Award Data

Phase I has proven that the current setup achieves better than 8mm spatial resolution for 2.2MeV prompt gammas. However, 1mm spatial resolution presents a significant challenge for the current setup due in part to limited timing resolution and count rate. A new analog ASIC will be developed to replace the current analog ASIC that will have better timing resolution and deliver higher count rates. I ...

Two main problems are targeted by the proposed work: (1) the underutilization of coal, a valuable natural resource, has led to a catastrophic drop in employment within the coal industry ecosystem in specific geographic areas in the country; and (2) the need within the insurance-driven roof replacement market for a suitable, light weight, low cost, high durability roofing material.These problems wi ...

Thermochemical processing via hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) is capable of processing a broad range of feedstocks, has a favorable net energy ratio, and produces an energy-dense liquid biooil product.However, there is an obstacle with current HTL processes that has hampered the adoption of this technology—the HTL process produces a considerable amount of aqueous organic byproducts and HTL oil r ...

Liquid-metal coolants are one of the most promising solutions for the challenges of advanced high temperature nuclear reactor systems.They optimize heat transfer, neutronics, safety, and compactness of the reactor systems.Molten lead and lead-bismuth eutectic (LBE) are the primary coolant candidates due to their unique thermo-mechanical and neutronics properties.However, they are highly corrosive ...

After the Daiichi nuclear disaster, the US Congress placed emphasis on accident tolerant fuels for reactors.During accident events, voids in cooling fluid can cause cladding weakening, and it is important to measure these effects in a controlled test.The project develops a fast void detector that can detect and localize voids, with a quantifiable detection limit superior to a capacitive void senso ...

The objective of this SBIR Phase I proposal is to determine the feasibility of viscosity characterization of high concentration protein formulations (HCF) by QATCH’s microcapillary quartz technology. HCFs are non-Newtonian fluids with shear-thinning behavior and they are administered to patients by subcutaneous or muscular injections. The injectability of HCFs depends on the viscosity at high-sh ...

Industrial facilities, manufacturing plants, and electric power plants that burn fossil fuels exhaust the combustion products to atmosphere through their smokestacks. Stack pollutant emissions are quantified using manual testing methods developed in the 1960s, which are prone to error if non-axial flow exists in a stack.Recently, NIST has been working on an improved technique of performing 3D flow ...

To evaluate the technical feasibility of prompt gamma neutron activation (PGAA) as an alternative to a set of standard destructive tests of concrete petrography including aggregate type, water/cement ratio, aggregate/binder ratio, density, chloride content and chloride bulk diffusion constant; and to determine the specifications for the design of a dedicated commercial laboratory-based PGAA facili ...

Detecting and characterizing facilities and performing emergency location requires multi-modal, persistent surveillance by sensing and analysis. Infrasound and radio frequency direction finding (RF-DF) sensors have the proven ability to provide standoff detection. The project will demonstrate the feasibility of a small sensor package designed for small and medium unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) wi ...

The proposed effort is a critical part of MVA programs for CO2 sequestration. The benefits include improved zonal isolation, higher data rates, and longer sensor battery life. Understanding reservoir stability and annulus cementing integrity will help determine new isolation criteria and verify existing operation. The new sequestration wells have applicability for greenhouse gas storage, environme ...