Award Data

Algal toxins can cause mass mortality of wild and farmed fish, contaminate shellfish beds and cause human illnesses from consumption of these products. Dinoflagellates are widely recognized to be the primary algae associated with toxic red tide blooms. Once established, harmful algal blooms typically are mono-specific. The bio-optical "fingerprint" of the bloom, related to the specific pigment com ...

In response to the increasing demand for better understanding of the manufacturing processes and the machining systems, a new testing standard--ASME B5.54 and a family of new testing instruments have been developed for evaluating the performances of a variety of CNC machining centers. Because of the advancement and versatility of the new instruments, test data are being collected at a much higher ...

We will develop technology, termed a Ruggedized Wind Measurement System (RWMS), to measure directly extreme winds with high space and time resolution, focusing on the winds that occur beneath hurricanes at land fall. This development effort will include design, fabrication of two prototype RWMS units, and a series of proof-of-concept demonstrations in strong mountain-induced downslope and severe t ...

AT MULTI-UNIT NUCLEAR GENRATING STATIONS, CONTROL ROOM OPERATORS ARE GENERALLY LICENSED TO OPERATE ALL SIMILAR UNITS. SIMULATOR TRAINING CONDUCTED AT THE LICENSEE TRAINING FACILITY OCCURS ON ONE SIMULATOR WHICH MAY NOT EXACTLY MIMIC ANY UNIT. INADEQUATE TRAINING ON UNIT-TO-UNIT AND UNIT-TO-SIMULATOR DIFFERENCES, IN CONJUNCTION WITH LIMITED PER-PERSON SIMULATOR TRAINING HOURS, CAN RESULT IN INCREAS ...

THE U.S. WEATHER SERVICE PRESENTLY USES A "TIPPING BUCKET" RAIN GAUGE FOR MEASURING RAIN ACCUMULATION. THIS DEVICE IS SENSITIVE TO WIND AND MOTION (AS ON BUOYS), CANNOT MEASURE RAIN RATE, AND REQUIRES FREQUENT MAINTENANCE, BECAUSE OF MOVING PARTS. AN ALTERNATIVE DEVICE IS BEING PROPOSED, WHICH INCORPORATES A RIGID, RESONANT TUBE, CLOSED AT THE TOP BY AN ELECTRO-ACOUSTIC TRANSDUCER, AND AT THE BOTT ...

WHEN ROTATING MACHINERY DETERIORATES, VIBRTION PATTERSN CHANGE. WHEN BEARING FREQUENCIES APPEAR, THEN INCREASE IN AMPLITUDE, BEARING FAILURE LOOMS. THE SAME WITH VALVES; WHEN THEY LEAK, THEY VIBRATE. AS LEAKAGE INCREASES, THE VIBRATION PATTERN CHANGES. THERE ARE MANY OTHERS. THE KEY IS KNOWING WHERE AND HOW DEEPLY TO LOOK. THE KEY IN OLDER REACTOR PLANTS IS TO UNOBTRUSIVELY, ECONOMICALLY BACKFIT S ...

The near-field scanning optical microscope can supply information on the shape and electrical properties of surfaces with nanometer resolution. The quantitative interpretation of images is difficult because of the difficulty of electromagnetic field solutions in the near-field limit. We propose to supply software to aid in this analysis. The finite-element programs generate two and three-dimension ...

CHANGES IN PLANT STATUS, EITHER BEFORE OR DURING AN ACCIDENT SEQUENC CAN CONSIDERABLY AFFECT ITS OUTCOME; BOTH THE ACTURAL OUTCOME AND THAT PREDICTED BY PROBABILISTIC RISK ASSESSMENT. IN ORDER TO ACCURATELY REPRESENT THE POSSIBLE ACCIDENTS AND THEIR PROBABILITIES, THE PRA MODEL MUST CONSIDER THE DYNAMIC CHARACTER OF THE PLANT, IT'S SYSTEMS AND OPERATORS. A LIVING, DYNAMIC PRA IS ONE IN WHICH ALL T ...

Development of technology for the predictable, natural spawning of captive Florida pompano (Trachinotus carolinus) utilizing photoperiod and temperature manipulation is propose, along with the subsequent larval rearing and fingerling production through a joint effort between HarvestFresh Seafoods, Inc., and the Department of Wildlife and Fisheries Sciences at Texas A&M University. The pompano is a ...

Fire fighter burn injuries continue to be a frequent problem despite significant advances in protective clothing. A reason for this is the buildup of moisture in fire fighting garments as a result of sweating or fire fighting activities. This buildup of moisture increases the heat transfer through the garment and can result in scald burn injuries as the water is quickly heated. Currently, there is ...