Observer Reporter
Sunday, July 4, 2004
High-tech firm gets nearly $100,000 for research project
BY C.R. NELSON
WAYNESBURG - A high-tech firm in Waynesburg has attracted government funds for its innovative technology and practical science approach to making better air.
Last month, Separation Design Group (SDGroup) received a Small Business Innovation Research Award of $99,622 from the National Science Foundation for a six-month research project to test the properties of its newly developed and patented "Continuous Adsorption Technology" device that separates and enriches selected gas or liquid streams.
The language is hard science, but the possible applications speak loud and clear to both industry and individual users of oxygen enhancing technology.
SDGroup invites you to "imagine a device small enough to fit in the palm of your hand that could concentrate oxygen from thin air - an electronic filter added to your home heating furnace that reduces fuel consumption by 13 percent - a technology that can turn harmful landfill emissions into lucrative sources of energy."
SDGroup captured the government's attention and support with its novel approach to delivering more oxygen to the combustion process. Research done by Argonne National Laboratories for the Department of Energy shows that increasing the oxygen content of air from its natural state of 21 percent to 24 percent "reduces particulate emissions from diesel engines by 60 percent, can increase power by 20 percent and decrease fuel consumption 18 percent," company CEO Doug Galbraith said. "We can make the device you can put on your tractor, bulldozer or locomotive to make this happen.
In awarding the grant the NSF review board agrees. "The commercial and societal impacts of the proposed activety include lower fuel costs due to lower usage....as well as the potential to enrich the oxygen content in air. This latter benefit leads to a reduction in air pollution because of the reduction of nitrogen compounds formed in high temperature combustion processes."
SDGroup's high-tech solution to smokestack problems is in the research stages of bringing its first prouct to market - and oxygen enriching filter to enhance the fuel efficiency of home gas furnaces and hot water heaters.
"We're building an electronic filter that uses adsorbents to separate one molecule from another and we're creating a system that makes an enriched oxygen stream by separating nitrogen," Galbraith said.
"Our process has no moving parts, has no minimum or maximum size and uses very little energy. Instead of valves, we're using molecular gates, instead of compressors, electric fields," Galbraith said. "This is possible now because of the advances in fabrication techniques and computer chips to control the process."
Adsorbents are in the little desiccant packs in vitamin bottles, collecting water molecules to keep the vitamins dry. In the company lab, adsorbents are mixed with carbon nanotubes and porous materials, pressed into inch waffers, scored with laser micro channels and analyzed. A camera mounted to a microscope stands ready to deliver the enlarged view of these experiments in molecule separation delivery systems to a computer screen.
Galbraith's brainchild came from his years working in gas production and dealing with water and other molecules trapped in natural gas that must be removed.
"It all came from trying to separate natural gas. I asked, 'What are the limiting factors?' Then I circumvented the limiting factors."
Along with Galbraith and wife Judith, the company team includes "principal investigator" physicist Dr. Dave Walker and senior research consultant Dr. Bob LaCount, a chemistry professor at Waynesburg College. A student intern and other researchers will be added as the business, stimulated by outside interest grows.
"We are an incubator company that will spark the creation of new businesses and attract scientists, engineers and technicians," Galbraith said. "As our group increases in size it will attract researchers from other parts of the country. We won't make your product... but we'll make your product better."
