Early Stages Of Commercialization Research Articles

Molybdenum-assisted reduction of VO2+ in the presence of hydrazine monohydrate for low cost electrolytes of vanadium redox flow batteries

Efficient and affordable energy storage systems are indispensable to accomplish a successful energy transition from fossil fuels to renewable sources. Although all-vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFBs) possess many distinctive advantages and are at an early stage of commercialization, much improvement in the process for electrolyte preparation is needed to overcome low productivity and complexity of the current electrolysis process. Herein, we demonstrate a simple one-pot process for the preparation of V3.5+ (equimolar mixture of V3+ and VO2+) electrolytes from V2O5 by utilizing hydrazine monohydrate as a residue-free reducing agent and molybdenum as a homogeneous catalyst accelerating the reduction of VO2+. It is confirmed that the performance of the electrolytes prepared by the newly developed process is identical to that by electrolysis in terms of charge–discharge efficiency and capacity up to current density of 200 mA/cm2. This study can contribute to the wide spread of VRFBs as a large-scale and long duration stationary energy storage system by providing a scalable and highly reproducible process suitable for the mass production of V3.5+ electrolyte.

In situ treatment technologies for pit latrines to mitigate groundwater contamination by fecal pathogens: a review of recent technical advances

Abstract On-site sanitation systems such as pit latrines are extensively used around the world, while there is a growing number of evidence documenting the impact of pit latrines on groundwater quality that may affect human health. Hence, this paper summarizes the various safe-sanitation technologies by broadly categorizing them into fecal pathogen disinfection methods (anaerobic digestion, chemical disinfection, biological additives, solar pasteurization and vermicomposting) and capturing methods (pit lining and permeable reactive barriers, the latter of which simultaneously capture and sanitize fecal sludge in pit latrines). While some of the reviewed technologies have been widely practiced for mitigating microbial contamination of the groundwater, others are still in the early stage of commercialization and field validation. Though there are challenges to the selection and adoption of the most appropriate technology, this paper discusses the readiness of each technology as a stand-alone fecal sludge management solution.

Вплив швидкості потоків модельного палива та окисника на електричні властивості керамічних паливних комірок

Fuel Cells are one of the most efficient and environmentally friendly devices for electricity generation, which are developing rapidly and are already in the early stages of commercialization. Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFC) areone of the most promising their types due to the highest efficiency, fuel flexibility (H2, CnHm, CO etc.) and no needs in platinum group catalysts. The performance of SOFC is affected by various polarization losses, which aredependant on selected materials, their structure and SOFC operation parameters. Over the last decade, much attention is given to the study of SOFC’s electrochemical properties at different operating regimes: temperatures, fuels, fuel and oxidantflow rates etc. The work is devoted to studying the influence of the model fuel (5% H2—Ar) and air (oxidant) flow rates on electrical properties of Solid Oxide Fuel Cellat 800 °C to determine the best combination of gas flow rates, which provide the maximum values of specific electric power. The fuel (0,35 l/min) and oxidant (1 l/min)flow rates was found as the optimal operation regime of fuel and air supply for the SOFC tested. The highest electrical densityto be ensured by the model fuel was determined as 34 mW/cm2. The amount / flow rate of oxidant and fuel gases supplied to the fuel cell does not correspond to the ratio of the reagents of the chemical reaction of oxidation of the fuel. This difference is explained by the fact that the SOFC effectiveness of fuel and oxidant utilization depends not only from to the properties structure and materials of each components: anode, cathode, electrolyte, but also from concentration of fuel and oxidant in model fuel or air, which also creates a barrier for oxidant and fuel molecules to reach the reaction zone. Keywords: Solid Oxide Fuel Cell, electrical properties, fuelgasmixtures, hydrogen, oxidant.

