Award Data

In the defense industry today, high level SysML system models are used by engineers beginning early in the design process to functionally decompose the system being designed and to flow down requirements to sub-systems and components. Despite their usefulness, these system models are by and large descriptive models and not analytical (executable) models. In contrast, domain level engineers (struct ...

Current cooling systems are limited by the heat carrying capacity of the fluid, which is in turn limited by the pumping technology to move the fluid. This proposal allows a much higher heat capacity in the fluid, due to allowing the fluid to go from a 5% to 95% quality within the cooling circuit, which is enabled by an innovative and unique pumping technology that will be developed in this proposa ...

The objective of this proposal is to further explore and refine the use of hydrogen based propellants for use in high velocity gun systems. This proposal will build on the ongoing and very novel research being conducted with direct combustion of hydrogen-oxygen mixtures at high initial pressures. While the research performed to date has demonstrated the performance potential inherent in this app ...

This Phase II research expands Phase I research on Saccharina latissima and is to design and develop “seed” nursery methodologies for the development of commercial-scale production of juvenile kelp plants including Alaria esculenta and Laminaria digitata. The project objectives include: 1. Isolate and maintain cultures of New England species of Alaria esculenta and laminaria digitata to be use ...

Storm surge poses a grave threat to both life and property as hurricanes make landfall. The ability to monitor surge in real-time using a densely-space network of sensors with integrated data recording and telemetry would provide NOAA with a unique capability. Our approach is to offer a system which incorporates a flexible multi-modal data acquisition platform with integrated telemetry for real-ti ...

The structural degradation of fusion reactor components within high temperature magnetically confined plasma environments is a well-known problem. The high heat flux associated with the plasma, in addition to sputtering and thermal cycling, leads to detrimental erosion and cracking of the plasma facing components (PFCs) which tile the reactor walls. At present, no evaluation method exists that wil ...

The primary challenges associated with Very High Temperature Reactors (VHTR) stem from their extremely high operating temperatures, especially during accident conditions which way has necessitated new material systems to be developed for most of the core construction, including fuel. There currently exists no method to directly measure peak fuel temperature in emerging Gen-IV reactors. Lambda Inst ...

Statement of Problem: Light water reactor fuel used in current reactors uses slightly enriched uranium oxide (UO2) fuel pellets with zirconium alloy (zircaloy) clad. Zircaloy clad loses all of its tensile strength at temperatures of 500 oC, and balloons outward during the early phases of a loss of coolant accident, thereby blocking the flow of emergency coolant. Also, it reacts exothermically when ...

The primary challenges associated with Very High Temperature Reactors (VHTR) stem from their extremely high operating temperatures, especially during accident conditions which way has necessitated new material systems to be developed for most of the core construction, including fuel. There currently exists no method to characterize the mechanical properties of advanced refractory materials used in ...

This DOE SBIR/STTR program will result in the commercialization of a low-cost anostructured composite thermoelectric device. Such devices represent the next generation solution for an increasingly strained energy market by converting existing waste heat into electrical power. More waste heat is generated by the combination of industry and automobiles than the total contribution of all renewable en ...