Elite Eight at UMD April 25: ACC Clean Energy Showdown

Winner Gets $100,000 and Heads to Department of Energy Final

WHAT:

The ACC Elite Eight (plus two) - Maryland, Duke, Georgia Tech, Miami, Clemson, Virginia, Virginia Tech, and North Carolina State, plus Central Florida and South Florida - square off April 25 in the $100,000 ACC Clean Energy Challenge.

The new competition challenges students from all universities in the southeastern United States to develop business plans for new clean energy companies focused on renewable energy, energy efficiency improvements and advanced fuels/vehicles.

In addition to the $100,000 prize, the winner advances to the U.S. Department of Energy National Clean Energy Business Plan finals in Washington, D.C. this summer.

The ACC Clean Energy Challenge is the final entry in the University of Maryland's 30 Days of Entrepreneurship.

WHO:

The Elite Eight (plus two) schools and the clean energy technologies they are developing include:

• Clemson University: zonal cooling for reduced air conditioning compressor energy consumption
  
• University of Miami: efficient biogas from food waste
  
• Duke University: micro-gas turbines for off-grid power generation
  
• Georgia Tech: energy capture and reuse for school buses
  
• Virginia Tech: fun, affordable home energy automation
  
• North Carolina State University: energy-scavenging iPhone cases for long-term power
  
• University of Maryland: flexible lithium batteries
  
• University of Virginia: next-generation lubricants for efficient power generation
  
• University of Central Florida: precision manufacturing for lithium ion batteries
  
• University of South Florida: microbial fuel cells for marine sensors

WHEN:

Wednesday, April 25, 2012, 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.

WHERE:

Clarice Smith Center for the Performing Arts, Dekelboum Concert Hall
University of Maryland, College Park 20742
Directions: http://ter.ps/qa

UMD Entry: 
University of Maryland's SafeLiCell team has developed a novel, patent-pending battery electrolyte material, called Lithium Flex that provides a lighter, safer, and flexible option for lithium-ion batteries.  The SafeLiCell venture is led by Clark School Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering (ChBE) graduate student Aaron Fisher; his advisor, Fischell Department of Bioengineering (BioE) professor Peter Kofinas; and BioE undergraduate Mian Khalid.  Lithium Flex, SafeLiCell's solid-state polymer electrolyte, is a strong, flexible film that can be wrapped or bent into different shapes without breaking, and contains no combustible materials. At present, the young company hopes to enter the market by targeting the battery needs of standalone sensors and miniature devices.

"As portable battery-operated devices decrease in size, there is a greater need for batteries to have more power and longer lifetimes, along with versatility of size, shape and weight," Fisher says. But, he explains that the power advantages lithium-ion batteries offer sometimes comes at a price: the leakage of flammable and corrosive battery components has resulted in "catastrophic failures" and costly recalls by major manufacturers with millions of customers, including BMW, Chevy, Dell, HP, and Nokia.

Eric Schurr
Director of Communications
UMD Mtech
(301) 254-6760 (cell)
301-405-3889 (office)
schurr@umd.edu

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