Emerging Molecular and Atomic Level Techniques for Nanoscale Applications

This overview provides an introduction and comparison of emerging processing technologies that represent the best contenders to satisfy future demands for ultrathin film applications. In particular, ALD, MLD, SAM, and CCD are newer techniques for ultrathin or near-zero-thickness film fabrication. These techniques are now entering early stages of commercialization, especially in biosensors, semiconductors and hetero-devices. This article introduces these techniques with emphasis on process descriptions and definitions in order to provide clarification and is illustrated with application examples. Sufficient citations are provided to allow the interested reader to pursue the subjects in more depth, but are not intended to be comprehensive.

(Invited) Sputtered Thin Films for Very High Power, Efficient, and Low-Cost Commercial SOFCs

Sputtering of thin electrolyte layers has been demonstrated to increase solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) performance in very small-scale, e.g., button cells. The few cases where thin film techniques were brought in to early stages of commercialization (e.g., Lilliputian and SiEnergy) showed remarkable low temperature SOFC performance, but required sophisticated cell designs processed with Si and MEMs type technologies. This work takes advantage of low cost, conventional ceramic processing to build large format (10 cm x 10 cm) half-cells upon which the sputtered layers above are added to dramatically increase SOFC performance. In this work, an electron-blocking layer which increases the open circuit cell voltage of the GDC electrolyte based cell and a Gd doped ceria (GDC) buffer layer which mitigates reactions between the cathode and electron blocking layer are deposited by sputtering. This presentation will present progress towards developing increased SOFC performance using this sputtering technology at the commercial-scale. Challenges encountered or expected with thin film development for SOFC commercialization will be discussed.

A model for assessing the commercial potential of high technologies

Research background: technology development and its application for human activities ? R&D ? have been recognized as the basis of economic performance, a source of technological solutions and of high value-added supply both in scientific literature as well as in the strategic documents of the Government and international organizations. In order to ensure the harmonious activity of the institutions engaged in R&D and to reduce the uncertainty of the commercialization of technologies, an advanced tool for verifying decisions on technology development at early stages of commercialization, i.e. an instrument for assessing the commercial potential of technology, is needed. Over the last decade, the analysis of the tools on a global scale led to the unequivocal conclusion ? so far developed methodical basis has suffered from lack of maturity for its practical use in business, a need for assessing commercial potential at an early stage of technology commercialization has been ignored, and the assessment of commercial potential has not considered the specificity of high technology.
 Purpose of the article: This article discusses in detail the preparation and application pro-cesses of the model for assessment the commercial potential of high technologies.
 Methods: in the model the multiple criteria method is applied the selection of which was determined by the motive related to the goal of assessment ? assess the commercial potential of high technologies.
 Findings & Value added: The essence of scientific novelty embraces the creation of a qualitatively new, original, science-based model for assessing the commercial potential of technologies thus flexibly applying it to assessing different levels of technologies. The original model is based on: the focus on the specificity of high technologies in assessment the commercial potential of technologies; the focus on the early stage of technology commercialization by assessing the commercial potential of technologies; flexibility in the application of the model taking into account the technological level, legal status, opportunity to assess the commercial potential of technologies in different countries and institutions; mathematical calculations based on assessing commercial potential.

Novel experimental modelling of the hydrodynamic interactions of arrays of wave energy converters

Wave energy converters (WECs) range significantly in respect of concepts, technologies and design maturation, with the majority of devices at an early commercial stage. To date, most large scale deployments have been conducted with a single WEC. However, there is a necessity to expand these to ‘arrays’ or ‘farms’ in the future in order to reduce both installation and maintenance cost per unit as well as harnessing maximum energy at a given site. There are complex hydrodynamic and environmental implications which require consideration when moving from a single device installation to an array of devices. Many theoretical and numerical studies exist in this domain, however, limited experimental investigations have been performed due to the cost and size related to testing facilities as well as the complexity of the experiment and related instrumentation.This paper presents a novel experimental approach, performed as part of a larger project, aiming to address a critical knowledge gap: understanding the performance of WEC arrays, and to develop a methodology to accurately model an array of WECs. The experimental investigation utilised Australia’s most technically advanced wave basin at the Australian Maritime College, specialist institute of the University of Tasmania. For the first time, it applied the phenomenological theory to experimental hydrodynamic investigation of array of generic WECs by separating the problem into its diffraction and radiation problems. Such approach removes the need of power-take-off modelling and control. Using a post-processing analytical model, the q-factor, the parameter representative of the array performance, for several configurations can be derived. Furthermore a bespoke stereo-videogrammetry method was developed to measure the wave field around and in the lee of the array. This paper describes the hydrodynamic approach and experimental methods developed as part of this project and presents preliminary results related to array q-factor and wave field measurements.

