Award Data

In this Phase I SBIR, a Voxtel Inc.-led team will develop and prototype a novel low-cost solar-brightness-blocking optical system for imagers to enable high-quality imaging over a wide field of view (FOV > 90 degrees) in the presence of direct sunlight within the FOV. The system will be based on a biologically inspired compound eye, with built-in small-FOV (< 3 degree) apertures to block sunlight ...

Increasingly stringent exhaust emissions and fuel economy legislation is forcing automotive engine designers to: 1) demand increased pressure ratios from turbocharger compressors to ensure complete fuel combustion, 2) use Exhaust Gas Recirculation for emission reduction, and 3) reduce engine displacement while maintaining or even increasing output power to reduce fuel consumption. These three chan ...

Solar module warranties are typically 25 years or longer, a striking reliability requirement that allows only a slow performance degradation with time. There are very few products built today that are required to exhibit this type of longevity. In the past decade, to improve the quality of their products, high-performance cell manufacturers developed and implemented various inline process control ...

Nanoparticle synthesis chemistry has developed tremendously over the last several decades, achieving great control over size, shape, and composition. This has led to much greater understanding of material optical, electronic, and surface properties, and myriad applications, from solar cells and photodetectors to medical therapy. Currently, processes for building nanoparticles are largely based on ...

The high‐energy physics (HEP) community has identified integral field spectroscopy (IFS) as an area that could dramatically leverage investments in current and future sky surveys for the study of dark energy. Many lines of evidence now agree that most mass in the universe is in the form of dark matter, which interacts mainly via the force of gravity. Identification and detailed phenomenology of ...

Optical sensing for nuclear detonation detection involves space‐based detection within the visible wavelength. Emerging optical detectors will leverage unique diffractive optics to help enhance and discriminate signals of interest from other background emitters. Because of the precision required to achieve these objectives, innovative designs and manufacturing methods are required to benefit Nuc ...

The technology development for the supercritical CO2 (sCO2) power plant is well underway, and the first pilot plants are now under construction. The new pilot plants are sized for a 10 MW net power output; a good size to gain valuable data for larger utility scale power plants. This is also a very good size for the smaller, distributed power applications. The distributed power application is envis ...

This project addresses USDA-NIFA's research priorities regarding crop management systems that promote energy conservation and efficiency, including the use of alternative and renewable energy resources. This proposal outlines a plan to prove the research concept of a Single-pass Autonomous Follow-me (SAF) Baler. The SAF baler is intended to bale the available supply of corn stover during corn ...

Forests across the Western U.S. are at a tipping point - overgrowth, a warming climate, drought, and insect infestations have ravaged tens of millions of acres of land, increasing the risk of wildfire and threatening water resources, air quality, communities, homes, and habitat. Forest restoration (the strategic removal of brush and shrubs and the selective thinning of trees to return forests to a ...

Airborne Wind Energy (AWE) is still a relatively new field but is growing quickly. There are approximately 13 other AWE companies worldwide that appear to have the technical competence and realistic understanding of business such that we view them as realistic competitors. As we have detailed above, eWind differentiates itself from them by focusing on following current FAA (or European) flight rul ...