Online Resources
Helpful Links
- Texas State Home Page
- College of Science
- Hillviews Magazine
- City of San Marcos
- San Marcos Chamber of Commerce
- Texas State Small Business Development Center
Share This Page
News Release
Texas State, MicroPower to develop energy-saving technology
Posted by Jayme Blaschke
University News Service
October 15, 2009
|
|
Texas State University-San Marcos has partnered with Arizona-based MicroPower Global to develop cutting-edge "green energy" technology.
The partnership, facilitated by the Texas Emerging Technology Fund and the Innovate Texas Foundation, will initially see MicroPower carry out its 12-month prototype development plan using the new Multifunctional Materials Laboratory at Texas State.
"Our investment through the Texas Emerging Technology Fund has helped create partnerships like those between Texas State University and MicroPower, and is moving Texas forward by developing cutting edge technology that will continue to enhance our state's global competitiveness and eventually introducing these technologies into the marketplace," said Texas Governor Rick Perry.
The idea is to build on a technology already planned for the 2010 BMW 5 Series, which converts heat into electricity for the car's air-conditioning and other power systems. MicroPower believes that the work it will perform in Texas will yield new efficiencies that will in turn open up huge new applications, such as heat recovery from jet engines. The plan is expected to bring at least 28 jobs to Texas and to participate in a potential $330 billion market.
“Thanks to the leadership of Gov. Perry and the Texas Legislature for their investment from the Texas Emerging Technology Fund in this research center, we are able to partner with Texas State University and are pleased to be working together in Texas toward developing this cutting edge technology.” said MicroPower Chairman Max Lewinsohn, who helped finance the development of the company’s technology from the outset. “It is clear Texas State has much to offer with their first-class research expertise and facilities and a strong desire to see technologies commercialized. We hope to strengthen our relationship with the university as we work to eventually introduce this breakthrough technology into the marketplace.”
An Energy Revolution in Texas
During the initial phase, MicroPower aims to build its first thermoelectric-chalcogenide based chips, a device that can convert heat directly into electricity, leading to significant energy savings. The chips' targeted efficiencies are in excess of 15 percent, or three times more efficient than the conventional material.
“Landing MicroPower with us in Texas is a direct result of the faculty talent and commercialization platform we have been able to assemble due to support from the Emerging Technology Fund and the vision of the university administration," said Terry Golding, director of the Center for Research Commercialization at Texas State.
Working with Texas State, MicroPower’s goal is to drive development toward the world’s first 20 percent efficient modules, which will revolutionize the thermoelectric market. In addition, the clean, green technology is expected to save energy, reduce harmful emissions and lead to the availability of substantial carbon credits.
"Having searched extensively for a suitable development facility, it was immediately clear Texas State was the perfect fit for MicroPower," said Ali Murdoch, MicroPower CEO. “As well as providing an ideal environment in which to complete this technology and grow the company, the support we have been afforded makes me extremely positive about MicroPower’s long-term future in Texas.”
Further cementing the relationship is the agreement in principle for MicroPower to relocate operations to the Interstate 35 corridor. MicroPower would be a key early tenant of the off-campus commercialization center, developed by Texas State in conjunction with the City of San Marcos. Groundbreaking is expected to begin within 12 months
About MicroPower Global Limited
MicroPower Global Limited is a private BVI registered company that has acquired the intellectual property rights to groundbreaking technology that can efficiently and cost-effectively convert heat directly into electricity, leading to significant energy savings. For more information on MicroPower, please visit: www.micropower-global.com.
About The Texas Emerging Technology Fund
The ETF, created by the Texas Legislature at the urging of Governor Rick Perry, provides Texas with an unparalleled advantage by expediting the development and commercialization of new technologies, and by recruiting the best research talent in the world. For more information on the ETF, please visit www.emergingtechfund.com.
About Innovate Texas Foundation
Innovate Texas connects the state's wealth of intellectual capital with financial capital to create abundant economic opportunity and strengthen our universities. You can learn more by visiting www.InnovateTexas.org.
