Award Data

At present, trains use various dissipative braking systems to slow and stop, and this significant braking energy is ultimately converted to heat and wasted. APEI, Inc. has proposed a hybrid tender which can capture and reuse a significant fraction of this braking energy (at least 50%). The hybrid tender draws power from the rails using a regenerative braking technique rather than by being electr ...

The Federal Railroad Administration’s (FRA) Automated Track Inspection Program uses optical systems such as cameras or laser-based systems to monitor rail performance throughout the country. These systems are hindered by adverse weather conditions that allow water, dirt and mud to coat their optical components resulting in unwanted maintenance costs. Thus FRA is seeking a low-cost, practical s ...

With the notable exception of glucose, most metabolic biomarkers cannot be accurately, and practically measured over long periods, in vivo and in real-time. A primary reason is stable, selective enzymes suitable for biosensors are not available. Biosensors could revolutionize acute and long-term monitoring in the development, clinical, first responder and battlefield arenas. Pinnacle has develo ...

The objective of this Phase 1 effort is to develop an asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC) that provides>10 Wh/kg energy density and a high power density, and maintains this performance down to -55 degrees C. Yardney Technical Products (YTP), a recognized specialty high energy battery manufacturer in Pawcatuck, CT in collaboration with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) proposes to design, develop and ...

US Navy submarine forces currently employ an independent team to test, measure, calibrate and certify radio frequency (RF) signal paths through sail mounted antennae to the inboard radio rooms in a process that can take in excess of 60 man-days to complete. Ships personnel have no means of calibrating or performing an operational verification of the ES suite once underway. Ships have no means of p ...

The proposed research incorporates several inventions to produce structural components that are assembled into a highly enhanced Toxic Material Forensic Container (TMFC) for transport and storage of contaminated articles. Bio-hazardous materials are frequently encountered in investigations, and the current evidence containers are designed to handle the issues associated with those materials. Howe ...

There are a number of critical telemetry measurements to be monitored under continuous field operation, including temperature data across the reactor chamber and the nozzle, pressure data, neutron flux density and flow rate of the propellant. Real-time monitoring of this data in nuclear thermal engines would greatly improve operational safety and performance, reduce operational costs, and signific ...

The AirCore is a simple and novel atmospheric air column sampler to validate satellite observation data of greenhouse gases, using a lightweight, inexpensive coated stainless steel coil. The simple design of the leads to cost savings during manufacture and operation. The addition of a UAV to the AirCore system provides much needed functionality and flexibility to the end user of the product: it r ...

According to the NASA A2.01 topic description titled Materials and Structures for Future Aircraft, "advanced materials and structures technologies are needed in all four of the NASA Fundamental Aeronautics Program research thrusts (Subsonics Fixed Wing, Subsonics Rotary Wing, Supersonics, and Hypersonics) to enable the design and development of advanced future aircraft. Proposals are sought that a ...

There is a continual drive to move electronics out of the "warm box" to their point of use on space platforms. This requires electronics that can operate reliably over a wide range of temperatures and in the presence of radiation. The range of functions needed at various points across a given platform require use of digital, analog and high-voltage circuits, partitioned either independently or in ...