Award Data

Michigan Aerospace Corporation proposes to develop an inexpensive system to sense nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from agricultural fields using laser-based sensors mounted on drones. These sensors include an optical absorption cell, a wind sensor, and a camera for plant health and ground assessment. The measurements from these sensors will be combined and processed with artificial-intelligence-enab ...

This project focuses on the design, integration and optimization of a flexible natural gas combined cycle plant with carbon capture, capable of operating in a highly variable renewable energy environment. Renewable energy sources such as wind and solar power offer unique solutions in our quest to reduce global carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. However, the increasing penetration of these high variab ...

There is a clear scientific consensus on the role of anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions in the unusually wild fluctuations of global climate patterns over the last century. To that end there has been an exponential growth of investments in “clean tech”, and mainly in direct air capture (DAC). Verdox, Inc. aims to introduce a radically novel technology to the field which presents a paradigm ...

Food production, and in particular animal-derived meat products, are a major source of green-house gases, compounded by the remarkable inefficiency in biomass conversion (grain to dense muscle tissue in meat), along with growing challenges with food safety, quality and nutrition. To address this growing problem, we propose to exploit the emerging field of cellular agriculture (tissue engineering o ...

Per- and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PF AS) have been widely used in everyday consumer products. Landfills are the final repository for the PF AS-containing products and wastes, and consequently, one of the major sources of PF AS to the environment. Elevated concentrations of PFAS in leachate have raised concerns regarding disposal of leachate. Yet, cost-effective treatment technologies for PF AS ...

We propose an ethylene-oxide monitor with ultra-low limit of detection based on sensitive and selective optical measurement technology.Due to recently lowered exposure limits for ethylene oxide (EtO) in ambient air to 1 1 parts per trillion (long-term,1 0-4 risk level) monitoring EtO will require advanced technology. Current methods require sample trapping and preconcentration to achieve an accept ...

Acrolein has been identified by the U.S. Clean Air Act as a hazardous air pollutant because of its adverse health effect, particularly on respiratory systems. There are both anthropogenic and natural sources of acrolein in the environment. Acrolein is produced by combustion sources (e.g., vehicle exhaust, prescribed agricultural burning, cigarette smoke) and industrial sources, i ...

The goal of this Phase I project is to develop a new “Sparker” process for treating organic hazardous contaminants in water and liquid waste, including persistent and bioaccumulative and toxic chemicals (PBTs), and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Sparker technology also has potential for in situ treatment of dense non-aqueous phase liquids (DNAPLs) and sludge. Sparkers a ...

Mercury is a toxic, volatile metal that is used in electrical switches, relays, and motion detectors because of its electrical conductivity, low volatility, and fluid properties over a large temperature range. Mercury is released into the atmosphere during incineration of trash containing discarded electrical switches, relays, and motion detectors and rapidly migrates to the aquatic environme ...

Perchlorate is a widely used component of solid fuel, missile and rocket propellants, explosives, and pyrotechnics. It has been shown to reduce iodide uptake into the thyroid gland. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has found perchlorate contamination in 18 states and believes contamination may exist in as many as 39 states. In early January 2005, the National Academy of Science ...