U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATION RESEARCH PROGRAM AND
SMALL BUSINESS
TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER PROGRAM
FY 2004 PHASE II - AWARDS BY TOPIC
TOPIC: TECHNOLOGIES FOR NUCLEAR NONPROLIFERATION AND HOMELAND DEFENSE
ADA Technologies, Inc.
Situational Awareness Monitor for
The proposed situational awareness monitor will monitor urban areas in order to identify pre-nuclear-event warning signs, such as the presence of nuclear material. The situational awareness monitor will also supply critical data for effective post-nuclear-event consequence management and emergency response.
Geotech Instruments, LLC
Low-Noise Borehole Triaxial
10755 Sanden Drive
Seismometer
Dallas,
TX
This project will develop new low-noise instruments for a network of seismic stations that are used to monitor for nuclear explosions and earthquakes. The latest technology used in surface broadband seismic instrumentation will be applied to develop these instruments.
Innovative Wireless Technologies, Inc.
A Low Cost National Sensor Network
Suite A
Wireless
Technology
Defense against radiation dispersion devices used in terrorist attacks requires wide distribution of radiation sensors throughout population centers. This project will develop a novel wireless sensor network, based on Ultra-Wideband (UWB) technology, that is low cost, rapidly deployable, and provides reliable data links to emergency management teams for urgent informed response.
Weston Geophysical Corporation
Combining Multiple Technologies for
The proposed research will contribute to U.S. National Technical Means (NTM) to detect and identify nuclear tests in foreign countries. Improved NTM capability will reduce the threat from the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction.
TOPIC: SUPPORT
TECHNOLOGIES FOR SENSORS USED IN NATIONAL SECURITY
APPLICATIONS
Aculight Corporation
Compact, Short-Pulse Laser Source
Remote reconnaissance, monitoring, and characterization of hard targets as well as highly compact surveillance devices are important for homeland security; however, current laser systems can’t achieve all the specifications required for successful system integration. The proposed fiber laser system meets and exceeds the laser requirement implementing a reliable, maintenance-free, low cost laser system that enables the deployment of these devices in high quantities.
Advanced Principles Group, Inc.
The Manufacturing of
28 Fieldstone Drive
State-of-the-Art Reconfigurable
The Configurable Software Radio Board (CSRB) will provide supercomputing I/O, storage, and processing density on a single Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGA)-based Reconfigurable Computing board. CSRB-hosted applications will demonstrate a 20x - 100x performance improvement over traditional microprocessor-based boards of comparable size and cost.
SVT Associates Al (In) GaN-Based High Electron
7620 Executive Drive Mobility Transistors on SiC for High
Eden Prairie, MN 55344-3677 Power Radar Applications
Very high-performance solid-state transistors would result from the unique approach of this project. These high-power and high-frequency transistors will have unmatched versatility in civilian and defense applications including radar tracking, cellular base stations, telemetry, and satellite communications.
TOPIC: GENOME, STRUCTURAL BIOLOGY, AND RELATED BIOTECHNOLOGIES
MacConnell Research Corporation
Cell-Free Protein Synthesis for
TOPIC: MEDICAL SCIENCES
Gamma Medica, Inc.
In Vivo Radio-Tracer Quantification
This project should significantly improve research techniques in the fields of oncology, neurodegenerative disorders, and gene therapy. The work will enable medical breakthroughs through significant improvement in study data for medical research spanning such a wide array of human conditions that a significant percentage of the entire population is, directly or indirectly, affected.
Radiation Monitoring Devices, Inc.
A Design of a New Readout Sensor for
44 Hunt Street
Single Photon Emission Computed
Suite
200
Watertown,
Small animal SPECT scanners, designed using the proposed detector technology, will have far better performance than any human/animal SPECT scanner now in existence, and will bring the power of non-invasive functional imaging to detailed studies of the mouse and rat. Such a tool will enhance the understanding of biological functions, and facilitate rapid progress in the development of new drugs.
