Award Data

78953 In the fabrication of powder-in-tube (PIT) Nb3Sn superconductors, needed for high energy physics applications, the particle size distribution limits the final filament size to which the strand can be drawn. In previous work, a virtual impactor (VI) aerosol particle sizing process was developed to process powders with near-zero-defect removal of all particles larger than a desired threshol ...

78000 One way to reduce greenhouse gases is to sequester carbon dioxide. Once sequestered, a bioconversion process can convert carbon dioxide into methane, an environmentally friendly energy source. The process requires an abundance of hydrogen, which is present in the hydrogen-rich coal macerals and paraffin. This project will develop techniques to accelerate the in situ biomethanation of sequ ...

76059S In order to safely remove transuranic waste (TRU) and mixed low-level waste buried in the subsurface disposal areas (SDAs), it is important to anticipate exactly what materials are directly below the surface. This project will develop neutron-based, logging tools that can identify TRU and volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the vicinity of probe holes, thereby permitting safer retrieval ...

75661S The production of hydrogen fuel from renewable resources such as solar and wind in distributed-generation, small-scale applications would provide an environmentally-benign, truly sustainable transportation fuel supply. But before this can be achieved, the hydrogen generating systems must become as reliable as home appliances (e.g., central air conditioning or furnaces), which require only ...

79729S Ocean currents constitute a potentially enormous renewable energy resource; however, existing technologies for capturing this energy are only in the prototype stage, are small in scale (less than 1 megawatt), and are not grid-connected. Although there is a considerable overlap in technology with the more mature field of wind energy, new robust technologies will have to be developed that ar ...

79659S As direct drive wind turbines increase in size, the diameter of their generators increases to the point where it is no longer possible to ship them as a single unit. While some companies have addressed this issue by using wound rotor generators that can be assembled on site, this approach suffers from the inherent lower efficiency and reliability of the wound rotor technology. To date, no ...

78150B The catalytic reforming of diesel fuel in Solid Oxide Fuel Cell (SOFC) systems must overcome a number of challenging issues: (1) the deactivation of the catalyst by sintering and sulfur poising; (2) the requirement for a large fuel processing system as a result of high space velocity requirements; and (3) the lack of durability of the catalysts, which require frequent replacement due to "c ...

78072S III-V nitride-based, high brightness, UV and visible light emitting diodes (LEDs) are of a great interest for general illumination, but the low light output efficiencies of current high brightness LEDs are still inadequate. A key material issue preventing the achievement of higher light output efficiency in LEDs is the poor crystalline quality of the nitride epitaxial layers that result fr ...

75604S The U.S. government sponsors and supports various programs to monitor nuclear explosions through seismic, hydroacoustic, and infrasound data collection stations. These stations are typically deployed in remote areas all over the world. However, current remote data acquisition station technology is limited by (1) poor data quality and reliability and (2) high installation, operation, and ...

78925B ¿Clean energy¿ is attracting more and more interest, which in turn exerts cost pressure on photovoltaic (PV) manufacturers for more efficient solar panel production. This project will develop a cost-effective technology to produce PV-grade silicon wafers. In particular, a reuseable crucible will be developed for the production of high purity, low oxygen content crystalline silicon ingot ...