Award Data

In most wind turbine cases, in the absence of maintenance and repair the polymer composite blades’ service life can be significantly diminished compared to original estimates, and the overall turbine efficiency can severely suffer. Current repair products such as epoxy-based fillers and/or solvent-based paints have very limited abrasion-resistance capabilities. In addition, wind protection tapes ...

In an effort to development more robust optical system coatings DTRA, in collaboration with Sandia National Labs, is working to characterize the degradation of optical materials for space systems when exposed to high intensely EUV/ cold x-rays. The experiments utilizes the Double Eagle z-pinch facility which generates high current, high voltage arc pinch plasma to produce an intense EUV and cold x ...

To protect molten salt pump impellers against aggressive molten chloride salts corrosion and blade tip erosion at high temperatures (≥ 700ºC) in a way that reduces overall equipment cost thereby increasing the efficiency of the Concentrating Solar Power (CSP) systems. Applied Thermal Coatings (ATC) Incorporation will develop an advanced low cost intermetallic coatings for molten salt pump impel ...

Fast, reliable, real-time control of plasma is critical to the success of magnetic fusion science and is thought to be required for successful deployment of future power producing reactors. The development of efficient and robust solid-state switches for power systems for fast control of large inductance magnetic field coils, pulsed and/or modulated auxiliary radio frequency (RF) heating, neutral ...

Synchrotron-based or FEL-based light sources has proven to be essential tools in many areas of research, including physics, materials science, chemistry, biophysics and biochemistry, medicine, and National security. This project is to develop of a novel electron beam source to meet stringent requirements on improving the performance of light source.

For most accelerators, major contributions to electrical inefficiency originate with magnets and RF systems. Consequently, power supplies and high-power RF sources are logical targets for efficiency improvements. This project is to develop a means for increasing the RF source efficiency. To address RF source inefficiency, Omega-P R&D, Inc. proposes to fabricate and test during Phase II a multi-be ...

Development of high performance downhole components and materials is necessary to enable geothermal exploration and production capabilities in high pressure and high temperature applications. Conventional well materials are poorly suited for corrosive environments. Steel casing, screens, and other wellbore components are susceptible to corrosion in extreme geothermal conditions. An ideal replaceme ...

Since drilling the earliest gas and oil wells, migration of hydrocarbons to the surface has challenged the oil and gas industry. With the recent onset of geologic CO2 sequestration activities, it has become even more important to develop well leakage mitigation strategies that can seal even microscopic apertures around injection, abandoned, and monitoring wells—especially in cases where traditio ...

Small wind turbines in the 5 – 25 kW range for rural residences, farms and small businesses have a large market potential due to the millions of suitable sites in the U.S. and overseas. But industry sales have declined in recent years as the costs of photovoltaics have dropped and state incentive programs have reduced. This is unfortunate because most of the equipment for solar power is importe ...

Continuous miniaturization of devices surrounding people demands for improvements in materials design and manufacturing, which in turn requires high resolution compositional and chemical analysis. This proposal focuses on the development of a tool for material property and structure characterization studies in the environment those materials operate using X-ray microscopy.