Radiation Monitoring Devices, Inc.
Fast, High Resolution Proton
44 Hunt
Street
Suite
200
Watertown,
The proposed project will investigate a novel detector technology that will be very useful in medical imaging studies. It will also be useful in scientific studies (such as physics research and diffraction) as well as commercial applications (such as oil exploration, and non-destructive studies).
Radiation Monitoring Devices, Inc.
High Performance Positron
44 Hunt
Street
Suite
200
Watertown,
The proposed project will investigate a new detector for building high performance medical imaging instruments that can be applied to diagnosis and treatment of various diseases including Alzheimer’s disease and cancer. The new detector will also find use in many research instruments as well as commercial systems.
TOPIC: ATMOSPHERIC MEASUREMENT TECHNOLOGY
Aerodyne Research, Inc.
Advanced Aerosol Mass Spectrometer
Aerodyne Research, Inc.
Cavity Attenuation Phase Shift
Current technology for monitoring nitrogen dioxide, a regulated atmospheric pollutant, often provides inaccurate measurements. This project will develop a new sensor technology that will provide an accurate and cost effective alternative.
This project will develop a novel, compact, rugged, relatively inexpensive instrument based on a new laser-based technology, called Off-Axis Integrated Cavity Output Spectroscopy, to measure concentrations and fluxes of trace gases in the field and on-board aircraft, with unprecedented accuracy. The proposed instrumentation platform may be applied to detailed studies of the environment, medical detection of common diseases, monitoring and control of industrial processes, and measurements of chemical agents and explosives.
NovaWave Technologies
Mid-Infrared Optical Cavity-Based
230A
Redwood
City,
Atmospheric Monitoring
This proposal describes an instrument designed to make ultrasensitive atmospheric concentration measurements on a variety of important chemical species, including formaldehyde, carbon monoxide, ethylene, and acetylene. The ability to obtain these measurements should have a wide-ranging impact on our understanding of atmospheric chemistry and dynamics, as well as enhance pollution monitoring and control.
TOPIC: CARBON CYCLE MEASUREMENTS OF THE ATMOSPHERE AND THE BIOSPHERE
Picarro, Inc.
Innovative CO2 Sensor Based on
480 Oakmead Parkway
Cavity Ringdown
Sunnyvale,
This project will develop high precision and high accuracy carbon dioxide sensors that will help scientists understand the contribution of anthropogenic gases to global warming. The sensor technology will have broad application to scientific, medical, industrial, and agricultural markets.
Southwest Sciences, Inc.
High Precision CO2 Sensor for
1570 Pacheco Street
Balloon Sonde Atmospheric
Suite E-11
Measurements
Santa Fe,
Current instrumentation for measuring carbon dioxide gas in the atmosphere, critical to understanding the greenhouse effect and global warming, is much too large, complex and expensive for widespread use on weather balloons. This program will develop a lightweight, inexpensive, laser-based carbon dioxide sensor suitable for these balloon measurements.
TOPIC: MEASUREMENT/MONITORING TECHNOLOGIES FOR THE SUBSURFACE ENVIRONMENT
Eltron Research, Inc.
A Remote and Affordable Detection
4600
Nautilus Court South
System for Cr(VI) in Groundwater
Boulder,
This project will develop a versatile, affordable detection system for toxic hexavalent chromium contamination in groundwater, for various applications, such as drinking water and environmental remediation.
Eltron Research, Inc.
Nanoscale Inorganic Ion-Exchange
4600
Nautilus Court South
Films for Enhanced Electrochemical
Boulder,
This project will develop a versatile, affordable, rugged and reliable monitoring system for toxic heavy metals, including lead and mercury.
TOPIC: DECONTAMINATION AND DECOMMISSIONING OF FACILITIES
ADA Technologies, Inc.
