Award Data

The goal of this Phase I research project is to demonstrate the feasibility of an innovative Acoustic Biodiesel Synthesis Reactor (ABSR) with a biodiesel production cost of less than $0.30 per gallon over the cost of feedstock. The target feedstocks are brown, yellow, tallow, restaurant recycled, and trapped grease with high free fatty acid (FFA). The final target biodiesel costs will ...

Caviton, Inc., has developed an ideal microsensor for the continuous monitoring of multiple metals. These detection systems rely on microdischarge technology (patent pending), utilizing the power of emission spectroscopy for parts per billion-level sensitivity and laboratory instrument-level selectivity. Microdischarge sensors provide real-time continuous monitoring of metals (and othe ...

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project will develop a new class of mechanical shaft seals based on the benefits of a novel material called Ultrananocrystalline (tm) diamond (UNCDtm) that will result in seals that last longer, save energy and reduce environmental emissions associated with industrial pumping and turbo-machinery applications. Mechanical shaft seals are used i ...

This SBIR Phase II project will develop the processing steps for the fabrication of highly quality periodically poled waveguides in potassium titanyl phosphate (KTP). Periodically poled waveguides enable highly efficient, quasi-phase matched (QPM), nonlinear optical wavelength conversion of continuous wave and high-peak power quasi- continuous lasers. The fabrication process, established during t ...

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will use the electro-optic (EO) effect, in which an electric field changes the index of refraction of a nonlinear material, in a novel manner to create a beam deflector with very favorable properties for laser beam scanning and steering. Large angle deflections have been achieved through new multi-stage designs, and 10-GHz scan rates ...

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I research project will develop an automated framework for knowledge acquisition. This automated framework will be based on the Principal Investigator's Rhem Knowledge Acquisition Framework and the Unified Modeling Language (UML). This automated framework will provide an environment for developing high-quality, reliable knowledge-based software systems ...

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project is to develop a process that uses halophytic plants and aquaculture effluent to treat highly saline coal bed methane (CBM) discharge water. Vast volumes of water are a necessary though unwanted byproduct of the gas drilling process. The saline discharge is widely viewed as an environmental liability. Discharges into streams are esse ...

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase II project is to develop scale-up production technology to produce engineered cartilage for drug discovery using a proprietary Alginate Recovered Chondrocyte (ARC) method. This method stimulates adult human cartilage cells to form a cartilaginous tissue with proper compositional and functional properties. ARC cartilage tissue is expected to offer a ...

Caviton has developed a novel technique for the continuous monitoring of trace metals emissions. This technique is based on a microdischarge light, which is collected by a spectrometer and analyzed. All metals tested to date can b detected and the focus of this Phase II project is to develop a sampling system, carry out laboratory tests, then move to field tests of sampling and analysis. Finall ...

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project will provide a novel, patented sensor of the polarization properties of light for operation in the vacuum ultraviolet spectral range, from ~ 120 to 200 nm. The instrument is a complete polarimeter that measures all four of the Stokes parameters of polarized light. It enables new semiconductor metrology applications and measurements wi ...