Award Data

This project will develop a high accuracy monitor for the photo-chemically coupled pollutants nitric oxide, nitrogen dioxide and ozone using infrared absorption spectroscopy with quantum cascade (QC) lasers. The target molecules are monitored at air quality stations worldwide using instruments, which require frequent calibration and are not sufficiently specific (in the case of NO2). This QC monit ...

The use of real time, in situ measurements of lubricant/refrigerant viscosity can reduce maintenance costs and system downtime and improve system longevity, by allowing maintenance personnel to determine identify and correct mechanical problems, before they cause more serious problems. With the advent of MicroElectroMechanical Systems (MEMS), the opportunity exists to develop small and inexpensive ...

Channel electron multipliers are used in a variety of applications including synchrotron research facilities. It is imperative that channel electron multiplier technology be improved for this type of application. Currently, the manufacturing process of channel multipliers is very inconsistent. When running an array of detectors each detector must act similarly. If the detectors are not matched the ...

Rapid biofouling of aquaculture netting necessitates frequent cleaning. Cleaning by scrubbing or pressure washing can consume as much as 40% of total labor. Chemical methods of biofouling control are not approved for the aquaculture industry. Silicone elastomers that release biofouling have been developed. However, these ¿foul-release coatings¿ are often more expensive than the netting itself ...

In this program Foster-Miller (FMI)proposes to build on its extensive experience with processing and characterization of Single Walled Carbon Nanotubes (SWNT) to develop a high emissivity (>0.999), large area (>600 cm2), variable temperature (330-600K), uniform emitting, black body radiation source that takes advantage of the unusually high emissivity of carbon nanotubes. Using SWNT's furnished by ...

As magnetic thin-film systems became part of complex industrial applications, their composition increasingly became more complicated. A means is needed to efficiently develop and systematically characterized magnetic, electronic, and mechanical properties of advanced thin-film systems. New metrological systems are required that are capable of making on-wafer measurements on large number of sites o ...

This project seeks proof-of-concept and prototype demonstration of a high-spatial resolution, high-sensitivity, rapid in-vitro dosimeter system for calibration and dose measurements of brachytherapy radiation sources. The present innovation utilizes the high sensitivity of Pulsed Optically Stimulated Luminescence (POSL) from Al2O3:C proprietary luminescence materials, coupled to a fiber optic deli ...

Because of the impact of diseases on production and the environmental devastation wrought by commercial aquaculture effluents, modern methods of intensive aquaculture are evolving which rely heavily on the re-use of water. This proposal addresses the need for modular technology in closed loop aquaculture operations by enhancing the performance of a fluidized bed biofilter with low- frequency acous ...

"Complex analysis of intelligence imagery is crucial to the missions of intelligence organizations, yet remains constrained by labor-intensive, time-consuming visual search of large volumes of imagery. Many algorithms have been developed to automaticallyidentify regions of interest in large, complex sets of imagery, yet the utility of such algorithms is limited by the fact that human analysts dete ...

We describe a radiosonde launch system that is automatic, robust, fault-tolerant, and mobile. Once loaded, for each cycle the system will automatically: 1) Determine ambient conditions, 2) power up a radiosonde, 3) tune the receiver, 4) initialize sonde communication, 5) performs pre-launch calibration, 6) start data acquisition software, 7)inflate a balloon and verify inflation, 8) release the ba ...