PFI: Farmer-Academic-Industry Partnership for the Development of Sustainable, Energy Efficient, Multifunctional Bioproducts for the Built Environment

PFI：农民-学术-工业合作伙伴关系，为建筑环境开发可持续、节能、多功能生物产品

• 批准号: 1114389
• 负责人: Nandika D'Souza
• 金额: $ 59.95万
• 依托单位: University of North Texas
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2011
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2011-09-01 至 2015-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1114389&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: PFI; Farmer; Academic; Industry; Partnership

This Partnerships for Innovation (PFI) project from University of North Texas will create an innovative partnership among farmers, academic researchers, and industrial scientists and engineers to develop kenaf (a plant in the hibiscus family, related to okra and cotton)-based biomaterials for sustainable structured insulated panels for the built environment, especially in zero (net) energy applications. Kenaf is selected because of its ability to grow in arid conditions, where alternative plantings cannot be considered. From an engineering standpoint, it represents a domestic resource that has the same strength to weight ratio as glass fiber. Natural fibers in their as-harvested state have a porous structure that is often destroyed by the industrial processing through alkali treatment. Approaches based on placing the freshly harvested crop in river or pond water are not effective on a large scale. An alternative approach using bacteria based on selectivity for kenaf will be utilized through an academic-farmer partnership. The goal will be to develop technologically viable reinforcements that retain their natural features while reducing the environmental footprint associated with their processing. The broader impacts from this research arise from the interdisciplinary partnership at all levels of the PFI. A successful effort could yield positive economic, environmental, and energy savings for both residential and commercial buildings, while meeting or exceeding the industrial standards. The platform of new multifunctional materials also has potential applications for commercially viable sustainable building products in many sectors (e.g., aerospace, packaging, and transportation). Efforts to integrate fiber process modifications will translate to job creation in rural segments with value-added markets improving the investment returns. The work is inherently interdisciplinary-- incorporating a variety of areas of engineering (biochemical, green, mechanical, and structural) and life cycle analysis--and through small-group interactive processes, promotes the direct involvement of graduate students early in the innovation value chain. Innovative academic-industrial research activities will be integrated with socially responsible entrepreneurship training, where doctoral students in each department will work together as an interdisciplinary Venture team, merging business and engineering innovation with sustainability concepts. Partners at the inception of the project include the Knowledge-Enhance Partnership (KEP) unit, consisting of the University of North Texas, two small businesses: InnoVida Southeast (Miami, FL) and Ladonia Market Center (Ladonia, TX); and a federal agency: Agricultural Research Service, USDA (Lane, OK). In addition, there is another academic partner: Florida International University (Miami, FL).

来自北德克萨斯大学的这个创新伙伴关系（PFI）项目将在农民，学术研究人员和工业科学家和工程师之间建立创新伙伴关系，以开发红麻（木槿科植物，与秋葵和棉花有关）为基础的生物材料，用于建筑环境的可持续结构隔热板，特别是在零（净）能源应用中。选择红麻是因为它能够在干旱的条件下生长，在那里不能考虑替代种植。从工程角度来看，它代表了与玻璃纤维具有相同强度重量比的国内资源。天然纤维在其收获状态下具有多孔结构，其经常被通过碱处理的工业加工破坏。 将刚收获的作物放在河水或池塘水中的方法在大规模上是无效的。将通过学术-农民伙伴关系利用基于对红麻选择性的细菌的替代方法。目标是开发技术上可行的增强材料，保留其自然特征，同时减少与其加工相关的环境足迹。 这项研究的更广泛影响来自PFI各级的跨学科伙伴关系。成功的努力可以为住宅和商业建筑带来积极的经济，环境和能源节约，同时达到或超过工业标准。新的多功能材料平台还具有在许多部门中商业上可行的可持续建筑产品的潜在应用（例如，航空航天、包装和运输）。整合纤维工艺改造的努力将转化为农村地区的就业机会，增值市场将提高投资回报。这项工作本质上是跨学科的-结合了各种工程领域（生物化学、绿色、机械和结构）和生命周期分析-并通过小组互动过程，促进研究生在创新价值链早期的直接参与。创新的学术-工业研究活动将与社会责任的创业培训相结合，每个部门的博士生将作为一个跨学科的创业团队一起工作，将商业和工程创新与可持续发展概念相结合。 该项目开始时的合作伙伴包括知识增强伙伴关系（KEP）单位，由北德克萨斯大学，两个小企业：InnoVida东南（迈阿密，佛罗里达州）和拉多尼亚市场中心（拉多尼亚，德克萨斯州）;和一个联邦机构：农业研究服务，美国农业部（莱恩，OK）。此外，还有另一个学术合作伙伴：佛罗里达国际大学（迈阿密，佛罗里达州）。