Fayetteville firm lands big federal contracts

Fayetteville-based Arkansas Power Electronics International Inc. will receive $3.9 million in Recovery Act funds for a research project that aims to make “significant” gains in the way the U.S. uses energy, according to a joint statement from U.S. Sens. Blanche Lincoln and Mark Pryor, D-Ark.

APEI will develop chargers that deliver high levels of power to batteries for plug-in hybrid electric cars, ensuring that these batteries can be charged more quickly and efficiently. This type of product will become increasingly necessary as electric vehicles become more prevalent.
 
“Arkansas continues to make its mark as a national leader in the production of new energy technologies,” Lincoln noted in the statement.

The grant is part of $92 million in stimulus money being awarded to 43 projects across the country. The program seeks to accelerate American innovation in energy-efficient technology.



“These are very short-term grants,” said U.S. Energy Secretary Steven Chu.“The idea is that within typically two years we expect these companies or universities or whoever is getting the grants to make significant improvements.”

APEI is a small R&D firm with more than $3 million in annual revenues from federal, state, and private contracts. The company has 19 employees, including 4 PhD’s who are experts in all facets of power electronics engineering.

APEI is based out of the Arkansas Technology Research Park in Fayetteville. Research Park clients have access to the University of Arkansas’ High Density Electronics Center (HiDEC), which is a multimillion dollar advanced packaging center. The company is also partnered with the National Center for Reliable Electric Power Transmission (NCREPT), a center established for the purpose of investigating solid-state solutions for the electric power grid including both protection devices as well as energy storage applications.

APEI recently received two contracts worth $3 million from the U.S. Army that were also funded by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. The contracts, requiring APEI to develop electric power technology for military vehicles and weapons systems, are expected to lead to creation of more than 25 high-tech engineering jobs at the company over the next three years.

APEI’s power module technology is 10 times smaller than existing systems and reduces electrical losses by more than 90%, according to company info. APEI’s technology is intended to make Army combat vehicles stronger, more effective in combat, more maneuverable and able to carry larger payloads.