedback control of multiple degree-of-freedom wave energy converters 10,488,828 11/26/2019
Heating and cooling devices, systems and related method 10,429,105 10/01/2019
Multi-resonant feedback control of a single degree-of-freedom wave energy converter 10,423,126 09/24/2019
Air bearing heat exchanger 10,422,590 09/24/2019
LITHIUM BATTERY CATHODE 10,411,251 09/10/2019
Wind turbine blades, wind turbines, and wind farms having increased power output 10,400,743 09/03/2019
Fluid driven drilling motor 10,385,616 08/20/2019
Controller for a customized electric power storage device in a collective microgrid 10,374,430 08/06/2019
Pseudo-spectral method to control three-degree-of-freedom wave energy converters 10,344,736 07/09/2019
Solar receivers and methods for capturing solar energy 10,348,241 07/09/2019
Subharmonic power line carrier based island detection systems and methods 10,326,279 06/18/2019
Metal-organic framework electrodes for sodium ion batteries 10,320,028 06/11/2019
Nonaqueous redox flow battery electrolyte comprising an ionic liquid with a metal cation coordinated to redox-active ligands 10,305,133 05/28/2019
High performance ultra-thin solar cell structures 10,304,977 05/28/2019
BLADED SOLAR THERMAL RECEIVERS FOR CONCENTRATING SOLAR POWER 10,295,224 05/21/2019
Systems, methods and computer program products for electric grid control 10,298,016 05/21/2019
Emulator apparatus for microgrid testing and design 10,270,251 04/23/2019
Arc plasma-generating systems and methods thereof 10,261,120 04/16/2019
Moldable photovoltaic solar cell module 10,243,095 03/26/2019
Emulator for rotary energy sources 10,228,665 03/12/2019
Additive-mixing fuel-injection system for internal combustion engines 10,202,929 02/12/2019
Optimal control of wave energy converters 10,197,040 02/05/2019
Cooling systems and methods for thermoelectric power generation 10,184,726 01/22/2019
Electrochemical cell having a vanadium phosphorous alloy electrode 10,186,740 01/22/2019
Ducted fuel injection 10,161,626 12/25/2018
Ducted fuel injection with ignition assist 10,138,855 11/27/2018
Axial flow heat exchanger devices and methods for heat transfer using axial flow devices 10,132,574 11/20/2018
Thermal energy storage and power generation systems and methods 10,107,268 10/23/2018
Method to provide meta-stable operation of a DC microgrid comprising a pulsed load 10,090,764 10/02/2018
Method for enhancing hydrocarbon recovery from tight formations 10,066,471 09/04/2018
Heating and cooling devices, systems and related method 10,041,701 08/07/2018
Thermal swing reactor including a multi-flight auger 10,035,121 07/31/2018
Moldable photovoltaic solar cell module 10,038,113 07/31/2018
Heat transfer assemblies, systems, and methods for conditioning a medium 10,036,581 07/31/2018
Methods for operating solar-thermochemical processes 10,001,298 06/19/2018
Identifying an arc-fault type in photovoltaic arrays 9,995,796 06/12/2018
Porous metals from sintering of nanoparticles 9,981,313 05/29/2018
Prognostics and health management of photovoltaic systems 9,939,485 04/10/2018
Systems and methods for locating and imaging proppant in an induced fracture 9,927,549 03/27/2018
Reflective photovoltaics 9,911,871 03/06/2018
Ducted fuel injection 9,909,549 03/06/2018
Catalyzed, high energy density, metal-air battery 9,911,981 03/06/2018
Detection of arcing location on photovoltaic systems using filters 9,897,642 02/20/2018
Thermochemically active iron titanium oxide materials 9,868,636 01/16/2018
Polyarene mediators for mediated redox flow battery 9,859,583 01/02/2018
Cascaded recompression closed brayton cycle system 9,856,754 01/02/2018
Computing an operating parameter of a unified power flow controller 9,851,737 12/26/2017
Electrochemical ion separation in molten salts 9,847,149 12/19/2017
Photovoltaic power generation system with photovoltaic cells as bypass diodes 9,831,369 11/28/2017
Cascading pressure reactor and method for solar-thermochemical reactions 9,815,042 11/14/2017
Resistive field structures for semiconductor devices and uses therof 9,761,675 09/12/2017
Microsystem enabled photovoltaic modules and systems 9,761,748 09/12/2017
Apparatus for assembly of microelectronic devices 9,763,370 09/12/2017
Enhancing power cycle efficiency for a supercritical Brayton cycle power system using tunable supercritical gas mixtures 9,745,899 08/29/2017
Fast process flow, on-wafer interconnection and singulation for MEPV 9,748,415 08/29/2017
Financial methods for waterflooding injectate design 9,727,928 08/08/2017
Computation of glint, glare, and solar irradiance distribution 9,722,534 08/01/2017
Support system, excavation arrangement, and process of supporting an object 9,719,349 08/01/2017
Customized electric power storage device for inclusion in a microgrid 9,721,312 08/01/2017
