2013 Clean Energy Student Competition

CWRU still prizes research but seeks new renown for creating jobs

By Robert L. Smith, The Plain Dealer April 14, 2013

Jean Zhao says the invention that consumes her -- an electric bicycle charged by a fuelcell --needs only some refinements in the lab before it's ready to whisk commuters through city streets. Read more

Jean Zhao and Justin Einstein

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Congratulations to the student teams participating in the
2013 Clean Energy Challenge!

EcoSpinners, FlyDrive, NanoHarv & Smartility

CWRU teams comprised 4 of the 12 teams competing for the top spot in Ohio at OSU on January 29^th. Although first place was awarded to Amplified Wind Solutions at Cleveland State University, our teams swept 2^nd, 3^rd and 4^th place. Based on the strength of their business plans and presentations to the judges, EcoSpinners and NanoHarv have been invited to compete at the regional competition. The regional competition, hosted by Clean Energy Trust, is scheduled for April 4^th. The winner will be awarded $100,000 from DOE.

Briliant students and extensive collaboration drove our success. GLEI sponsored the teams, along with support from CWRU’s Alumni Associate, Blackstone LaunchPad, Think[box], TiME, and STEP programs. The teams included students from the College of Arts & Sciences, Case School of Engineering, Weatherhead and the Cleveland Institute of Art at the graduate and undergraduate level. Each team worked closely with an alumni mentor in addition to the mentor assigned to them as part of the competition.

Clean Energy Trust Regional Finalist & Ohio Semifinalist Teams

EcoSpinners: 2nd place in Ohio Clean Energy Challenge

Jean Zhao; Team Leader, B.S. Candidate Chemistry, College of Arts & Sciences

Justin Einstein, M.E.M Candidate, CSE

Chris Daroux, Technical Advisor

Bob Pizzola, Business Advisor

Frank Jankowksi, Alumni Mentor

Bob Sopko, Alumni Mentor
EcoSpinners is designing an integrated and programmable electric bike with a proprietary fuel cell range extender. The bike’s power pack is a hybrid of advanced lithium-ion polymer batter and liquid-fueled fuel cell. The critical part of the bike design is a low cost fuel cell, running on on-polluting and recyclable liquid fuel that allows an increase in range without increasing the cost of the power pack. This is the first competition that EcoSpinners has participated in.

NanoHarv: 3rd place in Ohio Clean Energy Challenge

Justin Isaacs; Team Leader, S.T.E.P Candidate, College of Arts & Sciences

Aditya Rengaswamy, B.S. Candidate Accounting, Weatherhead

Jeff Bargiel, Alumni Mentor
NanoHarv is developing a micro algae harvesting and dewatering technology that provides an environmentally friendly solution that is capable of turning algae blooms into biofuel feedstock. NanoHarv’s unique solution is the result of combining micro algae harvesting nanoparticles with magnetic bar separators. NanoHarv was an Ohio Semifinalists in the 2012 Clean Energy Challenge.

Ohio Semifinalist Teams

FlyDrive: 4th place in the Ohio Clean Energy Challenge

Kristen Brouwer; Team Leader, B.S. Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, CSE

Kristoffer Bosma, B.S. Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, CSE

Jordan Lajoie, B.S. Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, CSE

Adam Lauser, B.S. Industrial Design, Cleveland Institute of Art

Lucas Voigt, B.S. Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering, CSE

Gerard Daher, Alumni Mentor
FlyDrive is designing a flywheel regenerative braking system that offers a viable technology to save money and provide better performance than current batter systems in hybrid and electric vehicles. Flywheels can be cycled more than ten times faster than batters and two times faster than super-capacitors. This is the first competition that EcoSpinners has participated in.

Smartility: Honorable mention in the Ohio Clean Energy Challenge

Robert Karam; Team Leader, Ph.D. Candidate Computer Engineering, CSE

Stephen Buehrer, B.F.A. in Biomedical Illustration, Cleveland Institute of Art

Joseph Fogarty, M.S. Candidate Accounting; Weatherhead

Bryan Marty, B.S. Candidate Computer Engineering, CSE

Ali Ahmed, Alumni Mentor
Smartility designs, markets and sells technology that gathers energy consumption data from electrical outlets, transmits the data to the consumer’s account on Smartility’s website and generates customized energy report. Smartility products provide reports and analytics that allow users to gain a better understanding of their energy consumption and they can best reduce their energy expenses. This is the first competition that EcoSpinners has participated in.

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