For 42 years, the prestigious R&D 100 Awards, sponsored by R&D Magazine, have been helping companies provide the important initial push a new product needs to compete successfully in the marketplace.
Winning an R&D 100 Award provides a mark of excellence known to industry, government, and academia as proof that the product is one of the 100 most technologically significant new products of the year.
The R&D 100 Awards began in 1963 as the I-R 100s, in keeping with the original name of the magazine, Industrial Research. The sole criterion for winning, according to a description released by the magazine, is “demonstrable technological significance compared with competing products and technologies.” Properties noted by judges include smaller size, faster speed, greater efficiency, and higher environmental consciousness.
The Energy Storage Program has received seven R&D 100 Awards and one I-R 100 Award.
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R&D 100 Winner 2022: Iron Nitride Soft Magnetics
Iron nitride (Fe4N), a new soft magnetic material, is a high-magnetization and high-resistivity soft magnetic alloy. Fe4N soft magnetic components can reduce next-generation smart grid power electronics system size and weight by up to an order of magnitude over existing state-of-the-art soft magnetic materials, while also realizing increases in efficiency. The revolutionary performance advantages of…
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2019 R&D 100 Award Green Tech Special Recognition
Technology: SiC-based Monolithic Transistor Rectifier Semiconductor Switch Developers: Sandia National Laboratories GeneSiC Semiconductor Sandia National Laboratories, in collaboration with GeneSiC Semiconductor, has won Special Recognition for developing the industry’s first commercially available silicon-carbide, transistor rectifier on a single chip. The monolithic transistor rectifier switch allows power-electronic systems to operate at a four-times-higher switching frequency, thus allowing…
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R&D 100 Winner 2017: Control System for Active Damping of Inter-Area Oscillations
Technology: Control System for Active Damping of Inter-Area Oscillations Today, electric power grids operate well below transmission capacity to avoid widespread outages due to inter-area oscillations. This new control system improves electric power grid reliability by continuously damping inter-area oscillations, allowing greater power transfer. This control system is the first successful grid demonstration of feedback control, making it…
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R&D 100 Winner 2016: Precision High Power Battery Tester (PHPBT)
Green Tech Special Recognition Technology: Precision High Power Battery Tester (PHPBT) Developers: The PHPBT uses high-precision charge/discharge test measurements at up to 200A current to capture electrochemical measurements such as coulombic efficiency with greater accuracy than was previously possible at currents applicable to EV and stationary storage applications. The goal is to detect minute signs of…
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R&D 100 Winner 2015: 6.5 kV Enhancement-Mode Silicon Carbide JFET Switch
Technology: 6.5 kV Enhancement-Mode Silicon Carbide JFET Switch Developers: For the next-generation power-conversion technology to meet the efficiency and reliability demands of integrated renewables and energy storage systems requires using high-voltage SiC devices and reducing current throughout a system, as well as reducing the switching losses. United Silicon Carbide Inc. and Sandia National Laboratories’ 6.5 kV SiC…
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R&D 100 Winner 2011: Silicon-carbide thyristor
Technology: Silicon-carbide thyristor Developers: GeneSiC Semiconductor Inc. Sandia National Laboratories U.S. DOE – Office of Electricity, Energy Storage Program U.S. Army/Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center Ultra-high-voltage Silicon Carbide Thyristor A DOE Energy Storage Systems project, managed by Sandia National Laboratories in partnership with GeneSiC Semiconductor Inc., and the U.S. Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering…
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R&D 100 Winner 2009: High-temperature Silicon Carbide (SiC) Power Module
Technology: High-temperature Silicon Carbide (SiC) Power Module Developers: Arkansas Power Electronics International, Inc. Univ. of Arkansas Rohm Co., Ltd. Sandia National Laboratories U.S. DOE – Office of Electricity, Energy Storage Program The High-temperature Silicon Carbide (SiC) Power Module is a high-temperature 250°C power module implementing silicon carbide power transistors and integrated high-temperature silicon on insulator (HTSOI) gate driver…
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R&D 100 Winner 2003: Emitter Turn-Off (ETO) Thyristor Switch
Technology: Emitter Turn-Off (ETO) Thyristor Switch Developers: The Emitter Turn-Off (ETO) Thyristor Switch (pdf) is an inexpensive, high power/high speed, semiconductor switch for use in high power converters requiring elevated current and reverse voltage blocking capabilities. The ETO is a key enabling technology for Flexible AC Transmission System (FACTS) for safeguarding the nation’s electric power transmission and distribution.The…
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R&D 100 Winner 2003: Fiber Optic Electrical Current Transducer
Technology: Fiber Optic Electrical Current Transducer Developers: The Fiber Optic Electrical Current Transducer is an optical current sensor that measures current, magnetic fields, and ambient/conductor temperature in high-power applications with increased safety, isolation, and lower installation costs than conventional technologies. The FOECT measures the magnetic field surrounding or current flowing through a conductor, simultaneously providing temperature.…
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R&D 100 Winner 1997: PQ2000 Power Quality System
Technology: PQ2000 Power Quality System Developers: AC Battery Corp. Electric Power Research Institute Oglethorpe Power Corp. Pacific Gas & Electric Corp. Sandia National Laboratories U.S. DOE – Office of Electricity, Energy Storage Program The PQ2000 Power Quality System is an easily installed power source that delivers up to 2,000,000 watts for 30 seconds, and it easily can be…
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I-R 100 Award Winner 1984: Superconducting Magnetic Energy Storage
Superconducting Magnetic Energy Storage: Development and construction of a 10MVA liquid helium cooled Superconducting Magnetic Energy Storage (SMES) device by Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) and deployment to stabilize the 900 mile, ac intertie between BPA and Southern California. (ref: LANL Publication)