Award Data

Neutron scattering is a powerful technique that is critically important for materials science and structural biology applications. Pressurized 3He tubes are widely used in this field. However, the severe 3He shortage prevents this medium from satisfying even current installation upgrades. Clearly other detection media and instrumentation techniques must be found to come close to taking full advant ...

"To enable the future needs of efficient computing for edge data centers, Flexnode and its partners, the University of Maryland (UMD), Boeing, Iceotope, SHoP Architects, and Arup, propose to develop a prefabricated modular micro data center with unprecedented energy efficiency and power density. The proposed system leverages four key component and system-level technology advancements: (a) a novel, ...

WH-Power (WattHour-Power, or WHP) and University of Maryland (Profs. Chunsheng Wang and Laingbing Hu) propose to produce a high entropy electrolyte (HEE) and pulp based low-cost zinc battery with –80 ˚C to 80 ˚C operation temperature range for stationary storage (grid and residential energy storage). The zinc-pulp battery is inherently safe, the cost to produce and use the battery is low, and ...

Most end-of-life electronics (e-waste) end up in landfills where it causes serious environmental problems. While the glass and metals in e-waste components can be recycled, conventional extraction methods rely on energy-intensive processes that are inefficient and expensive when applied to e-waste that contains mixed materials and small amounts of metals. To make e-waste recycling economically via ...

Development of a Near-Infrared passive scanner using sunlight to detect and measure methane emissions at an oil or gas production wellpad. The proposed system will provide continuous daily measurements for less than the annualized cost of currently mandated biannual surveys. This fixed-position sensor system will provide operators the ability to continuously monitor their operations for fugitive e ...

This project integrates a collection of advanced surface chemistry, colloidal engineering and high-throughput characterization followed by standard testing and pilot demonstration to manufacture insulating nanofluids (NF) for large power transformer (LPT) oil, with a projected lifetime of >80 years. The key cause of transformer failure is overheating, which becomes more likely over time due to bre ...

Half of the world’s population lives in urban watersheds. In order to predict how these watersheds will behave under current and future weather dynamics (e.g. if , how and where flooding would occur due to intense rainfall), we need dense measurements of river stage and river velocity. Current instruments are too expensive to deploy in the quantities needed to provide these dense measurements. A ...

Half of the world’s population lives in urban watersheds. In order to predict how these watersheds will behave under current and future weather dynamics (e.g. if , how and where flooding would occur due to intense rainfall), we need dense measurements of river stage and river velocity. Current instruments are too expensive to deploy in the quantities needed to provide these dense measurements. A ...

"Harnessing the quantum state of nature holds tremendous potential for creating new quantum technologies that surpass the capabilities of current systems. To create these new technologies, precise control over the quantum state must be maintained while simultaneously suppressing noise processes that would otherwise lead to decoherence and system failure. This project will address the need for effi ...

Spatial and temporal variability of soil carbon stocks and soil environmental drivers that cause the production and flux of nitrous oxide (N2O) across agricultural systems create challenges for cost effective quantification of N2O emissions and soil carbon stock changes at scale. Technological innovations sensor technologies, remote sensing technologies, cost effective metagenomics sequencing and ...