기술사업화 초기 단계에서 빅데이터 활용이경영성과에 미치는 영향 연구- 개발성과의 매개효과를 중심으로 -

With the growing uncertainty in the economy and the advancement of science and technology, it is difficult to hire employment in existing companies. What emerges as a new alternative is to create a new company that creates startups. Business start-ups are instrumental in creating new jobs, creating new values, creating new values for the economy, and fostering future economic entities. Following this backdrop, the importance of start-up is stressed. The problem is that the success rate of startups is not high. As of 2015, the average survival rate of Korean startups after two years was 47.5%. It is said that close to half of the company is closed within two years of the new company. In this way, since the failure rate of the start-up companies is particularly high, lowering the failure rate at the initial start-up is the most important part of the start-up. The main failure factor of a Korean start-up company is the lack of business preparation, which means that it is failing to start a new business with the role of new product, market research and technology trend analysis, and strategic marketing. I was worried that this failure factor could be applied as a breakthrough in overcoming the “Death Valley” of start-up through the use of big data. The purpose of Big Data analysis is focused on product improvement, consumer analysis, and forecast trends. The purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of big data utilization on business performance through development performance and ultimately to identify what efforts should be made to utilize big data effectively. The results of the hypothesis test are summarized as follows. First, product and service improvement activities using Big Data have a positive effect on development performance in the early stage of technology commercialization. Second, marketing activities using Big Data have a positive effect on business performance in the early stages of technology commercialization. Third, the use of big data in the early stage of technology commercialization should proceed through development achievement in order to have a significant effect on business performance. This study is meaningful as the first attempt to verify the factors affecting business performance at the early stage of commercialization of technology through the use of big data, Therefore, this study is expected to contribute to the activation of big data use and the start - up success rate at the early stage of technology commercialization. Recently, the central and local governments have been carrying out many big data related projects. It is expected that this research will be used to establish policies and business strategies related to support of big data - based technology commercialization for early.

FACTORS IMPACTING THE COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL OF TECHNOLOGIES: EXPERT APPROACH

In order to ensure the harmonious activity of the institutions engaged in R&D and to reduce the uncertainty of the commercialization of technologies, an advanced tool for verifying decisions on technology development at early stages of commercialization, i.e. an instrument for assessing the commercial potential of technology, is needed. The article is aimed at defining the importance of factors in the commercial potential of technologies with the help of expert research. To achieve the goal, the following tasks have been approached: (1) on the basis of the created system for factors in the commercial potential of technologies, to conduct expert research aimed at collecting information on the importance of factors in technologies; (2) to apply the methods of mathematical statistics in order to determine the compatibility level of expert opinions and the significance of factors. The system of factors in the commercial potential of technologies and the identified significance of factors can be used as recommended guidelines for technology developers, investors and potential owners in the decision-making processes of commercialization, investment or purchase of technology as well as at the next stage of research on the development model for assessing the commercial potential of technologies.

Design and experimental implementation of an effective control system for thin film Cu(InGa)Se2 production via rapid thermal processing

