About ClearFlame
ClearFlame kept the heavy-duty, internal combustion engine and modified it to break free from diesel fuel and run on decarbonized, renewable, liquid fuels already in existence across the globe.
What’s the fastest path to a sustainably clean heavy-duty industry?
After years of research at Stanford University and Argonne National Laboratory, we have found the answer: The diesel engine, without the diesel fuel.
As a Black- and Women-founded and led business, we wanted to develop a solution that not only addresses the climate crisis but also deals with the energy equity and environmental justice issues that have a disproportionate impact on underrepresented populations globally. Grounded in technology developed during doctoral studies at Stanford University, our Clear Combustion solution aims to combine these goals and improve the health, environment, and cost competitiveness of cleaner fuels.
ClearFlame has been validated using over $3 million in grant funding. Leading researchers and scientific organizations have enthusiastically embraced the potential of this technology.
ClearFlame’s technology development has also been supported by multiple industry manufacturers, along with agencies like the Department of Energy, the Department of Agriculture, the National Science Foundation, and world-class accelerators like StartX, I-Corps, Ameren Accelerator, and WERCBench Labs.
We’re headquartered in the Chicago area and from 2017-2020 we were part of the first cohort of the acclaimed Chain Reaction Innovations program at Argonne National Laboratory. Our experienced team of business leaders, mentors, and extensive, state-of-the-art resources give us an advantage as we bring this technology to market.
Our Cofounders
Dr. BJ Johnson, CEO
Ph. D Mechanical Engineering
Dr. Johnson is an expert in the combustion of low-soot alternative fuels, and his dissertation research forms the basis of ClearFlame’s central IP.
Dr. Julie Blumreiter, CTO
Ph. D Mechanical Engineering
Dr. Blumreiter specializes in the design and construction of new engine platforms, positioning her to lead ClearFlame’s development work.
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion at ClearFlame
Diverse experiences, ideas, and thought leadership are the guiding principles of ClearFlame’s founders, Drs. Julie Blumreiter and BJ Johnson. At ClearFlame, we believe diversity should be championed as a source of strength, and successes should be independently acknowledged based on their own merit and without qualification. Only by placing a greater emphasis on ideas across all racial, gender, socio-economic, and geographic spectrums, we will achieve the diversity of thought needed to address social inequity, climate change, and other global challenges.