Award Data

Bio-ethanol penetration into the marketplace is limited by its cost, making it non-competitive with petroleum-based fuels. Energy consumed during fermentation and distillation steps accounts for 17% of the total cost. Because fermentation is exothermic, the reactor must be cooled to preserve mesophilic microbial viability. Then, the product must then be heated to vaporize the ethanol for purificat ...

Membrane reactors have the potential to improve reactivity and productivity of various chemical syntheses, including transesterification. However, to be of value, these systems must provide a higher use temperature, improved chemical resistance, and better mass transfer. This project will identify chemically- and thermally-resistant membrane components, fabricate a membrane reactor based on thes ...

Membrane reactors have the potential to improve the reactivity and productivity of various chemical syntheses, including enzymatic water sensitive reactions. To be of value, reactors with higher use temperature, improved chemical resistance, and better mass transfer systems are desired. This project will develop improved mass transfer technology for membrane reactors and evaluate its ability to ...

Many refinery product streams, particularly those from Ultra Low Hydrodesulfurisation units, are prone to haze due to water emulsions. Haze is also problematic for biodiesel production, as hazy fuel cannot be used until the haze settles or is removed, which creates costly scheduling and shipping delays. This project will develop a novel membrane process for the removal of dissolved and dispersed ...

Process intensification methodologies are need for the chemical processes and bioprocesses used in a biorefinery, in order to make the biorefinery a viable commercial alternative to the production of fuels and chemicals. Because the molecular mixing of reactants can enhance reactions, it is a key to process intensification. Significant process inefficiencies can occur (especially with highly react ...

Renewable energy sources include electrical generators driven by steam from geothermal sources. Submersible pumps with extended service lives are required to improve the economics of today¿s geothermal systems. A major problem is corrosive wear experienced by the pump bearings, when the lubricating brine becomes contaminated with fine sand particles. Typically, the bearings are hardened with WC/C ...

This proposal responds to DOT topic 081-PH2 "Hazardous Materials (Using Handheld Devices to Assist in Emergency Response to Hazardous Materials Incidents)." The significant innovation in this project involves extending cutting edge tools developed to enhance situation awareness among first responders with appropriate hazmat and traffic information to create a framework for interperting traffic re ...

The production of biodiesel around the world is increasing at an astonishing pace. In the U.S., total annual production capacity is expected to be almost 2 billion gallons by the end of 2008. At this production rate, over 660,000 metric tons of glycerol will be produced as a by-product each year ¿ over 2.5 times the current U.S. glycerol production capacity ¿ creating a glycerol glut with few ...

Research is proposed to develop a locking mechanism for intercity (Amtrak) rotating seats that can be retro-fit to existing seats. Current intercity rail seats, according to the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB), present a safety hazard to the riding public. Post accident investigations show that passenger rail seats were found to have been uncontrollably rotated even though current se ...

This project will develop a cost-effective analytical technology platform for identifying and measuring concentrations of greenhouse gases such as carbon dioxide, methane, and nitrous oxide and trace greenhouse gas constituents such as carbon monoxide. The proposed analytical platform is based on Penning Ionization Electron Spectroscopy (PIES) in plasma. PIES technology relies on a simple analog ...