Award Data

Presently, the proper installation of PV panels to withstand wind loads is conducted by licensed installers who use and individually interpret the relevant building codes and standards. The American Society of Civil Engineers (ASCE) Minimum Design Loads for Buildings and Other Structures (ASCE Standard 7-10) includes the most comprehensive design standard for wind loads on roof-mounted PV systems. ...

High voltage lithium-ion battery cathode materials do not cycle efficiently and rapidly lose capacity at elevated temperatures. The lack of commercializable high voltage cathode materials impedes the implementation of high potential anodes that can safely and efficiently accept charging at very high rates. This limits the regenerative braking energy acceptance of lithium- ion batteries in HEVs, ...

Stable isotopologues of carbon dioxide and methane can be powerful tracers for identifying the sources of greenhouse gases. We propose to develop extremely lightweight infrared laser spectrometers for measurements of isotopologues of CO2 and CH4 to be usable for UAV airborne surveys with high precision and speed for studies of Arctic climate change and the terrestrial carbon cycle. The instrumenta ...

There is a need to develop high-efficiency, high-power rf sources for current and future synchrotron radiation light sources, free electron lasers, and spallation neutron source user facilities. At present, conventional circular-beam klystrons and inductive output tube (IOTs) are the technologies of choice for accelerators for physics research and applications. While a commercially-available, conv ...

Strontium Iodide (SrI2) is a promising scintillator for detection of gamma radiation with applications in homeland security. The goal of this program is to investigate solid solution hardening of SrI2 by aliovalent doping. Fracture of SrI2, as well as most other scintillators with high light output, is limiting their availability in the large volumes needed for detection of gamma radiation. The ...

Concrete is widely used in light water reactor (LWR) constructions as building foundations and support, shielding materials and for radiation containment. The integrity of construction materials like concrete is an important consideration and concern for LWR facilities since degradation of these structural materials can lead to costly maintenance and downtime and also increases the risk of safety. ...

Past Department of Energy (DOE) operations at its weapons complex facilities involve the use of organic solvents that were then not properly disposed and released into the environment resulting in the contamination of soils and groundwater. DOE faces monumental remediation challenges in restoring these sites to their pristine conditions. Contaminated site restoration involved several steps, whic ...

A major inhibitor in the adaptation of polymer electrolyte membranes (PEMs) has been the high levels of precious metal catalysts needed for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in state-of-the-art acid-based PEMs. Alkaline PEMs have long held the promise of lowering the need for precious metal catalysts due to acceptable levels of ORR kinetics on non-precious metals. Adaptation of alkaline PEMs has ...

The low efficiency, low rate capability, high cost and poor cycle life limit the commercialization of lithium air battery technology. Giner Inc. (Giner) proposes to develop a high-porosity, fibrous composite air cathode with a low- cost catalyst and a designed mechanism to manage electrolyte flooding. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits: Beside its applications in energy grid stabilization ...

Structural health of concrete-based structures in light water reactors (LWRs) is critical to safe operation of existing and future nuclear power plants. Degradation of concrete in these structures is caused by chemical and physical attacks that affect the cement-paste matrix or aggregate materials. There is a need for nondestructive evaluation technology to detect and monitor these attacks so that ...