Copper indium gallium diselenide, Cu(InGa)Se2 (CIGS) solar cells have achieved efficiencies of 22.3% at the cell level and 17.5% at the module level. CIGS-based modules are also in the early stages of commercialization, with>1 GW annual production capacity. The most common method for producing CIGS in industry is via precursor reaction, which consists of depositing Cu-In-Ga precursor films and reacting them with gas-phase H2Se at 450–550°C for 60min or longer, and is commonly called selenization. Recently, interest has been growing in selenization by Rapid Thermal Processing (RTP), which is characterized by rapid temperature ramping, approximately 550°C or higher temperature reactions, and improved process throughput. However, it has been difficult to commercialize RTP for CIGS film production in part because implementing a rapid, linear temperature ramp in the reacting thin film is complicated by two intrinsic process characteristics: (i) the temperature of the CIGS film cannot usually be measured directly; and (ii), the process is significantly nonlinear due to the dominance of radiative heat transfer at high temperatures. In this paper, we present the design and modeling, construction, and successful operation of a pilot-scale RTP selenization reactor utilizing a novel temperature control system.Our two-fold approach to the unique temperature control challenges involves the design and implementation of (i) a first-principles, model-based observer to estimate the desired surface temperature; and (ii) a specialized controller to enable effective tracking of the desired linear temperature ramp set point. Our experimental results demonstrate that the control system is effective in tracking rapid temperature ramps accurately, with performance limited only by the physical constraints of the experimental system.

Thermal assessment of ambient pressure dried silica aerogel composite boards at laboratory and field scale

In the context of increasing energy costs and the need for global reduction of CO2 emissions, the development of superinsulation materials for the construction sector allows the design of low-energy buildings. Since still being in an experimental or at early-commercial stage, R&D of these materials focused on its final application is required, to accelerate access to the market for renovation of the building stock where space is a critical metric.In this paper, the experimental assessment of the thermal performance of a novel ambient pressure dried silica aerogel based composite is presented. In order to provide assessments at both, material and system levels, stress-strain tests, hot plate measurements, as well as full scale tests under realistic boundary conditions were conducted.The overall results are that this material provides good insulation properties (thermal conductivity in the range of 0.015–0.018W/mK), along with sufficient mechanical properties, and allows for the creation of superinsulating assemblies even at small wall thickness.

Oxide TFTs: A Progress Report

For flat‐panel‐display backplane applications, oxide‐TFT technology is the new kid on the block – recently conceived and in its early stages of commercialization. How is it going for oxide‐TFT technology as it attempts to match up with a‐Si:H and LTPS technology?

Stage Prayer in Marlowe and Jonson

Prayer is a distinctive speech act that appears everywhere and in many forms in early modern plays, including Shakespeare's. (1) This is not because playwrights were particularly pious but because they wrote in the speech of their time, in which prayer had long since become a familiar habit--not only in church but also in the privacy of ones home, in everyday speech, in theological controversy, and in the theatre. (2) Prayer included everything from simple petitions for personal favors to formation of the self before God in richly poetic language, as numerous English translations of the Hebrew psalms make clear, to say nothing of the poetry of John Donne and George Herbert. (3) In writing prayers, playwrights for the early commercial stage in London followed long-standing precedent from the beginning of playwriting in English. In the fifteenth-century Towneley Plays from the north of England, a gifted anonymous playwright imagined the distinctive sacrifices by Cain and Abel, with each of the brothers praying as he makes his offering. The same playwright had Herod pray anachronistically to Mahowne (Mohammed). In the earliest extant commercial play in English, called simply Mankind, a talented anonymous author in fifteenth-century East Anglia made prayer the focus of his generic story of Christian formation. In the Digby Mary Magdalen, also from East Anglia, near the turn of the sixteenth century, Mary the sister of Lazarus recognizes the divinity of Jesus and prays to him on behalf of her brother. More than a century after the Towneley Herod first prayed to Mohammed, Marlowe's Tamburlaine followed his example--albeit with unprecedented defiance and ambiguity. Each playwright's way of imagining prayer is distinctive, and this essay will consider Marlowe's and Jonson's, which contrast illuminatingly not only with each other but also with the diverse and inventive prayers written by Shakespeare. (4) Marlowe's contribution was a mordant way of treating prayer that nearly always undermined it. Caustic skepticism is fully formed in the blockbuster called Tamburlaine that introduced Marlowe stunningly to the London theatre scene earlier than Shakespeare, though both playwrights were born in the same year and in the same social stratum. Many people pray in Tamburlaine, Part 1, but Tamburlaine himself is not one of them. He speaks and acts with an audacity that had been traditionally associated with overweening villains, implicitly denying the supplicatory gestures of those who pray, yet he pays no price for his actions and attitude; on the contrary, his boasts are unanswered, and his conquests are inexorable. His lover Zenocrate fears for him, voicing moral trepidation as she intercedes on his behalf with mighty Jove and holy because Tamburlaine is so violent and merciless: Pardon my love, O, pardon his contempt Of earthly fortune and respect of pity, And let not conquest ruthlessly pursued Be equally against his life incensed In this great Turk and hapless emperess! (5) Her prayer assumes that overweening ambition will inevitably be punished, and she asks that the inevitable not happen to Tamburlaine. Her petition is granted in that he conquers unharmed, but given Tamburlaine's defiant rhetoric and unhindered triumph, the point is that her prayer exhibits effeminate weakness and a misunderstanding on her part of where the true power of the world (and of the play) lies--not with Jove or Mahomet but with Tamburlaine himself. That is why Tamburlaine does not pray. Prayer in 2 Tamburlaine is more complex than in the first play. On one hand, the ambiguities surrounding prayer continue. Sigismond, for example, who is the treacherous defender of Constantinople against the Turks, dies after his Muslim opponent, Orcanes, prays to the Christian God for his Christian enemy's destruction: Thou Christ, that art esteemed omnipotent, If thou wilt prove thyself a perfect God Worthy the worship of all faithful hearts, Be now revenged upon this traitors soul, And make the power I have left behind (Too little to defend our guiltless lives) Sufficient to discomfort and confound The trustless force of those false Christians. …

