Case Studies

Learn how Battelle enabled the safe capture of 2+ million metric tons of CO2.

The University of Alaska and Battelle received an NSF award to bring together research and local people’s needs and determine what information/observations are needed to secure sustainable food supplies in near-coastal Arctic ecosystems.

While many who travel in airports are rushing to catch a flight, we take for granted the technology that keeps us safe -- the baggage scanner. An airport security screener’s ability to find weapons or explosives hidden in luggage can be affected by the visual complexity of the X-ray image. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) asked Battelle to create an objective, quantitative measure of visual complexity so that its effects on screening performance could be studied more rigorously.

NEON data, which have been shared with the U.S. Forest Service, may help in the development of fuel models that could be used to determine the percentage of total available biomass actually consumed by Western American Wildfires. By improving the estimates of total biomass that researchers can get from remote sensing data, that data can be used to build models that give us better predictions of wildfire spread and emissions. This will also help us predict how changes in biomass resulting from climate change may influence fire activity in the future.

NEON Science Team staff have developed a tutorial to walk data users through the process of how to find quality flag data, how to interpret the results of the many quality tests that NEON data are subjected to, how to determine if the quality flagged data are suitable for their research objectives, and how to filter out unwanted data from their research.

Battelle, in a joint effort with EPA, developed a methodological approach to determine the Arctic climate impacts of BC and other SLCF emissions from various regions and source sectors.

Battelle and the University of Dayton Research Institute produced small lots of SPK from commercially available Fischer-Tropsch wax to allow researchers in the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) to examine how variations in the SPK could affect aircraft performance.

Petroleum-based fuels can be subject to price instability and supply chain disruptions. In order to increase national security, the U.S. Air Force wanted a 100% non-petroleum jet fuel alternative to reduce dependence on petroleum sources. Battelle worked with Applied Research Associates, Inc. (ARA) to refine their Biofuels IsoConversion Process, a new process for converting renewable oils from plants and algae into drop-in ready to use jet fuels.

The 2010 Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill Response generated hundreds of thousands of environmental data points over the course of several years. BP asked Battelle to collect all of the data generated from the response into a single database system: the Health, Safety and Environment Data Management System (HSE-DMS).

Battelle is working alongside the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Office of International and Tribal Affairs to provide capacity building to Central American countries, including Ministries of Environment and Health, academic institutions, and the private and non-profit sectors to improve their management of air quality.

A functioning laboratory proof-of-concept is needed in larger volumes, at lower cost, and with higher reliability. What's Battelle's solution? Autonomously deployed, high accuracy ocean-measuring partial pressure carbon dioxide sensor system. The partial pressure carbon dioxide sensor (pCO2) is another design that transitioned laboratory proof-of-concept functions to products that are currently deployed around the world.

NEON is a network of 81 field sites across the continental U.S. that gather sensor and field data from a diverse range of terrestrial and non-marine aquatic ecosystems. Battelle built a cyberinfrastructure to manage all the data collected from the NEON observatories and make it accessible for researchers.

A high-accuracy, high-reliability autonomous sensor system that measures ocean acidification. A functioning laboratory proof-of-concept developed by MBARI and NOAA was needed in larger volumes to meet market demands, needed at a lower cost, and with higher reliability.

As part of a DOE-sponsored project, Battelle and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL) developed a novel catalyst for conversion of pyrolysis bio oil feedstock. The new catalyst did not degrade as quickly as traditional catalysts, allowing for more bio oil production. The bio oil was also higher quality than the oil produced with traditional catalysts.

Lithium ion batteries are the battery of choice for laptops, electric vehicles and many other applications due to their high energy density, low maintenance and recharging ability. As electric vehicles become more commonplace and new battery uses are identified for aerospace, industrial and consumer applications, their use continues to grow. Battelle researchers developed the concept that an optical sensor could be used to monitor the battery for internal flaws such as dendrites.

NEON Science Team staff have developed a tutorial to walk data users through the process of how to find quality flag data, how to interpret the results of the many quality tests that NEON data are subjected to, how to determine if the quality flagged data are suitable for their research objectives, and how to filter out unwanted data from their research.

Battelle sought to assess the potential of utility end users to access and apply NASA EOs for energy management applications, including resilience planning and renewable resource assessment, and address key barriers preventing the uptake of NASA data.

Battelle has developed a framework for an innovative technology demonstration program to evaluate commercially available technologies to make the technologies’ capabilities better known to the industry. For the Texas large-diameter pipe demonstration, we used one 780 feet section of the pipe to serve as our demonstration segment.

Aging electronics and avionics can ground fleets or vehicles for obsolescence or performance. Battelle has manufactured thousands of these modules with the quality necessary for avionics applications. Manufacturing includes rigorous testing and operational environmental cycling, careful but collaborative supply chain management, dynamic manufacturing planning to meet customer needs.

This novel product needed thoughtful design for manufacturing and dynamic startup production. Battelle’s manufacturing team employed Battelle’s Production-Optimized Design process, a unique take on traditional design for manufacturing, to provide substantial proactive thought to the system design. More than 200 of the LS10 have been produced and sold to date, shipped directly from Battelle to international locations such as Australia, England, Canada, and Norway.