Award Data

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 ...

Compared with conventional processes used to produce many oxygenated chemicals, processes based on the selective catalytic oxidation of alkanes to produce oxygenates could yield enormous economic, energy, and environmental benefits. However, commercial development of such processes has been hindered, in part, because the excessive heat released by alkane oxidation causes over-oxidation (burning) ...

Laser Technology Inc. (LTI) proposes a Phase II SBIR research project to further develop a Compact Shearography System, Analysis Method and Software for micro-crack detection in concrete. There is an urgent need to detect and characterize fine cracks in concrete that form because of various damage mechanisms including alkali-silicate reaction, delayed ettringite formation or frost damage. Fine s ...

This project will develop the magnets needed to create bright muon beams for many applications ranging from scientific accelerators and storage rings, to beams to study material properties and new sources of energy. The Helical Cooling Channel (HCC), a new technique for six-dimensional (6D) cooling of muon beams using a continuous absorber inside superconducting magnets, has shown considerable pro ...

Physics experiments often use low-energy beams of unstable particles that stop in a target in order to provide high sensitivity to rare processes with reduced backgrounds. However, the stopping rate in the target is limited by the dynamics of the production process and by multiple scattering and energy straggling in the material used to slow the particles. As a result, the event rates and sensiti ...

The recovery of heat currently wasted in exhaust gases can reduce fuel consumption in almost every commercial and industrial sector. In the electricity generation sector alone, even modest improvements in energy recovery effectiveness would result in billions of dollars in savings annually. New materials made from conductive graphite have created a significant opportunity to produce heat exchang ...

When ethanol is produced from corn, only the starch is transformed, and a significant amount of byproducts is produced. If these byproducts, which are rich in sugars, could be made into a valuable product, the cost-effectiveness of ethanol production will be enhanced. One such potential product is xylitol, a five-carbon polyalcohol that has gained acceptance as a natural food sweetener that can ...

During Phase 1 of the project, Sharma & Associates, Inc. developed a concept for high speed freight truck intended for 70-ton, regular freight and bi-modal operation, at speeds up to 150 mph. The truck uses a rigid frame and an indpendent, compliant, primary suspension for its basic architecture. Constant contact side-bearings and yaw dampers were also added to improve dynamic performance. Vehi ...

Development of the basic EMAT based transverse rail defect detector has progressed toward finished form, as envisioned in the original solicitation. This modification is intended to produce a demonstratable version of a 2-rail detection system with automated signal interpertation. The objectives of this work are to: a. Further develop the system into a functioning 2-rail detection system, as ori ...