Electrochemical cell structure including an ionomeric barrier 9,685,684 06/20/2017
High-temperature brushless DC motor controller 9,654,035 05/16/2017
Cascaded recompression closed Brayton cycle system 9,624,793 04/18/2017
Thermal swing reactor including a multi-flight auger 9,586,190 03/07/2017
Method for controlling start-up and steady state performance of a closed split flow recompression brayton cycle 9,562,471 02/07/2017
Hybrid metal oxide cycle water splitting 9,556,528 01/31/2017
Fast process flow, on-wafer interconnection and singulation for MEPV 9,559,219 01/31/2017
Polyoxometalate active charge-transfer material for mediated redox flow battery 9,548,509 01/17/2017
Dynamically reconfigurable photovoltaic system 9,531,322 12/27/2016
Waterflooding injectate design systems and methods 9,518,449 12/13/2016
Transparent contacts for stacked compound photovoltaic cells 9,508,881 11/29/2016
High durability solar absorptive coating and methods for making same 9,499,699 11/22/2016
DYNAMICALLY RECONFIGURABLE PHOTOVOLTAIC SYSTEM 6,034,971 11/04/2016
Magnetic method for stimulating transport in fluids 9,470,458 10/18/2016
Self-assembling segmented coiled tubing 9,453,376 09/27/2016
PHOTOVOLTAIC POWER GENERATION SYSTEM FREE OF BYPASS DIODES 6,010,694 09/23/2016
Apatite sequestration of technetium 9,443,627 09/13/2016
Rectenna that converts infrared radiation to electrical energy 9,437,629 09/06/2016
Preheating of fluid in a supercritical Brayton cycle power generation system at cold startup 9,388,817 07/12/2016
Solar tracking system 9,391,557 07/12/2016
Dynamically reconfigurable photovoltaic system 9,356,173 05/31/2016
Asphaltene based photovoltaic devices 9,293,266 03/22/2016
Polyoxometalate flow battery 9,287,578 03/15/2016
Photovoltaic solar concentrator 9,287,430 03/15/2016
Hybrid metal oxide cycle water splitting 9,279,188 03/08/2016
Aeroelastically coupled blades for vertical axis wind turbines 9,267,490 02/23/2016
Customized electric power storage device for inclusion in a collective microgrid 9,263,894 02/16/2016
Axial flow heat exchanger devices and methods for heat transfer using axial flow devices 9,261,100 02/16/2016
Systems and methods for locating and imaging proppant in an induced fracture 9,250,351 02/02/2016
Heat exchanger device and method for heat removal or transfer 9,207,023 12/08/2015
Imaging doppler lidar for wind turbine wake profiling 9,188,677 11/17/2015
Photovoltaic cell with light trapping for enhanced efficiency 9,190,542 11/17/2015
Solar photovoltaic reflective trough collection structure 9,190,546 11/17/2015
Interband cascade (IC) photovoltaic (PV) architecture for PV devices 9,166,084 10/20/2015
Computing architecture for autonomous microgrids 9,148,019 09/29/2015
Optimized microsystems-enabled photovoltaics 9,141,413 09/22/2015
Microinverters for employment in connection with photovoltaic modules 9,143,053 09/22/2015
Controller for a wave energy converter 9,140,231 09/22/2015
Photovoltaic solar cell 9,130,092 09/08/2015
Photovoltaic solar concentrator 9,126,392 09/08/2015
Synthesis of electroactive ionic liquids for flow battery applications 9,123,943 09/01/2015
Method for fabricating pixelated silicon device cells 9,112,100 08/18/2015
Computation of glint, glare, and solar irradiance distribution 9,103,719 08/11/2015
Photovoltaic power generation system free of bypass diodes 9,093,586 07/28/2015
Microsystem enabled photovoltaic modules and systems 9,029,681 05/12/2015
Separating semiconductor devices from substrate by etching graded composition release layer disposed between semiconductor devices and substrate including forming protuberances that reduce stiction 9,029,239 05/12/2015
Heat exchanger device and method for heat removal or transfer 8,988,881 03/24/2015
Processes for multi-layer devices utilizing layer transfer 8,946,052 02/03/2015
Computing an operating parameter of a unified power flow controller 8,930,034 01/06/2015
Methods for making a porous nuclear fuel element 8,920,871 12/30/2014
Method of forming through substrate vias (TSVs) and singulating and releasing die having the TSVs from a mechanical support substrate 8,906,803 12/09/2014
Reducing current reversal time in electric motor control 8,878,473 11/04/2014
Solid-state lithium battery 8,877,388 11/04/2014
Solar glare hazard analysis tool on account of determined points of time 8,841,592 09/23/2014
Waterflooding injectate design systems and methods 8,812,271 08/19/2014
Seal assembly with anti-rotation pin for high pressure supercritical fluids 8,794,634 08/05/2014
Asphaltene based photovoltaic devices 8,748,740 06/10/2014
Photovoltaic system 8,736,108 05/27/2014
Photovoltaic solar cell 8,728,857 05/20/2014
Method for operating homogeneous charge compression ignition engines using conventional gasoline 8,689,767 04/08/2014