An inexact optimization model for planning regional carbon capture, transportation and storage systems under uncertainty

CO2 capture and storage (CCS) is widely recognized as a climate-change mitigation technology that can significantly sequestrate human-induced CO2 emission. However, there are two main issues that affect the development and deployment of CCS in a region/country: one is the shortage of planning tool for supporting effective decision making regarding timing, sitting and scaling of CCS capture, transport and storage facilities as well as dynamic sink-source matching between capture and storage. The other is uncertainty in technical, economic, political and other dimensions of CCS as the technology is still in early stage of commercialization. Therefore, the objective of this study is to develop an inexact CCS optimization model (ICCSM) for supporting regional carbon capture, transportation and storage planning under interval-format uncertainty with a least-cost strategy. It could address issues related to optimal sink-source matching in a region with multiple capture and storage options. The developed model was then applied to a case study of long term regional CCS planning under uncertainty. To demonstrate its applicability and capability, further scenario analysis indicated that high concentration CO2 from coal-to-chemical/liquids/gas for EOR storage would be early opportunity for CCS in China. In addition, carbon price would be an effective policy instrument for encouraging deployment of CCS. Without sufficient carbon price, it could be difficult for moving CCS from demonstration stage to deployment stage in a short term.

Self-improvement of voice interface with user-input spoken query at early stage of commercialization

This paper concerns the self-improvement of voice interface by using acoustic model re-training with user-input spoken query at early stage of commercialization, when the conventional confidence measure-based acoustic model re-training is not reliable. This paper analyzes error patterns in user-input spoken queries, categorizes these error patterns, defines a quantitative measurement for each category of error patterns and proposes a filter-based approach over this quantitative measurement. The proposed filter-based method includes four distinctive filters: filter over environmental noise level, filter over non-pitch ratio within utterance, filter over average phoneme duration function score and filter over clipped frame composition ratio. For the evaluation, the initial performance of the acoustic model was measured at 66.1% in terms of speech recognition rate. The overall performance is demonstrated as 73.8% when all of the proposed filters are applied for the re-training of the acoustic model. This result demonstrates 3.1% better recognition rate than a confidence measure-based acoustic model re-training method. Our proposed method is applicable to other data-driven classification services of consumer electronic products in other mediums (e.g. image) at their early stage of commercialization.

