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 ...

Volatile natural gas prices are negatively impacting the U.S. industrial sector, which consumes approximately 6.6 trillion cubic feet of natural gas annually. Over the last 24 months, natural gas prices have fluctuated between $5 and $12 per MMBtu, resulting in high and unpredictable fuel costs for the industrial sector. With abundant coal resources, an opportunity exists for the U.S. industrial ...

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 ...

CERAMIC COMPOSITES SUCH AS SILICON CARBIDE (SIC) MATRIX/SIC FIBER ARE BOTH ENABLING AND ENHANCING TECHNOLOGY FOR A VARIETY OF ADVANCED SYSTEMS, INCLUDING NUCLEAR FUSION APPLICATIONS. HOWEVER, CURRENTLY AVAILABLE SIC FIBERS DO NOT POSSES THE CHEMICAL AND MICROSTRUCTURAL STABILITY AT HIGH TEMPERATURES FOR APPLICATIONS OF SUCH COMPOSITES. THE PROCESSES OF SIC MATRIX FORMING GENERALLY RESULT IN HIGH P ...

FULLERENES, ALSO KNOWN AS BUCKYBALLS, HAVE BEEN THE FOCUS OF VERY INTENSE SCIENTIFIC INVESTIGATIONS SINCE THE RECENT ANNOUNCEMENT OF THEIR DISCOVERY. EVIDENCE NOW SUGGESTS THAT IT MAY BE POSSIBLE TO TAILOR THE DIMENSIONS AND CONFIGURATIONS OF THE FULLERENES TO PRODUCE THE TUBULAR SHAPES WHICH HAVE BEEN TERMED "BUCKYTUBES". RESEARCHERS HAVE DEMONSTRATED THAT A TUBULAR SHAPE CAN BE SYNTHESIZED, ISOL ...

The recent discovery of a negative magnetocaloric effect in CoMnT1-xT¿x alloys (where T, T¿ = Si, Ge, Sn) at room temperature opens new prospects for the development of high-efficiency solid micro-cooling devices. This project will combine these novel alloys with cutting edge technology for microchannel regenerators to develop lightweight, compact, low cost, and environmentally friendly cooling ...

THE OBJECTIVES OF THIS RESEARCH PROJECT ARE TO DEVELOP AND TEST ULTRASONIC THERMOMETERS WITH NON-METAL SENSING ELEMENTS FOR TEMPERATURE MEASUREMENT AND CONTROL IN HIGHLY CORROSIVE MANUFACTURING ENVIRONMENTS. CANDIDATE NON-METAL MATERIALS FOR THE SENSING ELEMENT INCLUDE SAPPHIRE, ZIRCONIUM OXIDE, GRAPHITE,SILICON CARBIDE, AND HAFNIUM OXIDE. THE PHASE I RESEARCH CONCENTRATES ON THE DESIGN, FABRICATI ...

DIRECT ENERGY CONVERSION EMPLOYING GALLIUM-ANTIMONY THERMOPHOTOVOLTAIC (TPV) CELLS CAN ACHIEVE CONVERSION EFFICIENCIES AND SPECIFIC POWER (W/KG) ABOUT TWICE AS HIGH AS THE ACHIEVABLE EFFICIENCIES AND SPECIFIC POWER FOR THERMOELECTRIC CONVERSION. ON THE OTHER HAND, THERMOPHOTOVOLTAIC CELLS MUST OPERATE BELOW 350 K, VERSUS 550 K FOR THERMOELECTRIC CELLS. THE REDUCED OPERATING TEMPERATURE INCREASES T ...

THE POWER OUTPUT OF GYROTRONS USED IN THE FUSION PROGRAM IS LIMITED BY THE COOLING OF THE MICROWAVE CAVITY. EXISTING DESIGNS CAN EXTRACT A HEAT FLUX OF 1 TO 3 KW/CM(2). THE RUSSIANS HAVE REPORTED A FLUX OF 4 TO 5 KW/CM(2) USING POROUS METAL HEAT TRANSFER. POROUS METAL HEAT TRANSFER USES A THIN POROUS LAYER OF METAL POWDER UNDER A FACESHEET, WHICH IS BONDED TO A COOLANT SUPPLY/REMOVAL PLATE. THE LA ...