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Predictive modeling of subsurface flow systems
Abstract
USC researchers have developed an artificial neural network that incorporates statistical information from physical functions that can be used for predictive modeling of subsurface flow systems. The technique involves a two-step training process that allows the neural network to learn based...
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Market Opportunity
Lithium-ion batteries play an essential role in modern society, and cheap, rechargeable batteries will be key to continued scaling of electric car and solar farm technology. However, the active materials in many commercial cathode electrodes have poor electrical conductivity. Incorporating carbon additives is one way to improve the...
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Market Opportunity
With the rising demand for environmentally friendly and cost-effective energy solutions, iron-air batteries present an untapped opportunity in grid-scale energy storage. They offer moderate energy density (50-75 Wh/kg) and a life cycle of 2000 cycles at less than $100/kWh, and their construction from abundant, non-toxic materials...
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Market Opportunity
Innovative solutions are crucial for the effective removal of contaminants from gases in various sectors, including industrial processes and counterterrorism. Current methods, like adsorption beds, face challenges such as non-selective contaminant removal, equipment corrosion, and environmental hazards. Addressing these inefficiencies...
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Market Opportunity
In the transition away from fossil fuels, significant potential lies in the efficient conversion of abundant natural gas into methanol and dimethyl ether (DME). These compounds not only serve as cleaner, versatile fuels but are also key in producing essential chemical products and single cell proteins. Enhanced production methods...
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Market Opportunity
Alternative versatile energy technologies have attracted much recent attention. In particular, proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) have been studied extensively. One of these, the direct methanol fuel cell (DMFC), has great practical potential as a stationary and portable high energy density storage device. The proton exchange...
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Hydrogen generation
Abstract
USC researchers have developed a highly efficient technique for water electrolysis employing nanoelectrodes. By decreasing the physical distance between electrodes to below the Debye screening length of pure water, this method eliminates the need for an electrolyte, reducing the total Ohmic loss and increasing the energy...
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Market Opportunity
Separation processes are important for the chemical, pharmaceutical, petroleum, electronics, automotive, and aerospace industries, and efficient water reclamation technologies are increasingly needed due to drought, and water shortages. Current separation processes are often energy intensive and incur high operating costs. Membrane...
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Market Opportunity
Harnessing the power of geothermal energy presents a sustainable alternative to dwindling fossil fuels for electricity and heating. Utilizing geothermal wells not only facilitates access to natural hot water and steam, but also enables the capture and utilization of emitted carbon dioxide for producing valuable compounds like methanol,...
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Sodium-ion batteries
Flexible power sources
Wearable electronics
Abstract
Researchers at USC have developed a method to deposit red phosphorus nanodots densely and uniformly onto reduced graphene oxide sheets to minimize the sodium ion diffusion length and the sodiation/desodiation stresses, and the reduced graphene oxide network also serves as...
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