Award Data

78365 Free-surface, flowing, liquid-metal cooling systems are an option for the removal of heat from energy-producing fusion devices. However, these free flowing liquid films are difficult to direct and contain because of their interactions with the high energy plasma and the powerful magnetic fields present in these machines. This project will develop a, capillary assisted, thin flowing, lithi ...

75554B Fuel cells are an efficient, combustion-less, virtually pollution-free source of power. In particular, Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cells are ideal for a number of applications, due to their ¿quick¿ warm-up characteristics. However, these fuel cells contain some inherent inefficiencies, which results in waste heat that must be removed rapidly via a coolant ¿ currently, either D ...

75272B Transmission Electron Microscopy is a technique that allows materials to be analyzed to the nanometer and sub-nanometer scales. The next level of materials analysis will require the ability to perform dynamic experimentation within the microscope, which would require specialized specimen holding technology to perform the desired experiments. This project addresses the treatment of a spec ...

79281S In the U.S., the production of 4.6 billion pounds of Nylon-6 and Nylon-6,6 starts with the liquid-phase oxidation of 3.5 billion pounds of cyclohexane to cyclohexanone/cyclohexanol, and the subsequent oxidation of the latter to adipic acid with HNO3. The liquid-phase cyclohexane oxidation, which operates at only 4-10% cyclohexane conversion, is the ¿least efficient¿ industrial process, a ...

78999S The development of new technologies for the rapid and accurate detection of indicators of diseases such as cancer will have a significant impact on human health. Current diagnostics are performed in highly sophisticated clinical laboratories, which requires significant overhead investment in instrumentation and highly trained medical technology staff. Furthermore, most tests are time con ...

75353-Low cost, self-powered wireless sensors that never require battery changing or other maintenance are needed for U.S. industrial production lines, in cars and buildings, and power generation systems. Systems of these sensors will enable a revolution in industrial efficiency, safety, and reduced maintenance costs. This project will develop a wireless sensor with an integrated vibration-power ...

78208S Current processes to produce liquid fuels by direct hydrogenation of coal are not cost-effective. Therefore, improved process chemistry and/or reactor design will be required to produce transportation fuels from coal at prices that are competitive with currently used fuels. This project will develop a coal liquefaction process that uses a nanoscale active catalyst precursor in a plug flo ...

79788S The DOE-sponsored Solid State Energy Conversion Alliance (SECA) seeks to develop commercially-viable 3 to 10 kW Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) systems by the year 2010. One of the weak links in this system is the heat exchanger, which typically consumes more than 30% of the installed cost ($ 400/kW) and fails before the 40,000 hour design lifetime goal. While traditional ceramic materials ...

79248S The use of ultra-capacitors in hybid electric vehicles is hampered by the toxicity and flammability of acetonitrile (AN), which is used as the basic solvent for the ultra-capacitor electrolyte. For non-AN, non-aqueous, ultra-capacitor electrolytes to achieve comparable performance to the current AN-containing ultra-capacitor electrolytes, both the performance and the much lower conductivi ...

75253S The beneficiation of bauxite ore, used to produce aluminum and the subsequent refining of the aluminum to specific alloys and/or shapes, is an energy intensive process. Large amounts of heat energy (generated via electrical discharge in the primary process and from the burning of fossil fuel in the secondary process) are lost as a result of the insufficient thermal insulating properties o ...