Award Data

In the present-day network of high-voltage overhead transmission lines, segments of cable are joined by a crimp splice joint, in which the locking of strands in the two cables relies upon a serrate sleeve that is crushed into the cable. The transmission line heats in temperature as it carries electric power, and the span of cable between towers stretches each time the temperature of the cable is i ...

There is substantial interest in the upgrading of the existing High Energy Physics accelerators including the Large Hadron Collider in CERN, Switzerland to higher energy levels so as to probe deeper into the subatomic scale and unlock the mysteries of the Universe. Such upgrades to higher energy levels would require use of High Temperature Superconductor (HTS) magnets which can generate magnetic f ...

Hydraulic fractures must be contained within the target formation so that they do not contact and potentially contaminate sources of drinking water. To mitigate this risk, research is needed to develop technologies that will advance our ability to diagnose, quantify, and map hydraulic fractures and thus help mitigate the danger that hydraulic fracturing results in the contamination of subsurface p ...

Over the past decade, the use of multiphysics simulation – combining tools covering multiple physics disciplines together to generate advanced predictive codes – has surged as available computational power has grown. Many of these tools use “meshes” or “grids” to discretize their problem domains, and often, data must be transfered from one grid to another many times during a simulation ...

Silicon Carbide based power electronics have the opportunity to increase the power density and efficiency of on-­‐board electric power conversion electronics for electric vehicles boost converters and electric traction drives. Utilizing these advanced SiC-­‐based power electronics devices is expected to expand range and eventually reduce electric vehicle system costs. However, the current ...

The future of the fuel cell market depends on developing new infrastructure for the preparation, transportation, and storage of hydrogen. Liquefaction maximizes storage and transport efficiency, but is particularly challenging in distributed systems because of the extremely low temperatures required. While fuel reformer technology is constantly improving, storing and transporting the fuels for on- ...

Plasma fusion promises safer, lower cost, power generation with no carbon emissions. Of concern in all plasma fusion systems is the ability of reduced activation ferritic martensitic (RAFM) structural materials to not only withstand operating conditions but to limit the amount of tritium permeation. Tritium retention/transmission not only creates a safety hazard but also increases operational cost ...

Planetary missions (e.g., Pioneer, Cassini, or Voyager) and applications with moderate power draw and increased mobility requirements (e.g., Curiosity) demand ~100s We-class continuous power sources with high reliability and robustness. To avoid the risks and challenges associated with mechanical-to-electrical energy conversion, including the use of working fluids and bearings, solid-state convert ...

Hydraulic fracturing has dramatically changed the outlook for recoverable oil and gas, initially in the United States and now worldwide. Geologic formations that were previously considered un-­‐economic are now producing a significant percentage of global oil and gas output. However, for the producer, the effectiveness of the "fracking" procedure and expected return on the fracking investment f ...

In this program, QuesTek Innovations LLC, a leader in the field of computational materials design, proposes to develop a robust creep modeling toolkit that expands its computational Materials by Design® technology, in order to predict the long term creep performance of materials for base alloys and weldments in fossil energy systems under wide thermal and mechanical conditions. Precipitation mode ...