American-Made Challenges
I AM Hydro Prize
Make a big splash—help support the development of tomorrow’s hydropower technologies!
Advanced manufacturing is revolutionizing the way products are designed and built for countless industries by lowering costs, improving designs, and reducing production timelines.
The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Water Power Technologies Office (WPTO) launched the Innovations in Advanced Manufacturing for Hydropower (I AM Hydro) Prize to dramatically lower costs of hydropower components and systems designs by leveraging advancements in manufacturing and material.
I AM Hydro innovators competed for up to $175,000 in cash prizes and helped support the hydropower industry using the ingenuity of advanced manufacturing.
Up for the challenge?
Advanced manufacturing technologies are revolutionizing the way products are designed and built across countless industries. And while the benefits of advanced manufacturing are well-understood, the high-impact opportunities for incorporating it into hydropower have yet to be tapped.
The I AM Hydro Prize sought innovative solutions to strengthen hydropower by applying advanced manufacturing technologies to reduce construction costs and repair frequency, improve efficiency and energy capture, and more.
I AM Hydro was designed to:
- Spur innovation by engaging a national community of visionaries who are not typically associated with the hydropower industry
- Target levelized cost of electricity (LCOE) reductions in hydropower design, manufacturing, and operation and maintenance.
Congratulations to our CONCEPT Stage Winners!
Congratulations to the 11 winners, who received up to $175,000 in cash prizes! They are:
| entry title (listed alphabetically) | team | video |
|---|---|---|
| Additive Manufacturing Evaporative Casting (AMEC) | Sarah Jordan/Skuld LLC | |
| AI Driven Optimization of Turbine Blades | John Newport | |
| Anti-fouling Coating for Hydropower Cost Reduction | Interphase Materials | |
| Augmented Repair via Additive Manufacturing | Joey Griffiths/Fusion-Free Fabrication | |
| Composite Magnet for Hydropower Generators | Kaizhong Gao/Composite Magnet | |
| CRUST – Ceramic Rust Universal Sealant Technology | Barret Schlegelmilch | |
| Lowering Costs with Mechanical Metamaterials | Jesse Silverberg/Multiscale Systems | |
| Retrofitting of NPDs Using 3D Concrete Printing | Jason Cotrell | |
| Semi-Solid Metal Casting for Hydro-Turbines | Baha Abulnaga | |
| Super-Frictionless Surfaces, Quasi-R | Jainagesh Sekhar | |
| Utility of Large Area AM for Small Hydro | Randal J. Mueller | |
More CONCEPT Stage Ideas
We would also like to applaud those who participated in the I AM Hydro Prize that were not chosen. Learn more about these teams and their solutions to help support the development of tomorrow’s hydropower technologies.
| entry title (listed alphabetically) | team | video |
|---|---|---|
| Above Ground GVvFES Hydropower | Ron Bingaman | |
| Floatovoltaics a Solution to a Glaring Problem | John McIntyre | |
| founder | Anthony Megaro | |
| Hydro Power Project for sediment laden water | Rakesh Kasba | |
| Hydro power systems technologies | Pinku Kumar | |
| Imploturbocompressor Impulse Turbine /Implo-Ductet | Carlos Barrera | |
| Let fish go upstream and return to their hometown | Bomin Shen | |
| Metal 3D printing for Corrosive Environments | Venkata Krishnan Sampath | |
| Multi-Functional Integrated Hydro Power System | Francisco Ragonese | |
| Reclaim Energies Captures Untapped Hydropower | Ward Dill | |
| Submersed Pumped Hydro Storage | Osi Van Dessel | |
To make more targeted investments in the future, WPTO is identifying high-impact opportunities for advanced manufacturing to address critical challenges in hydropower generation.
The CONCEPT Stage is now closed. As part of this prize, talented innovators helped guide us toward tomorrow’s hydropower technology. Competitors were challenged to develop concepts and ideas that will form the foundation of WPTO’s advanced manufacturing strategy.
While the prize solicited solutions of all shapes and sizes, organizers identified the following potential focus areas for submissions:
- Additive Manufacturing
- Advanced Materials
- Casting, Forming, and Machining
- Joining, Coating, and Repair.
Important Dates
- Prize open: June 30, 2020
- Prize closes: October 30, 2020
- Application Review: November 2, 2020
- Winners Announcement: December 2020
Dates are forthcoming and subject to change. Final dates will be posted here and on the HeroX site.
Sign up for updates on our HeroX challenge page.
Who could participate?
Any innovators, visionaries, or enthusiasts with an idea to apply advanced manufacturing techniques to hydropower developments can apply! Join the community as an individual and find like-minded collaborators.
Solutions that help shape the future
Rainbows over Diablo Dam. Credit: Photo from Karl Specht, U.S. Department of Energy
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