Patent value assessment and commercialization strategy

It is difficult to assess the value of a patent before it is commercialized in the market. In this study, the author presents a hybrid method of assessing patent value and determining strategy in the early stage of commercialization. The author uses empirical data from Yuan Ze University to test the method. As a result of his analysis, the author categorized patents into four groups according to benefits and risk factors extracted from a factor analysis, and for each group of patents the author offers possible strategies for further commercialization. The method, which uses fuzzy measurement to pinpoint the location of a patent in a matrix with great precision, is more accurate than traditional technology portfolio planning models that rely on Likert scales. The method can highlight change in the meaning and strategic grouping of a patent. Furthermore, it can be used for long-term strategic planning, such as strategic foresight and corporate foresight.

Taking Innovations to Market

How are innovations taken to market? Both theoretically and empirically, the process of commercialization has received scant attention. This study investigates the early commercialization process of three innovative firms in the Norwegian petroleum industry. The authors argue that the role of strategic choice is important for the processes these firms use to create and build their own dynamic capabilities. In this regard, they address the central question of what role the strategic choice of the firm plays in the process, creation and evolution of its dynamic capabilities during the early stage of commercialization. The authors' findings reveal that certain dynamic capabilities are emphasized and appear to be more relevant to the strategic intentions of the CEO or entrepreneurial team. Two firms, whose strategic intent was to commercialize and exit, were more inclined to build an adaptive capability, while the firm intending to commercialize and to stay in the market stressed the importance of absorptive capability. Common to all three cases is the finding that adaptive and absorptive capabilities seem to enhance their innovative capabilities, which are essential for commercializing innovations.

SEED TECHNOLOGY AND SEED ENHANCEMENT

This paper reviews the uses, properties and manufacture of the main array of ‘seed enhancement technologies’ that are implemented in current commercial practice, with a particular emphasis on cultivated horticultural and ornamental species. Recent developments, as well as some of the newer technical approaches that are still in the research or at an early commercial stage, are covered. Coating technologies - pelleting, encrusting and filmcoating - are now used increasingly widely to facilitate seed planting, by altering seed shape, weight and surface texture, improving seed-soil contact, or manipulating imbibition. They are also used to deliver materials such as micronutrients and crop protection agents, including the high-dose systemic insecticides. New pellet manufacturing techniques, using rotary coaters, have provided an alternative to traditional ‘pan coating’. Hydration treatments manipulate vigour or physiological status, such as by priming, steeping, and pregermination. These treatments are used to make germination and seedling growth more rapid and synchronous in the seedbed in the open field or in protected conditions, and better tolerate environmental stresses. Both priming and coating technologies can also deliver beneficial microorganisms from seeds to crops. Organic farming market standards are stimulating the evaluation and optimization of methods to produce healthy planting material and new seed sanitation treatments as alternatives to fungicides or conventional hot water or bleach treatment while retaining seed viability in storage. Sorting on the basis of colour, X-ray analysis of internal structures or buoyant density in solvents offer the ability to remove weak or dead seeds, and hence ‘upgrade’ seedlot quality.

Commercializing Cleaner New Technologies: The Case of Microturbine Generators

Based on a study of the emerging microturbine industry, this paper argues that recent trends towards preventive and product-oriented industrial environmental management are problematic from the technology suppliers’ perspective. This is especially evident in the suppliers’ initial efforts to define markets and applications during early stages of commercialization. The distinction between product innovation driven by explicit or perceived user needs and innovation in environmental technology driven by regulatory demands has become blurred. This means that suppliers have had to interact simultaneously with both users and regulators in order to articulate the demand and acceptance for the new technology.

Conjugated Polymer Actuators for Biomedical Applications

AbstractConjugated polymers are electroactive and have found applications as artificial muscles. Actuators that have been developed over the last decade have now reached the early stages of commercialization, particularly for use in biomedical devices. This article reviews the motivation for using this class of actuator, the types of devices that have been fabricated, and some of the biomedical applications that are being developed. Recommendations are presented for future work on understanding the actuation mechanisms, on actuator design, and on the measurement of metrics.