Award Data

Higher Field Magnets, used in high energy physics (HEP) research, demand higher field materials such as Bi2212 round superconducting wire. The Bi2212 wire-manufacturing process depends on the coil-fabrication method and wire-insulation material. For example, the wind-and-react method requires the coil to be uniformly heated to the melt temperature and uniformly cooled to the solidification tempe ...

High-performance optical networks play a pivotal role within the DOE complex by enabling high-bandwidth communication and collaboration over long distances. The problem, however, is that optical networks do not have the same buffering capacity as electrical networks, and, thus, they require new techniques and protocols to share optical links. Many current techniques result in poor network utiliz ...

In the U.S., the annual production of 4.6 billion pounds of nylon starts with the liquid-phase oxidation of 3.5 billion pounds of cyclohexane to KA-oil (a mixture of cyclohexanone and cyclohexanol) and the subsequent oxidation of the latter to adipic acid with HNO3. The liquid-phase cyclohexane process, which operates at only 4-10% cyclohexane conversion, is the ¿least efficient¿ industrial pro ...

More sensitive detection methods leading to early diagnosis could significantly impact the treatment of cancer and other diseases and dramatically increase survival rates. However, current methods used to detect disease indicators do not have the needed sensitivity and often are effective only once the indicator concentration has reached a critical level. Nanotechnology-enabled probes, which can ...

High-brigntess LEDs, used in general lighting applications today, are limited in luminous output by their ability to manage heat and light efficiency simultaneously. Advanced material systems are sought to improve the thermal conduction of heat from the LED to the environment. By demonstrating improved thermal management while maintaining good optical charactersitics, these advanced material syst ...

Sections of the electrical distribution system often are so heavily loaded that voltage regulation and reliability deteriorate. Distributed generation units, which are capable of injecting real and reactive power into heavily loaded sections of the distribution system, can correct this problem. Highly reliable (99.9% minimum availability), cost-effective (less than $100/KW in quantity) energy co ...

Graphite-based Thermal Interface Materials (TIM) can provide lower thermal resistance and thus enable thermal management solutions that improve the operating range for a wide variety of power electronic systems. In this project, two proprietary processes, combustion chemical vapor deposition (CCVD) and NanoSpray, will be utilized to synthesize nanostructured composite coatings, which will demonst ...

The Radiological Aerosol Sampler/Analyzer (RASA) has proven to be one of the most authoritative monitoring systems for detecting and confirming nuclear explosions, as required for implementing the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty (CTBT). Because these monitors must be deployed worldwide under extreme environmental conditions, their reliability and ease of use is crucial to their acceptance. The f ...

One of the most widely used geophysical methods for monitoring flow within the shallow subsurface is Electrical Resistivity Tomography (ERT). The latest generation of ERT systems can monitor data to a precision of around 1%, allowing in situ changes to be interpreted within a few percent. In turn, subsurface temperature changes can be monitored to within a few degrees Centigrade, low levels of t ...

Currently, direct-coal liquefaction processes produce limited yields of moderate-quality liquid products, which are not cost-effective compared to petroleum-based liquid fuels. This project will develop a novel catalytic process for the liquefaction of coal into liquid fuels. Phase I provided a proof-of-concept regarding the ability of the catalyst and the processing technology to produce high q ...