Award Data

Gamma ray spectrometers provide detection and spectroscopy of energetic photons (-rays), and are expected to be an important component of the future nuclear physics experiments including those being planned for the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) that is being funded by the Department of Energys Office of Nuclear Physics. Performance of the systems used in these applications is often limite ...

Next generation accelerators require highly accurate timing distribution over the distance of tens of kilometers. The timing accuracy of up to tens of femtoseconds over the distance of 50 kilometers may be needed. Traditional timing distribution methods using coaxial cables is impractical in this environment. In addition, various subsystems and devices in the accelerator complex need to have comm ...

Recognizing the advantages of flywheels in rapid-response, high cycle-life applications, ARPA-E has funded Beacon Power to develop critical components for a low cost flying ring hub-less flywheel under the GRIDS program. The funded system will provide 100 kW for 1 hour for firming and smoothing of intermittent-renewable power generation. For this large, low-cost flywheel to be applicable to either ...

Solar simulators are needed for measuring the performance of solar cells and solar panels. These instruments currently use filtered high-intensity xenon lamps with poor spectral control, high voltage transients that can adversely affect electronic control circuits, lamp aging and a lack of easily-implemented size scaling. What is needed is a more reliable, low-voltage solid-state, spectrum-adjus ...

In the manufacturing process for photovoltaic (PV) cells and modules, a significant percentage of crystalline silicon wafers and solar cells contain microcracks that are difficult or impossible to detect with the human eye or currently available machine vision systems. These microcracks can propagate through the cells, resulting in power loss and cell breakage, due to mechanical and thermal stres ...

Next generation fusion facilities will require many megawatts of RF power from dozens of gyrotrons. Conventional DC power systems, built from WWII era components, have provided the typical approach to powering high-power RF vacuum devices for the last 50 years. Typically, they suffer from reliability and availability problems, and are often only 50 70% efficient. Scaling these conventional RF pow ...

The next generation of particle accelerators will require large numbers of RF cavities, producing field gradients undreamt of a dozen years ago. The next frontier is high energy, short pulse modulators, continuing the technical thrust begun under recent colliders and numerous X-Band accelerator designs. Modulators to drive the klystrons for these new accelerators must meet aggressive requirements ...

This proposal describes an innovative high strength silver alloy for making Bi2212/Ag round wire conductor. To generate magnetic fields greater than 20 T, a new high field superconductor such as Bi2212 is needed. However, Bi2212 is brittle ceramic that can be easily damaged, and its critical current is very strain sensitive. The Bi2212 compound is contained in a silver matrix that is chemically co ...

The work proposed in this SBIR proposal is is synergistic with the, DOE funded, basic R & amp;D effort of a consortium of national laboratories, universities, and industry, led by Argonne National Laboratory and the University of Chicago for the development of new, large area, photodetector devices. This project proposes to address the commercialization gap that exists between the proofofprinciple ...

Degradation of reactor components, heat exchangers, and piping systems in nuclear power plants subjected to heat, high pressure and corrosion has been estimated to cost the electric power industry $17.3 billion dollars annually. Eddy current testing is a widely practiced, and critically important nondestructive evaluation method used in power plants, yet it relies on decades-old sensor technology ...