Dec. 20, 2022, KLAMATH FALLS, Ore. – The American-Made Photo voltaic Prize, a multimillion-dollar competitors funded by the US Division of Power (DOE) and managed by the Nationwide Renewable Power Laboratory (NREL), has chosen 20 groups to advance to Spherical 6 of the prize as semifinalists, together with CRACK CATCHER AI – the Oregon Renewable Power Middle (OREC) crew at Oregon Tech. Every crew gained $50,000 in prize cash and is eligible to maneuver on to the subsequent spherical of the competitors, which is designed to encourage US photo voltaic innovation.
OREC entered the competitors with CRACK CATCHER AI (synthetic intelligence), a system of lasers and synthetic intelligence to investigate the mechanical stress of PV (photovoltaic) cells inside photo voltaic modules, sensing and predicting the fracturing of excessive quantity PV manufacturing.
Representing Oregon Tech are OREC Director and Assistant Professor Arief Suriadi Budiman, Ph.D., as Important Principal Investigator (PI); Manufacturing and Mechanical Engineering Expertise Teacher Derrick Speaks, Ph.D.; and Manufacturing and Mechanical Engineering Expertise Professor Tim Pasang, Ph.D.
“To allow extra photo voltaic manufacturing in america, CRACK CATCHER AI will develop a wiser, extra progressive solution to sense and predict cracks in silicon photo voltaic cells utilizing scientific rules, which has not been doable till now. after which result in increased manufacturing effectivity in addition to high quality, and protected competitors of the US within the manufacturing of photo voltaic PV world wide,” stated PI Budiman.
Within the subsequent section of the competitors, the groups will develop with the assistance of members of the American-Made Community to develop their improvements in a method that meets the actual challenges of the photo voltaic market. OREC will proceed to work to totally develop its expertise answer in direction of a sensible and promising proof of idea, which they are going to talk about with a panel of {industry} consultants at Set! Demo Day digital occasion in spring 2023.
In regards to the Oregon Institute of Expertise
Based in Klamath Falls in 1947, the Oregon Institute of Expertise (Oregon Tech) is Oregon’s premier polytechnic college. Providing bachelor’s, grasp’s and shortly a doctoral diploma, Oregon Tech has distinctive packages in engineering, well being applied sciences, enterprise, expertise, communication, and utilized sciences that put together college students to change into efficient contributors of their skilled, public, and worldwide communities by way of utilized, related studying {and professional} observe. Oregon Tech has a central, residential campus in Klamath Falls; an city, industry-focused campus in Portland-Metro (Wilsonville); an internet campus; and affords levels in Salem, Boeing Seattle, in addition to different websites. Go to www.oit.edu to study extra concerning the Oregon Institute of Expertise.
In regards to the American-Made Photo voltaic Prize
The American-Made Photo voltaic Prize is a multimillion-dollar prize competitors designed to speed up US photo voltaic innovation by way of a sequence of competitions that velocity the commercialization course of from years to months. Rivals make the most of the American-Made Community, our innovation engine of greater than 300 organizations, together with world-class consultants at 17 US Division of Power nationwide labs, clear tech accelerators, incubators, universities, amenities, and many others. The Photo voltaic Prize is run and administered by the Nationwide Renewable Power Laboratory and funded by the US Division of Power’s Photo voltaic Power Applied sciences Workplace. Study extra.
