Award Data

The project team is developing a prototype of a web-based gaming intervention for students in kindergarten to grade 2 to learn standard-based concepts in science, technology, engineering, and math. The games will include engaging and interactive simulations, investigations, stories and videos, as well as individual pages that allow students to access their own set of digital scientific tools such ...

Current status/problem: Wind loading calculations for structures are currently performed according to the ASCE (American Society of Civil Engineers) 7 Standard. The values in this standard were calculated from simplified models that do not necessarily take into account relevant characteristics such as those from full 3D effects, end effects, turbulence generation and dissipation, as well as minor ...

Forest understory is an under-utilized woody biomass totaling about 300 million dry tons in the southeastern U.S. alone. One percent recovery of this potential source of energy amounts to about 25 billion Btu per year. Traditional forest management practices require controlled understory burning. To recover the understory as an economical fuel, this raw biomass must be processed to overcome its in ...

Robust and high-temperature-capable fiber optic temperature sensors are needed to improve the efficiency and reduce the emission of greenhouse gases in power generation using fossil fuels. While these devices are commercially available, their costs are too high. A novel design for the thermal probe of a fiber optic temperature measuring system utilizing a phosphor microsphere is being proposed. I ...

The proposed SBIR Phase I program addresses a critical need in solar cell and fuel cell module manufacturing: to inspect in real time the mechanical quality of incoming wafers and finished cells. The objective of the program is to develop a new flaw inspection technology and design a laboratory prototype of an Activation Station (AS) system with follow-up industrial testing with the goal of re ...

FTT has designed, built, and tested a prototype of their Miniature Actuating Guided Nozzle Mechanism (MAGNM) for use with DACS thrusters. FTT"s MAGNM is a passive nozzle extension that surrounds the DACS thruster on a guide tube. When ready to deploy the nozzle extension, inert gas or propellant pressurizes the main combustion chamber and that pressure acts on a pressure cap located on the end o ...

With the advent of pulse energy weapons, the transient characteristics of military aircraft power systems is changing. These new loads require power supplies that shield the pulse transient from the electrical distribution system, while also being highly efficient, power dense, and reliable. Mainstream proposes a lightweight, modular, hybrid pulse energy delivery system that is scalable to applica ...

Metallic Direct Digital Manufacturing (MDDM), is based on layer-by-layer metal deposition and has been developed to a sufficient state of manufacturing readiness where production applications have emerged in niche industrial sectors. DDM processes in general require the use of raw materials that are either powdered metal or weld wire, both sources having been developed long before DDM processes em ...

As shipboard control electronics continue to evolve, electronic systems inevitably incur hardware changes. However, these system changes often require sound recertification of the electronics enclosure, which can be a very costly and time-consuming process. Therefore, it is desirable to build a silent electronics enclosure to avoid the recertification process. Mainstream proposes developing an act ...

We propose the design and development of a novel gyroid transducer comprised of piezocrystal ring elements. The Phase I effort covers the modeling and demonstration of the gyroid transducer and comparison of performance with several piezocrystal and piezoceramic materials. The electroacoustic performance will be estimated for several designs and a prototype element will be built and laboratory tes ...