Suggest you look at "OIT Inventions and Innovations Home Page" The Energy Related Inventions and Innovation Program (ERIP) is a small program in DOE's renewable enegy area, closely tied to biomass programs, etc. I was employed there until I retired about six years ago. Your best bet would be to talk to one or more of the biomass program managers, obtain their interest in what you are doing, and if they do not have funding directly for what you are doing, seek their support in expediting your proposal through .ERIP. The advantage of ERIP, if it is like it used to be is that they have continuous funding, though in small amounts ($40K for concept development and up to $200K for process development). Appears that you are well beyond the concept stage. This is a slow process unless you can get some interest from a mission program, and their help in pushing it through ERIP. There is an initial stage of evaluation based upon little more than an fairly complete disclosure of the idea. With the data you have to support your concepts, this should give you a leg up. Furthermore, having the backing of others in the webb site who are awaiting your final process design and eager to try it out, the idea of some good prospect of getting it into the market ought to excite someone; at least that would be a talking point that might help sell your concept, given also that your ideas can be described as having been developed with the cooperation and assistance of others. ERIP is a small program that was set up by Congress back in the 70's at the time they established ERDA, the predecessor of DOE, and was intended to bring in ideas from the private sector for input to ERDA/DOE R&D programs. Like most of the other things, however, in which the Feds are involved, the real purpose of ERIP was never realized (the real purpose DOE being to support the national labs, not to develop technology (my opinion). Nevertheless there have been some remarkable successes come out of the program, due principally, I think, to the historical precedent that most new technologies impacting the marketplace in a big way have usually come from the private sector, not the large corporations or the Fed Labs. And, like nuclear power, if the Feds are successful at developing the technology, they have no particular expertise at marketing same. `In summary, your best bet is to get a dialog going with a biomass program manager interested in developing biodiesel and sell him on the idea that not only do you have a concept that is well along in development, but that you also have some good prospect for getting it into the marketplace, if you can get adequate Federal support. Be alert, however, that these program managers are always on the lookout for good technology that can be developed at the labs, since, as indicated, the Agency is more in the business of supporting their Labs than they are in developing new technogy. Another factor to consider is that most govt mangers I have known would rather deal with a large corporation than small business, or an individual. I don't know who that program person would be, having been retired now for some time. Good luck!
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