Award Data

Individual differences in vulnerability to sleep loss and fatigue from extended work hours and night work are a substantial problem in transportation work schedule development, fatigue risk management strategies, and prediction of performance impairment in real-world operations. This project will deliver an individualized Fatigue Management Program (FMP) technology for trucking operations that in ...

Hard chromium coatings (0.25 to10 mil thick) are used extensively for imparting wear and erosion resistance to components in both industrial and military applications. The most common means of depositing hard chromium has been through the use of chromic acid baths containing hexavalent chromium (Cr+6). However, as a result of its toxicity, exposure levels of Cr+6 have been limited. An alternati ...

Agave BioSystems in collaboration with Carl A. Batt proposes to develop decon-nanoparticles, which will leverage ongoing opportunities in enzyme engineering and the fabrication of functionalized magnetic nanoparticles. Enhanced performance will be engineered into the system to improve the catalytic degradation of chemical agents. Through an iterative process optimizing the particles and the enzy ...

This program exceeded all key milestones. Using cellulose Waste, CMS demonstrated novel ethanol drying membranes via small scale dephlegmation process that yields fuel grade ethanol (FGE) at a lower cost than large switch grass ethanol plants. This success yields positive value for cellulose waste. We achieved targeted EPA goals of developing low cost environmentally friendly systems to enhance re ...

Although water recycle and reuse is considered good environmental practice, its implementation is highly dependent upon the economics and hence can be challenging to implement. An example is the recovery of low quality heat as water condensate from industrial flue gases. In this case, tremendous quantities of energy and water are lost out the stack in the US today, since no conventional condensing ...

This proposed project directly addresses an U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) calling for “improved detection and measurement techniques including screening kits for algal neurotoxins (especially cyanobacterial anatoxin) and cytotoxins in drinking water systems.” Bloom-forming cyanobacteria have been observed in water bodies, including drinking water reservoirs all over the world. Se ...

Fuels derived from cellulosic biomass offer an alternative to conventional energy sources that supports national economic growth, national energy security, and environmental goals. In the 2007 State of the Union address, President Bush called for 35 billion gallons of alternative fuel use in the United States by 2017, which would replace 20 percent of the nation’s petroleum consumption. Cellulos ...

This proposal describes the application of a mature nanotechnology-based crack arrest / structural repair technology as a novel crack arrestor tool for high-strength pipelines. The crack arrestor would comprise a thin layer or sleeve of electrodeposited nanocrystalline material applied to the outside of the pipe either in the coating mill during fabrication or in-field during or following constru ...

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 ...

The TEXAS Model for Intersection Traffic is a high-quality single-intersection microscopic traffic simulation model developed at The University of Texas at Austin. It analyzes in sub microscopic detail the behavior of driver-vehicle units as they go through an intersection and intermix with other traffic flows. It has detailed intersection geometry, path following, microscopic car following, lan ...