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The current dependence of the United States on foreign oil has sparked enormous interest in the use of biofuels, specifically cellulosic biofuels. Cellulosic biofuels are a carbon neutral, renewable resource, and their use could drastically curtail total carbon dioxide emissions while also reducing U.S. dependence on foreign oil. Worldwide biomass energy resources are estimated at 2 x 1021 J per y ...

Expansion and restoration of the longleaf pine timber type is highly dependent on outreach to non-industrial private forests and landowners. Over 60% of longleaf or longleaf-oak timber types are in non-industrial private ownership. Private consultants and state foresters provide much of the technical advice and services to private landowners within the longleaf pine range. Longleaf pine ecosystems ...

In controlled environment agricultural (CEA) systems (greenhouses and indoor plant production facilities) light is the most energy consuming, and yet the least controlled, input factor for plant growth. Plants can dissipate up to 80% of the absorbed light energy as heat through physiological protective mechanisms (non photochemical quenching) and this light cannot be used for plant growth. Light e ...

This project is a subset of a larger project which has the goal of generating electricity from changes in atmospheric temperature through space and time. The near term goal is to provide a higly durable power source for agricultural sensors so that farmers will not have to change batteries or rely on brittle photovoltaic cells. Longer term applications include scaling the tecnology to power remote ...

The blue crab industry in the U.S. struggles to compete with cheap, imported crabmeat due to low offshore labor costs. Furthermore, a primary challenge for the industry is to maintain the flavor of picked crabmeat, since a substantial amount of crab flavor is lost as the liquid is cooked out during the traditional precooking of crab prior to hand picking. The mechanical deshelling method used to p ...

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This Phase I effort will investigate the feasibility of basic concepts for a hillside straddle tractor. A true straddle tractor for tall crops on hillsides does not currently exist. This straddle tractor, the Smart Mountain Mule (SMM), will be designed as a tool for Christmas tree farms in hilly terrain. The ultimate goal of the researchers (through Phase II and beyond) is to design and build a ...

Community Enterprise Opportunities (CEO) Praxis, Inc. is proposing to investigate the feasibility of developing an expert system decision making tool for local economic development organizations. The tool will assist in evaluating the viability of business opportunities and their suitability to the community's resources and local competitive advantages. The expert system will enable evaluation o ...

MANY OF THE DEFECTS THAT APPEAR IN WOOD DURING DRYING OR DURING MATCHINING ORIGINATE FROM SHRINKAGE DURING DRYING AND FROM ITS ASSOCIATED STRESSES. THE ABILITY TO SENSE SHRINKAGE AND STRESSES MAY ALLOW SUCH DEFECTS TO BE AVOIDED NY CAREFUL CONTROL OF TEMPERATURE, HUMIDITY, AND AIRFLOW CONDITIONS WITHIN THE KILN. THIS COULD ULTIMATELY RESULT IN IMPROVED WOOD QUALITY AND INCREASED LUMBER YIELD BY RE ...