Electrodecontamination for
8100 Shaffer Parkway
Mitigation of Airborne Contamination
Suite
130
Current methods for removing
radioactive contaminants from metallic surfaces are costly, endanger personnel,
and potentially create airborne hazards. The
Electro-Decon process safely and effectively strips away both
fixed and smearable contaminates with minimal secondary waste, protecting
workers and facilities while realizing substantial cost savings.
Barrett Technology, Inc.
Low-Cost Automatic Tool Fixturing
625 Mount
Auburn Street
Based on Dexterous Robotic Hand
Cambridge,
Absence of a practical, dexterous robotic Hand confines robotics to highly structured tasks--just the opposite of the profoundly dangerous and unstructured remediation of legacy nuclear-weapons facilities. The proposed rugged dexterous robotic Hand will improve productivity across an array of tasks, from nuclear cleanup, to terrorist-bomb disposal, to manufacturing.
TOPIC: ADVANCED TECHNOLOGIES FOR NUCLEAR ENERGY
Southwest Sciences, Inc.
System for Imaging Leaks from the
1570
Pacheco Street
Primary Water
Suite E-11
Santa Fe,
This project will develop a special video camera system capable of imaging invisible gases. It will find use in nuclear power plants, oil refineries, and the monitoring of natural gas lines.
TOPIC: NEUTRON
AND ELECTRON BEAM INSTRUMENTATION
Containerless Research, Inc.
Fast Exchange Refrigerator for
906 University Place
Neutron Science (FERNS)
Evanston,
Automation can revolutionize scientific progress in such areas as advanced optical materials, biotechnology, nanotechnology, and genetics. The proposed new, automated, “sample environment” control system for the neutron sciences should advance areas including pharmaceuticals, “smart materials” for aircraft and energy storage, and high capacity compact disks.
Cryogenic Applications F, Inc.
Transport of Methane Pellets for
The Spallation Neutron Source, presently under construction, will produce neutrons for scientific research. This project will develop a more efficient component, which will allow a future upgrade of the facility, to double the output of cold neutrons at a small percentage of the original cost.
EIC Laboratories, Inc.
Solid-State Thermal Neutron Detector
111
Downey Street
Based on Boron-Doped a-Se Stabilized
Norwood,
This research effort will develop a new, compact and rugged, cost-effective, low-power rating solid-state, large-area neutron detector that is suitable for remote or portable field applications. The detector will have widespread use in Homeland Security, radiation safety, nuclear non-proliferation, and biomedical research.
Instrumentation Associates
A High Efficiency Gaseous Electron
8944 Dexter Gables Lane
Multiplier (GEM) Neutron
Detector for
Dexter,
This project supports the development of a new kind of neutron detector to advance fundamental and applied research concerning the use of neutrons. Neutron beam research is used for the study of electronic materials, recording devices, paints, glues, stress and corrosion in structural materials, and the properties of biological systems.
TOPIC: ADVANCED FOSSIL FUELS RESEARCH
Advanced Resources International, Inc.
Methanogenic Conversion of CO2
Injecting CO2 into deep underground rock formations ("geologic sequestration") has great promise for storing anthropogenic CO2, but will create thousands of CO2 storage sites that require monitoring. This project will develop biotechnology, based on naturally occurring bacteria that thrive by converting CO2 into methane gas ("methanogens"), both to remediate these CO2 sites and to create new, potentially useful, natural gas deposits.
Altuda Energy Corporation
In Situ Microbial Conversion of
Injection of greenhouse gases, to increase natural gas recovery from coal seams, is followed by the in-situ bioconversion of the sequestered greenhouse gases back into methane, an environmentally clean energy resource. In-situ bioconversion of sequestered gases and coal in deep, unmineable coal beds will dramatically increase natural gas reserves, reduce dependence on foreign energy supplies, and have a significant, beneficial economic and social impact.
Precision Combustion, Inc.
Recovery of Natural Gas from Methane