Award Data

Tomographic SAR is a data collection and processing technology that produces true 3-D volumetric imagery. This approach offers significant benefits for enhanced imagery through clutter rejection, enhanced target definition, and better resolution. Tomographic SAR has been demonstrated at UHF frequencies where it has shown benefits in concealed target detection, improved feature extraction and cha ...

As part of its mission to protect human health and the environment, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency develops and promotes innovative cleanup strategies that restore contaminated sites to productive use, reduce associated costs, and promotes environmental stewardship. Testing and characterization of the environment for potentially harmful contaminants is a costly endeavor. Current technolo ...

OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, THE EPA HAS DEVOTED MAJOR EF- FORTS TO IDENTIFY AND DOCUMENT THE MAGNITUDE OF THE RISKS OFENVIRONMENTAL POLLUTION DUE TO LEAKING UDERGROUND STORAGE TANKS (UST). IN APRIL 1987, THE EPA PUBLISHED THE PROPOSED REGULATIONS FOR THE OWNERS AND OPERATORS OF UST, WHICH ARE EXPECTED TO BE FINALIZEDD IN EARLY 1988. THESE REGULATIONS INCLUDE REQUIREMENTS FOR TANK TIGHTNESS TESTS, ...

To maximize the utility of spectral imagery sensors it is essential that processing techniques for data from these sensors are highly automated, provide high probability of target detection with low false alarm rates, and offer a reliable confidence assessment capability. The detection and false alarm probabilities required for a hyperspectral sensor to be a useful intelligence asset varies based ...

Chlorinated hydrocarbons represent the most prevalent contaminants in the subsurface, threatening the quality of groundwater at aquifers. Existing technologies for monitoring these contaminants require expensive, labor-intensive methods of sample collection and analysis. The goal of this Phase I research project is to develop a low-cost, compact, reliable, automated, unattended, and long-term mo ...

Chlorinated hydrocarbons represent the most prevalent contaminants in the subsurface, threatening the quality of groundwater at aquifers. Existing technologies for monitoring these contaminants require expensive, labor-intensive methods of sample collection and analysis. The goal of this Phase I research project is to develop a low-cost, compact, reliable, automated, unattended, and lo ...

Some bioterrorism agents cause disease at very low infective doses and their presence can be masked by the environment. Therefore, ultrasensitive detection is required for homeland defense applications. In this Phase I research project, Operational Technologies Corporation (OpTech) proposes to couple DNA aptamers made by the Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential Enrichment (SELEX) proce ...

Some bioterrorism agents cause disease at very low infective doses and their presence can be masked by the environment. Therefore, ultrasensitive detection is required for homeland defense applications. In this Phase I research project, Operational Technologies Corporation (OpTech) proposes to couple DNA aptamers made by the Systematic Evolution of Ligands by Exponential Enrichment (SE ...

THIS PROJECT INVESTIGATES THE FEASIBILITY OF USING CERAMIC CLADDING MATERIALS TO REPLACE THE METALLIC CLADDING MATERIALS NOW USED WITH WATER REACTOR FUEL. SHOULD FEASIBILITY BE DETERMINED, AND EVENTUALLY COMMERCIALIZED, THE ABILITY OF WATER REACTORS TO WITHSTAND SEVERE ACCIDENTS WOULD BE ENHANCED. WITH TODAYS METAL CLAD FUEL, A RELATIVELY SHORT TIME PERIOD IS AVAILABLE AFTER A LOSS OF COOLANT ACCI ...

THERE ARE NUMEROUS INDUSTRIAL PROCESSES REQUIRING THAT MATERIAL BE HEATED AND THEN SUBSEQUENTLY COOLED. IF MOST OF THIS HEAT IS RECOVERED AND RECYCLED TO THE OVEN, THE NET POWER INPUT TO THE OVEN COULD BE SUBSTANTIALLY REDUCED. THE KEY TO ACCOMPLISHING THIS IS AN INCREASE OF THE HEAT TRANSFER COEFFICIENT BETWEEN GAS AND MATERIAL SO THAT THE HEAT EXCHANGERS ARE RESASONABLY COMPACT. SIMPLE EXPERIMEN ...