Materials Science lands $4 million grant from state
Nov. 18, 2008
Materials science research at Texas State University-San Marcos is poised to become a national leader in the developing field of multifunctional materials, thanks to a grant of $4 million from the Texas Emerging Technology Fund.
The grant was announced Nov. 17, 2008, at the annual Ready for Commercialization conference in Austin .
The grant will be used to operate and staff a newly established center for the research, development and commercialization of multifunctional materials to drive the development and innovation for the next generation of devices used in the fields of energy, security and health.
The establishment of the materials growth facility has been a priority of Texas State President Denise Trauth and Provost Perry Moore.
Trauth said, “This is a momentous event for Texas State. It takes us to a new level of prestige within the research community and allows us to better serve our students and the state of Texas."
Tom Myers, professor and director of the MSE program, said, “The establishment of this materials growth capability at Texas State will allow us to attract additional world-class researchers, especially those with an interest in solving real-world problems that have commercial applications and societal impact."
The term “multifunctional materials" refers to the use of a material or class of materials for multiple functions. Information processing and high-density, light-weight information storage are applications that could reap immediate benefits from the field of study, but other, more diverse uses include more efficient solar power generation and entirely new classical and quantum approaches to computing and communication. The federal government has even expressed interest in sophisticated, next-generation sensors that could be developed from this research for homeland security purposes.
Terry Golding, holder of the University Chair in Materials Science and Engineering, and director of Texas State's Center for Research Commercialization, said, “This will give Texas State an unprecedented capability in terms of different types of electronics materials that can be produced and researched. In effect, this immediately places Texas State at the center of multifunctional materials research."
The MSE program is a collaborative effort involving the chemistry, biochemistry, physics, technology and engineering programs at Texas State, as well as the Nanomaterials Application Center, the Center for Nanophase Research, the Center for Coatings and Biobased Technology and the Institute for Environmental and Industrial Science.
Gary Beall, associate professor of chemistry and associate director of the MSE Program, said, “The interdisciplinary research fostered by the study of multifunctional materials is also having a strong impact on student education, allowing them to be a better-prepared resource for emerging high-tech industries within the State of Texas."
One of the key roles of the MSE program is to nurture and expand the expertise and talent necessary to foster new fields, industries and technologies. Research conducted within the program will have an immediate impact on the Texas economy, and is expected to attract additional federal research funding as it produces new commercial endeavors in support of civilian, defense and security applications.
“Such developments are at the forefront of current science and technology and promise to provide breakthroughs that can strengthen current industries and facilitate the emergence of entirely new industries," said Bill Covington, associate vice president for research and federal affairs.
The multifunctional materials center has also been supported by equipment gifts from Freescale Semiconductor and Motorola.
Freescale Semiconductor donated a molecular beam epitaxy tool and related equipment valued at more than $4 million. Motorola has donated a dual chamber production type molecular beam epitaxy system in support of the materials science program at Texas State.
The grant from the Texas Emerging Technology Fund was made as part of the program's Research Superiority Acquisition effort. Priority for ETF Research Superiority Acquisition is given to proposals that involve scientific or technical fields that have a reasonable probability of enhancing the state's national and global economic competitiveness, may result in a medical or scientific breakthrough, are interdisciplinary, have or may attract federal and other outside funding for research superiority, and are likely to create a nationally or internationally recognized locus of research superiority.
III-V MOSFETs for future CMOS transistor applications
Date: December, 2008
M. Passlack, U. of California, San Diego, San Diego, CA USA;
R. Droopad, Texas State U., San Marcos, TX USA;
I. Thayne, A. Asenov, U. of Glasgow, Glasgow, UK
III-V semiconductors are commonplace in laser and lighting applications and provide enabling components, such as power amplifiers, for mobile products including handsets and WLAN transceivers. In recent years, research into III-V semiconductors to complement silicon in mainstream electronic applications, such as microprocessors, has dramatically accelerated. Some interesting concepts have emerged that show promise to further enhance CMOS performance and provide new levels of functionality. Solid State Technology Magazine website.