Award Data

The recent emergence of the Silicon Drift detector (SDD), for use in Energy Dispersive x-ray Spectroscopy (EDS), has made possible x-ray event streams with input count rates in the range of 1-10 Mcps. Modern digital pulse processors are therefore required to run at fast time constants to achieve reasonable throughput; however, this causes significant coincidence artifacts to appear in the spectrum ...

Currently, there is no standardized process for assessing the accessibility of recreation elements used for outdoor recreation, picnic and camping facilities although standards for specific outdoor recreation elements exist, the Forest Service Outdoor Recreation Accessibility Guidelines and the draft US Access Board Regulatory Negotiation Committee on Accessibility Guidelines for Outdoor Developed ...

In the 2007 State of the Union address, President Bush called for 35 billion gallons of alternative fuel use in the US by 2017 which would replace 20% of the nation's petroleum consumption. It is apparent that this goal cannot be achieved with existing technology and existing feedstocks alone. New technology is needed to improve the conversion of non-grain (cellulosic) feedstocks. In the US, total ...

Situation or Problem In order to provide timely and reliable assessments of the global crop market, it is necessary to move from limited, in situ crop assessments to operational crop monitoring on regional and global scales with multi-temporal remotely sensed (RS) data. Due to timeliness requirements and large volumes of imagery needed for operational agricultural monitoring, it is important that ...

This research examines the use of solid metal catalysts to solve two interrelated problems associated with current biodiesel process technologies: the use of toxic chemicals in the conventional production process and the economic feasibility of processing feedstock with high water and free fatty acid content. The potential gains include the reduction of toxic chemicals in the process, the eliminat ...

Modern supercontinuum (SC) light sources are generated by non-linear interactions between ultrashort pulse lasers and optical fibers. Output in near-ultraviolet to near-infrared wavelength ranges has been demonstrated. These light sources have high brightness and are spatially coherent. Recently, output to 4.5 µm was achieved using fluoride glass fibers; optical absorption by the fiber prevents l ...

The U.S. forest products industry had sales of $262B in 1997, of which two thirds was used for building construction. The use of wood for home construction is an effective, efficient, environmentally friendly, renewable construction material. A key issue in using wood materials in construction is their susceptibility to mold, fungi, and termite infestation resulting in over $10B combined damage pe ...

Ornamentals are one of the most valuable sectors of the nations specialty crop industry. They not only provide an essential source of income and jobs for those involved in the industry but also serve to enrich the quality of life for gardeners and the general public alike. Although the tools of biotechnology have been successfully used for the development of commodity grain and fiber crops they ha ...

Biodiesel production using supercritical alcohols is fast, clean, and can treat lower-quality fats and oils than can the usual method of base catalysis. The supercritical method has not been considered practical because of the economic and safety issues associated with the high temperatures, high pressures, and amount of excess alcohol required. The proposed innovation overcomes these objections, ...

Erosion control Best Management Practices (BMPs) have been developed for many situations, including building construction, highway construction, and stormwater management. As increasing awareness of the costs of erosion has occurred (soil loss, damage, water quality degradation) the number of erosion control materials available has increased. Restoration Technologies has worked with its collaborat ...