Winners Of 2016 Ben Franklin Shale Gas Innovation Contest Announced

Ben Franklin Shale Gas Innovation & Commercialization Center Tuesday announced the 4 winners of the 5th Annual Shale Gas Innovation Contest who each walked away with a winner’s check for $20,000--

— Aridea Solutions: Developing an on-demand pneumatic, actuated valve system operated through a proprietary software interface via the internet (IoT), allowing remote control at hard to access midstream sites.

— Compass Natural Gas:  Building compression stations to access significant volumes of natural gas to produce CNG for delivery via truck/trailer to small through large industrial customers in the region that currently don’t have access to pipeline natural gas.

— Epiphany Water Solutions: Providing a well pad based, hybrid powered (solar, NG, or hard-wired) water remediation solution that uses a proprietary crystallizing chamber enabling all the contaminants in the water to drop out. This leaves only pure steam that can be further evaporated for zero discharge.

— HalenHardy, LLC:  Providing the SPILLTRATION™ product line, made from post-consumer and post-industrial materials, engineered to absorb and contain oil-based leaks and spills while allowing clean water to be filter through. The products can be reused after the oil is removed for recycling.

“This year’s finalists once again showed the diversity of ideas brought to the table by entrepreneurs and small companies in the region to help advance the shale energy play,” said Bill Hall, Director of the Ben Franklin Shale Gas Innovation & Commercialization Center.  “Innovations are more than ever critically important to the industry as we manage through this downturn. Continuous innovation is needed in every sector of the industry and all along the value chain. This is exactly the space that the Ben Franklin SGICC works in every day.”

This year the contest also included a poster session showcasing cutting edge research and technologies under development by four regional universities. Three posters were chosen as winners of $500 prizes:

— Policy Options for the Detection and Abatement of Methane Emissions from the U.S. Natural Gas System – Erin Mayfield, Carnegie Mellon University;

— Integrating Membrane Distillation with Waste Heat Sources for Affordable Produced Water Treatment in Pennsylvania – Omkar Lokare, University of Pittsburgh; and

— High Efficiency, Low Cost Hybrid System for Produced Water Distillation and Evaporation – Dave Snyder, Penn State University.

Click Here for more information on the winners and finalists.

This 5th Annual Shale Gas Innovation Contest’s GOLD sponsor was Ben Franklin Technology Partners.

Industry sponsors included: Chevron Technology Ventures, EQT Corporation, First National Bank, GE Transportation, LPR Energy & LPR Land Services, Marcellus Shale Coalition, PPG Industries, Praxair, Steptoe & Johnson PLLC, and Williams.

Non-Profit sponsors included: Carnegie Mellon University’s Scott Institute for Energy Innovation, Penn State University’s Institute for Natural Gas Research, the University of Pittsburgh’s Center for Energy, and West Virginia University’s Energy Institute.

The Media sponsor for this year’s event was the Marcellus Business Central.

For more information on programs, initiatives and other upcoming events, visit the Ben Franklin Shale Gas Innovation & Commercialization Center website.