Announcing the 2007 Award Winners!

On Wednesday, August 8, 2007 five finalists convened at Battelle's Cleveland office to make their final presentations to a panel of judges from government and industry. Three companies were each awarded $50,000 towards completing the development of their NASA or NASA-related technology implementation. The following is a brief snapshot of the winners' activity.

Chi’s Research Corporation (Minnetonka, MN)
“Vegizyme Reduced Gas Beans”
Chi’s Research Corporation has developed an enzyme-based bioactive coating technology for dry beans that degrade the gas-causing sugars in the beans leading to less indigestion. The value to NASA is human life support during future long-term human planetary exploration. Further outcomes may be coating technology for functional foods—those that are vitamin enriched and nutritionally fortified.

Deep Springs Technology (Toledo, OH)
“Engineered Proppant for Use in Oil Recovery”
Deep Springs Technology has engineered proppants that are hollowed metal spheres comprised of ductile metal alloys to enhance oil and gas recovery. Their hollow shell construction results in a low-density, high-strength alternative to current state-of-the-art ceramics. This new technology will allow recovery of oil in unconventional and deep deposits including heavy shale, tight reservoirs and undersea wells.

Ridgetop Group, Inc. (Tucson, AZ)
Intermittent Fault Detection on DC-DC Power Converters
Ridgetop Group will enhance a prototype prognostic sensor array being supplied to NASA to include the ability to detect troublesome intermittencies in switch-mode power supplies. More accurately predicting Remaining Useful Life (RUL) would help prevent data loss and support uninterrupted operation. Ridgetop will provide non-invasive means of accurately assessing RUL for critical DC-DC converters. The significance of this innovation is that it provides improved health prediction for switching power supplies, is compatible with many topologies and minimizes the impact of sensor failure.

(L to R) Anthony Gillespie, GMCI; Carol Wedding, Deep Springs Technology; Wayne Staney, Alien Works, Ltd. Inc.; Sonia Vohnout, Ridgetop Group, Inc.; Edwin Tirona, Dynamic Systems Integration;
Dr. Uchenna Chukwu, Chi’s Research Corporation

Additionally, two commendable submissions were awarded 50 hours of GMCI capacity-building services. Those companies are: Alien Works Ltd., Inc. (Rantoul. IL) and Dynamic Systems Integration (Virginia Beach, VA).

Sincere thanks to all of the companies that participated. The goal of the GMCI award program is to fill a void that exists in the development of emerging technologies into commercial-ready technologies. GMCI empowers more companies to fully compete in the marketplace.