Award Data

60633 Fuel cells are widely viewed as the most desirable future power generation method, because of their unique combination of high efficiency, low emissions, size flexibility, and quiet operation. Despite these unique features, the high cost of fuel cells compared with competing technologies has prevented commercial introduction. One of the key factors that increases fuel cell power plant ...

60311 There are economic and environmental justifications for replacing conventional distillation processes with simpler membrane separations in certain applications. However, at present, there are no commercial membranes able to withstand the aggressive conditions associated with important industrial chemicals, including hydrogen fluoride, hydrogen chloride, and ozone. Prototype, chemic ...

60395 Emissions of volatile organic compounds (VOC) from gasoline refueling facilities continue to be an energy, safety, and environmental issue. In such applications, it is desired to vent the air in the system and keep the VOC behind. This project will develop a reverse separation membrane (RSM) system that allows for rapid venting of air while retaining the gasoline in underground storag ...

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 ...

X-RAY AND NEUTRON SCATTERING ARE POWERFUL TECHNIQUES FOR STRUCTUAL MEASUREMENTS ON SOLIDS AND LIQUIDS. ALTHOUGH STRUCTURAL ANALYSES OF HIGH TEMPERATURE MATERIALS ARE IMPORTANT, THEY HAVE BEEN LIMITED BY TWO SOURCES OF ERROR. FIRST, THE MATERIALS OF INTEREST BECOME CONTAMINATED BY REACTION WITH THEIR CONTAINERS. SECOND, THE CONTAINERS PRODUCE UNWANTED SCATTERING AND ABSORPTION OF THE PROBE BEAMS ...

ALTHOUGH THIS NATION HAS SOME OF THE GREATEST COAL RESERVES IN THE WORLD, MANY OF THEM WILL REMAIN UNUSABLE UNTIL TECHNOLOGY IS DEVELOPED TO MEET BOTH CLEAN AIR ACT MANDATES AND NEW SOURCE PERFORMANCE STANDARDS (NSPS) FOR PARTICULATE, SULFUR DIOXIDE (SO2), AND NITROUS OXIDE EMISSIONS, EFFECTIVELY AND ECONOMICALLY. RECENT BREAKTHROUGHS IN PARTICULATE CONTROL, SPECIFICALLY CERAMIC FILTRATION TECHNO ...

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 ...