Award Data

The development of a greatly enhanced receiver for the WWVB signal is targeted, as well as possible modifications in the transmitted signal, which would both offer significant improvements in its effective coverage. This is to be achieved while allowing the replacement of the bulky, expensive, ferrite-based antenna, commonly used in the receiver, with a novel lower-cost antenna. Furthermore, the p ...

A method to take three polymers with varying viscosities and mixing those polymers together at the point of interest or more specifically through a micro dispensing nozzle, is being proposed. An active mixing scheme to ensure proper mixing at the pen tip is a feasible approach to this problem. The materials being mixed will not only range in viscosity but also in particle loading, which will be ha ...

Parallax Research, Inc. proposes to build an Ultra-High Vacuum compatible Wavelength Dispersive X-ray Spectrometer (WDS) that can be used on small spot Auger, XPS, TEM and FESEM analytical instruments for elemental analysis. The effort draws upon Parallax's experience in designing WDS systems for Scanning Electron Microscopes (SEM) and for XRF. This new type of x-ray spectrometer will eliminate th ...

A low-cost superconducting transition edge sensor (TES) microcalorimeter spectrometer is described for high energy and high spatial resolution X-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy and microanalysis. The proposed microcalorimeter instrument offers an energy resolution that is comparable to and potentially even better than wavelength dispersive spectrometers, thereby enabling the resolution of inter ...

his proposal focuses on developing Distributed Automatic Reconfigurable Trasponder (DART) system that is capable of achieving distributed multi-nodal voice/data communication for firefighters. Specifically, Williams-Pyro, Inc. proposes to develop an enhanced prototype of distributed Automated Reconfigurable Intelligent Radios, which consists of a series of distributed nodes that will relay voice t ...

Trusted biometric validation of individual identities has never been more important. Several contributing factors are the increase in global terrorism, identity theft and the increase in legislation which are driving the accelerated adoption of biometric technology. Unfortunately, the biometrics industry has not actively responded to the changing market conditions being driven by the explosion in ...

X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy is a widely used and extremely sensitive analytical technique for qualitative as well as quantitative chemical analysis. Superconducting Transition Edge Sensor (TES) microcalorimeter detectors have now been developed that achieve an energy resolution of 2 eV (full width at half maximum) for 1.5 keV X-rays, which is sufficient to enable the measurement of the small s ...

methyst Research Inc. will design, fabricate and test a high uniformity, large area, low noise infrared trap-detector detector for the 1- 4.5 μm wavelength range. This state of the art detector will have a large area (e.g., 1-1.8 cm diameter active area) with a spatial variability of internal quantum efficiency of less than 0.1 % between 1 μm and 4.5 μm. In addition, the internal quantum effici ...

During Phase I, Management Sciences, Inc. (MSI) proved feasibility of adapting their current technology into a product capable of improving performance resulting in increased efficiency and extended life cycles of heat pumps. The resultant product is a tool named the Heat Pump Sentient (HP-Sentient). The HP-Sentient will improve performance and reduce maintenance costs through aggressive goal-seek ...

Low Thermal Electronics, Inc. proposes to design a stand-alone, programmable voltage source capable of supplying precision voltages in the range of zero to 1,000 volts direct current (DC), with options for scaling up to 10,000 volts, and with a total expanded uncertainty (k=2) of less than 10uV/V for the 10,000 volt version. This instrument will improve state-of-the-art measurements in high resist ...