Three U.S. Department of Energy's Ames Laboratory scientists have won national Excellence in Technology Transfer Awards from the Federal Laboratory Consortium.
Iver Anderson, Ames Laboratory senior metallurgist, won for a lead-free solder alloy with wide industry acceptance. Mark Bryden, program director for Ames Laboratory's Simulation, Modeling and Decision Science program, and Doug McCorkle, Ames Laboratory associate scientist, along with scientists at the National Energy Technology Laboratory, won for VE-PSI, a virtual engineering process simulator software.
According to the FLC, the Excellence in Technology Transfer Award "recognizes science and technology employees in FLC laboratories who have accomplished outstanding work in the process of transferring federally developed technology. A panel of experts from industry, state and local government, academia, and the federal laboratory system judge the nominations."
The lead-free solder is a tin-silver-copper alloy that is a strong, durable, environmentally safe alternative to traditional tin-lead solder. This versatile low-melting alloy is used for joining electronic micro-circuits and electrical contacts and is Ames Lab's most successful technology to date. It is currently licensed to more than 50 companies worldwide and has generated more than $20 million in royalties.
Virtual Engineering Process Simulator Interface combines information about process simulation – data and models about chemical, physical and biological processes – with computer-aided design drawings and fluid dynamics data to create a comprehensive real-time graphic display of power plant designs. In the interactive virtual environment, engineers can analyze multiple aspects of a proposed power plant at the same time with the aim of optimizing the overall system.
In 2010, five Department of Energy technology transfer successes were selected for the national FLC award out of the 20 award winners selected from across all federal government research laboratories.
"I am thrilled that our researchers have received national recognition from the FLC," says Deb Covey, Ames Laboratory's associate director for Sponsored Research Administration. "Having Ames Laboratory innovations as winners in two of the five of DOE's Excellence in Technology Transfer Awards is indicative of the Laboratory's commitment to DOE and the U.S. taxpayer to provide new materials, techniques and instrumentation to help our economic growth, national defenses and the environment."
The Excellence in Technology Transfer Awards will be handed out to the winners on April 29 at the FLC National Meeting in Albuquerque, N.M.
Ames Laboratory is a U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science research facility operated by Iowa State University. Ames Laboratory creates innovative materials, technologies and energy solutions. We use our expertise, unique capabilities and interdisciplinary collaborations to solve global challenges.