Shekar Balagopal Email & Phone Number

Greater Salt Lake City Area

Greater Salt Lake City Area

Greater Salt Lake City Area

- Led a project to design, build, and manufacture a modular skid commercial production skid unit. Installed and supported operation a stand-alone engineered system at customer site to make the reagent chemical.- Awarded $3.8 MM over 36 months program on a competitive proposal to DOE-SunShot for development of power module (thermo-electric) device from solar energy - Prepared a competitive proposal on an open FOA to ARPA-E. Awarded an ARPA-E program ($ 2.6 MM / 36 months program). To develop ammonia synthesis technology from renewable energy, “for Grid Scale long term Energy Storage”, (GWhr range)

Greater Salt Lake City Area

- Negotiated, multi-phase, > $ 9 MM program to develop a technology to reduce sodium foot print in radioactive streams at U.S. Department of Energy locations (DOE’s Hanford and SRS sites). - Led teams (20 +) from concept development to technology demonstrated (TRL 7) for field integration on site.- Developed project management plan and associated budget and timeline to meet project objectives, milestones and deliverable's.- Coordinated project tasks with subcontracts teams. Held project review with funding agencies. Managed technical R&D, prototyping and pilot scale engineering level demonstration activities. - Teamed with a large engineering firm to integrate and demonstrate a near tank treatment technology to reduce sodium, cesium and alumina from LLW waste simulants

Greater Salt Lake City Area

- Invented NaSelect™, a solid, alkali ion conductor used in devices. Developed technologies related to energy such as thermo-electric power modules, energy storage, and Li-Air batteries, sensors and industrial chemicals synthesis and recycling applications. - Developed technology to synthesize high purity sodium methylate chemical. This on-site, on demand process, provides cost benefits and competitive edge for this high volume market commodity, which decentralizes production and its use globally.- partnered on a project with UNLV (DOE program) to research and develop process concepts - Prepared technical and business pitches to Fortune 500 companies. Awarded two projects to commercialize Sodium Methylate technology at production scale.- Directed a budget drive programs to commercialize a “dial in-on demand” production system for synthesis of sodium methylate chemical, a reagent chemical used in manufacturing of drug intermediates (API, etc.), cosmetics, agriculture, biofuels etc. - Lead a highly skilled cross-functional team on design, build and assembly of modular units. Established supply chain for components and manufacturing with vendors. - Communication and co-ordinate of activities between multiple project divisions, clients and vendors. - Co-ordinated integration of skid unit with PLC automation and process controls for the production system which produced up to 6000 lbs. /day of this product at customer’s site

Greater Salt Lake City Area

- Led R&D team on a multi-phase, > $ 3.5 MM R&D program with DOD & Navy, to develop sodium hypochlorite synthesis technology. This “Point of Use” chemical was synthesized from sea water for potable water disinfection applications. Demonstrated technology at prototype and pilot scale at Army and Navy sites. - Managed and directed SBIR programs to develop Li-air batteries for soldier power-72 hour man missions. Project with Army research Laboratory- DOD.

Greater Salt Lake City Area

- Directed, materials scientists, mechanical and testing engineers to develop Li-air batteries for soldier power for 72 hour man missions.

Greater Salt Lake City Area

- Invented sodium superior ion conducting oxide based solid ceramic separator (NaSelect™). Applications for this ionic conductor are for energy devices (solid state batteries), sensors, industrial chemicals recycling, chemical processes and synthesis of chemicals.- This invention helped Ceramatec, Inc. negotiate up to 10 technical projects with Federal agencies and Fortune 100 and 500 companies to date.

Greater Salt Lake City Area

- Researcher, R&D concepts: (i) Separator Technologies: recycling industrial chemical streams, (ii) electrochemical technologies for industrial and analytical oxygen generation, (ii) Solid State sensors for in line analysis. - Develop a nano particles based approach for controlled drug release. Worked with a pharmaceutical company to transfer production knowhow for GMP manufacturing and FDA process. - Volume manufacturing of solid electrolytes such as YSZ and Gallate ceramics for SOFCs and NaSelect™ for energy and chemical synthesis applications- Performed full factorial Taguchi statistical method (Design of Experiments) to improve processing and fabrication yields. - Responsible for synthesis and manufacturing of solid oxide electrolytes and electrodes