Concentration solar power optimization system and method of using same 8,674,280 03/18/2014
MOBILE COMPUTING DEVICE CONFIGURED TO COMPUTE IRRADIANCE, GLINT, AND GLARE OF THE SUN 8,669,509 03/11/2014
Solar cell with back side contacts 8,614,395 12/24/2013
Photovoltaic solar cell 8,592,249 11/26/2013
Rotary electrical contact device and method for providing current to and/or from a rotating member 8,585,413 11/19/2013
Capillary interconnect device 8,585,986 11/19/2013
Alignment and focus of mirrored facets of a heliostat 8,582,092 11/12/2013
Nonlinear power flow feedback control for improved stability and performance of airfoil sections 8,527,247 09/03/2013
POROUS NUCLEAR FUEL ELEMENT WITH INTERNAL SKELETON FOR HIGH-TEMPERATURE GAS-COOLED NUCLEAR REACTORS 8,526,566 09/03/2013
Nanoengineered membrane electrode assembly interface 8,501,366 08/06/2013
Method for synthesizing metal bis(borano) hypophosphite complexes 8,465,715 06/18/2013
Tracking heat flux sensors for concentrating solar applications 8,459,865 06/11/2013
Turbo-alternator-compressor design for supercritical high density working fluids 8,397,506 03/19/2013
Asphaltene based photovoltaic devices 8,389,853 03/05/2013
Energy efficiency management system and method 8,340,832 12/25/2012
Photovoltaic solar concentrator 8,329,503 12/11/2012
Alignment method for solar collector arrays 8,294,886 10/23/2012
Method of multi-dimensional moment analysis for the characterization of signal peaks 8,296,078 10/23/2012
Residual Gas Analysis Device 8,230,722 07/31/2012
Heat exchanger device and method for heat removal or transfer 8,228,675 07/24/2012
Reduced-impact sliding pressure control valve for pneumatic hammer drill 8,176,995 05/15/2012
Control system design method 8,121,708 02/21/2012
Suction-recirculation device for stabilizing particle flows within a solar powered solid particle receiver 8,109,265 02/07/2012
Sliding pressure control valve for pneumatic hammer drill 8,006,776 08/30/2011
Battery components employing a silicate binder 7,947,397 05/24/2011
Low-melting point heat transfer fluid 7,922,931 04/12/2011
Low-melting point heat transfer fluid 7,828,990 11/09/2010
Microfabricated fuel heating value monitoring device 7,708,943 05/04/2010
Alignment method for parabolic trough solar concentrators 7,667,833 02/23/2010
Integrated boiler, superheater, and decomposer for sulfuric acid decomposition 7,645,437 01/12/2010
Reactor for removing ammonia 7,618,600 11/17/2009
System and method for advanced power management 7,567,060 07/28/2009
Method for absorbing hydrogen using an oxidation resisant organic hydrogen getter 7,485,277 02/03/2009
Oxidation resistant organic hydrogen getters 7,422,701 09/09/2008
Impedance-matched drilling telemetry system 7,362,235 04/22/2008
MIS-based sensors with hydrogen selectivity 7,340,938 03/11/2008
Water-splitting using photocatalytic porphyrin-nanotube composite devices 7,338,590 03/04/2008
Method of generating hydrogen gas from sodium borohydride 7,306,780 12/11/2007
Enhanced distributed energy resource system 7,239,044 07/03/2007
Method for control of NOx emission from combustors using fuel dilution 7,162,864 01/16/2007
Fuel mixture stratification as a method for improving homogeneous charge compression ignition engine operation 7,128,046 10/31/2006
Method of manufacturing a heat pipe wick with structural enhancement 7,124,507 10/24/2006
High efficiency Brayton cycles using LNG 7,028,481 04/18/2006
Proton exchange membrane materials for the advancement of direct methanol fuel-cell technology 7,022,810 04/04/2006
Methods for characterizing subsurface volatile contaminants using in-situ sensors 7,003,405 02/21/2006
Polymer formulation for removing hydrogen and liquid water from an enclosed space 7,001,535 02/21/2006
Non-invasive energy meter for fixed and variable flow systems 6,960,017 11/01/2005
Axially tapered and bilayer microchannels for evaporative coolling devices 6,951,243 10/04/2005
Method and apparatus for injecting particulate media into the ground 6,834,720 12/28/2004
Zirconium-modified materials for selective adsorption and removal of aqueous arsenic 6,824,690 11/30/2004
Reducing injection loss in drill strings 6,791,470 09/14/2004
Latent effects decision analysis 6,782,372 08/24/2004
Aternating current photovoltaic building block 6,750,391 06/15/2004
Self regulating formulations for safe hydrogen gettering 6,706,247 03/16/2004
Oscillatory erosion and transport flume with superimposed unidirectional flow 6,679,105 01/20/2004
Thermophotovoltaic energy conversion using photonic bandgap selective emitters 6,583,350 06/24/2003
Apparatus for controlling fluid flow in a conduit wall 6,561,275 05/13/2003
Batteries using molten salt electrolyte 6,544,691 04/08/2003
Adjustable shear stress erosion and transport flume 6,494,084 12/17/2002
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