Award Data

To further advance the characterization and utility of microcantilevers, next generation optical detectors with higher frequency response, improved displacement resolution and lower noise for weak signal detection are needed. Consequently, Radiation Monitoring Devices, Inc. (RMD) will develop a turnkey optical detector module for use in characterizing the displacement and resonant frequencies of m ...

Optimization of generator performance and maximization of output power are difficult to attain in the generation of hydro-power. This is due to the changing water conditions and corresponding changes in the form of available energy. ESL proposes to use self-tuning controls in combination with a suitably chosen and optimized generator driven by hydro-energy and condition it for distribution to then ...

The proposed effort is aimed at the development of a new low-cost technique for extracting the fuel precursor components from marine alga cells. The effort is aimed at reducing the total production costs of alga-derived fuels, up to one-half of which may be attributed to the recovery/extraction process alone. Development of advanced processing technologies such as that proposed here is necessary i ...

In Phase 1, TIAX developed and demonstrated a residential energy monitoring system (R-EMS) with potential national energy savings of $20 billion annually. Based on user requirements and well-established systems engineering methodology, TIAX’s R-EMS solution is inexpensive, easy to install and operate, and is supportive of intuitive decision making about energy usage. In Phase 2, TIAX will extend ...

Microalgae are a promising feedstock for biofuels because of their high oil content, excellent CO2 capture, and ability to use brackish water and non-arable land. The extraction of oil from algae represents a challenging cost barrier to commercial biofuel production. Conventional technologies for algal oil extraction are energy-inefficient, cost-intensive, or non scalable, leading to barriers for ...

We propose to build a compact, rugged airborne laser photoacoustic spectrometric (LPAS) sensor based on a tunable mid-IR diode laser for continuous, real-time measurements of water vapor, and perform field tests to qualify it for dynamic airborne in situ monitoring of upper troposphere water vapor. An innovative diode laser frequency locking technique developed by us will be utilized for tunable d ...

This proposal is for the development of a technology apparatus which can dynamically synthesize a mechanical fingerprint pattern, from an electronic image or from a computer-generated artificial pattern, onto a 2-dimensional pliable surface whose surface height is modulated by protrusions in the z-axis direction. When mechanically applied to a fingerprint sensor-under-test, the synthesized modulat ...

There is a critical need for a high performance receiver that knows where it is, knows where the NWR transmitting stations are, tunes itself to the local NWR station (especially in a mobile environment), provides weather and warnings in both audio and text, requires little-to-no setup and can communicate with other devices such as external alarms and network systems that can better warn its owner ...

NOVA Scientific proposes a high-resolution neutron imaging detector having a specialized neutron-sensitive electron amplified detection stage integrated with a cross-strip electronic readout capable of centroid averaging. Phase 1 efforts demonstrated spatial resolutions of 15 µm with high detection efficiency and moderate counting rates. The Phase 2 proposed program will carry out further detec ...

This Phase II SBIR project focuses on the development of an operational Scanning Radar Altimeter (SRA) intended for airborne measurement of directional ocean wave spectra. The proposed innovation is a novel solid-state digital beamforming radar, designed to replace the aging prototype SRA currently operated by NOAA. The proposed SRA will employ a 10 W solid-state transmitter and a pulse compress ...