SBIR Phase I: Cellulosic Fuel Cell for Energy Generation

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project aims to develop a novel approach to generate electricity without ?burning? fuel by using organic material obtained from bio-waste as a fuel. Unlike the conventional biomass-to-energy conversion, the current approach directly converts bio-waste, such as waste wood and agricultural biomass into fuel. Fuel has a zero carbon footprint, as combustion is NOT required, unlike conventional liquid bio-fuels. Moreover, the fuel is non-volatile, non-combustible and non-toxic. The broader/commercial impacts of this research are reduction of dependence on non-renewable petroleum-based fuels. The proposed technology is a facile, efficient, economical and environmentally benign process for energy generation compared to the conventional bio-fuel approaches. Commercialization of the technology will greatly extend the use of waste bio-mass and reduce society?s dependence on non-renewable petroleum resources, thus providing an effective method to improve the environment and maintain social sustainable development.