Mesodyne Awarded a Phase II STTR Contract from AFWERX to develop tactical LightCell
Mesodyne Inc. has been awarded an AFWERX Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase II contract, in partnership with Texas A&M University to develop and field a JP-8 compatible LightCell™ for austere environments: a new class of compact solid-state generator with up to ten times the energy density of a lithium ion battery.
“We are thrilled to receive this award from AFWERX which validates our Phase I feasibility study. The STTR program has enabled us to find government customers and to learn their pain points so that we are building a solution that effectively enhances capability,” said Dr. Veronika Stelmakh, CEO and cofounder of Mesodyne.
During their time at MIT's Institute for Soldier Nanotechnologies, Mesodyne’s founders broke the world record for energy conversion efficiency in thermophotovoltaics, a process that converts fuel to heat to light to electricity via photovoltaics cells. Mesodyne's thermophotovoltaic portable power generator works by burning fuel to heat a photonic crystal thermal emitter to incandescence, leading to infrared radiation which drives specialized photovoltaic cells to generate electricity. Unlike internal combustion engines, the generator has no moving parts, makes no noise, can burn any fuel, is higher in efficiency as compared to similarly sized generators, and has similar performance to hydrogen fuel cells without the difficult supply chain problems of compressed hydrogen.
About AFWERX
AFWERX serves as a pathway between Airmen and innovative ideas and technologies both inside and outside the Air Force. AFWERX supports the mission of making the Air Force more innovative by uncovering ideas and opportunities to improve the service, connecting ideas with legitimate solutions, and transitioning tools to the warfighter. First debuted in July 2019, the STTR ‘Open Topic’ aims to help small businesses commercialize emerging research in partnership with a university, non-profit entrepreneurship center, or research center. In contrast to the traditional STTR program, the Open Topic is ‘open’ to any technology, customer, or application. By streamlining the proposal process, accelerating contract award, and providing direct access to our global network of customers and capital, our STTR Open Topic provides unrivaled opportunity for small businesses to protect their IP and establish themselves in both the commercial and federal marketplace. To learn more about the AFWERX STTR Program, visit: https://www.afwerx.af.mil/sttr.html