Award Data

ABSTRACT:Silicon-based lasers/detectors have long been desired for owing to the possibility of monolithic integration of photonics with high-speed Si electronics and the aspiration of broadening the reach of Si technology by expanding its functionalities well beyond electronics. The goal of this project is to develop high quality SiGeSn material and also use it to demonstrate high performance opto ...

According to a 2014 study commissioned by the Department of Energy, hydropower from more than 3 million untapped streams in the United States could potentially generate 65 gigawatts of electricity and help to reduce greenhouse emissions and pollution. However, the development of hydropower has been limited by several obstacles, as described by the United States Geological Survey: most of the prime ...

Supercritical CO2 cycles have the potential to significantly improve efficiency and reduce emissions in power generation. However, the unique fluid dynamic properties of supercritical CO2 that enable these higher efficiencies also complicate the design and layout of the system, particularly its turbomachinery components. The problem stems specifically from the highly non-linear properties of CO2, ...

Letters from leading researchers of subsurface hydrobiogeochemical processes, including Department of Energy researchers, confirm the need for low-cost, rugged distributed temperature sensing. Temperature and thermal gradients are critical drivers and state variables in many important subsurface hydrobiogeochemical processes, as well as indicators of hydrologic phenomena. In addition to helping un ...

Tactical Air Control Party (TACP) personnel juggle disparate tasks simultaneously. Their task simultaneously require physically grueling output, instantaneous information processing, clear communication and instantaneous decision-making. The current system provides capabilities far beyond their predecessors but with drawbacks: an information-rich battlefield requires increased time looking at ches ...

The Air Force needs distributed modules that will work reliably in extreme environments (temperatures >200 Celsius, high vibration). A low-cost, rapid-turnaround platform for the assembly of these modules for these environments is required. This will be ...

SiC power semiconductors have the capability of greatly outperforming Si-based power devices. Smaller switching and on-state losses coupled with higher voltage blocking capability, and especially its high operating temperature make SiC the ideal semiconductor for high performance, high power density power modules. One major factor limiting the switching speed, and thus power loss of these devices, ...

Many contaminated DOE sites are located in arid regions where depth to groundwater is significant and/or contaminants were discharged into a vadose zone through which transport to the groundwater table is dominated by unsteady, unsaturated groundwater flow. The absence of an effective means to monitor vadose zone moisture content in profile has been a persistent impediment to developing and calibr ...

Increased use of Exhaust Gas Recirculation (EGR) combined with engine downsizing has pushed automotive turbocharger compressor operation towards and often beyond its efficient and stable operating boundaries. Much of the drive cycle is spent operating the compressor at low flow rates and low pressure ratios, near the compressor surge line, in an area which is usually of low efficiency. Our prelimi ...

The objective of this Phase I project is to demonstrate feasibility to design and develop novel nanomanufactured multicomponent lubricant additives applicable for engine, especially engineered as additive for enhancing engine economy with at least 3%. This economy will be enhanced through the power of nanosized multicomponent (multi-chemistry/macromolecular) lubricating agents launching into the i ...