Laron Burrows, a Ph.D. student in Chemical Engineering at UConn’s College of Engineering (CoE), has recently been selected as an Activate Fellow, marking the first time a UConn student has received this prestigious fellowship. The fellowship will provide support for Burrows as he continues to advance the technology he developed during his doctoral research at UConn under the guidance of Professor and Associate Dean of Research George Bollas. Burrows’s startup, Andros Innovations, is dedicated to revolutionizing ammonia production through the use of a new reactor that aims to reduce costs and energy consumption.
Activate, founded in 2015, is an organization that empowers scientists and engineers to address environmental challenges, particularly climate change, by launching startups. The Activate Fellowship, which offers $300,000 in funding, is a two-year immersive program designed to equip science entrepreneurs with the necessary skills, networks, infrastructure, and financial support to effectively bring their innovative research to the market.
Burrows’s work focuses on improving the efficiency of ammonia production, a process that has remained largely unchanged for over a century. Traditional methods of ammonia production are highly inefficient and result in significant CO2 emissions, contributing to global warming. The low-cost, energy-efficient reactors being developed by Andros Innovations have the potential to facilitate a transition to low-carbon fertilizers, ammonia as a hydrogen carrier, and sustainable marine fuel.
Ammonia is a crucial inorganic chemical compound composed of nitrogen and hydrogen. It is utilized in various industries, including agriculture (as a fertilizer), refrigeration, water purification, plastics manufacturing, explosives production, and more. Burrows’s innovative approach to ammonia production not only addresses the inefficiencies of current methods but also offers environmentally friendly alternatives for various applications.
Burrows has been actively engaged in UConn’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, winning the 2023 Innovation Quest and serving as a 2023 Summer Fellow at the Connecticut Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation (CCEI). Additionally, his startup, Andros Innovations, has received recognition and awards from prestigious programs such as the MIT Climate and Energy Prize and the Yale Innovation Summit. Burrows’s participation in high-profile startup initiatives like Third Derivative and MassChallenge further highlights the potential impact of his research.
Over the past year, Burrows has been conducting research and testing a bench-top reactor prototype at UConn’s Storrs campus. He aims to have a commercial version of the reactor, approximately the size of a standard refrigerator, ready within the next three years. Unlike current high-pressure processes (3,000 psi), Burrows’s reactor operates at atmospheric pressure (14 psi), offering a more efficient and safer alternative for ammonia production.
Burrows credits his mentor, Professor Bollas, and the supportive environment at UConn’s CoE for his progress and success. Balancing the demands of creating a startup with the slower pace of research has presented challenges, but Burrows acknowledges the opportunities and support he has received at UConn as instrumental to his achievements. He emphasizes the importance of developing safer and more energy-efficient methods for ammonia production in light of global warming concerns and expresses gratitude for the recognition and opportunities afforded to him through the Activate Fellowship.
In conclusion, Laron Burrows’s groundbreaking work in revolutionizing ammonia production showcases the potential for innovative solutions to address environmental challenges. His dedication to creating more efficient and sustainable processes not only benefits the industry but also contributes to global efforts to combat climate change. As the first UConn student to receive the Activate Fellowship, Burrows’s achievements highlight the university’s commitment to supporting cutting-edge research and fostering entrepreneurship in the field of chemical engineering.
