STTR Phase I: Production of Clean Fuels from Biomass: Aqueous-Phase Catalytic Reforming of Oxygenated Hydrocarbons

This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I project focuses on the feasibility of deploying closely coupled monitors with global positioning systems (GPS), central processing units (CPU), and satellite communication devices to ultimately provide real-time access to a wide variety of data (chemical, biological, radiological, physical) remotely obtained in harsh Arctic climates. Phase I focuses on developing a radiation detection prototype for concept feasibility purposes. The initial prototype module includes beta/gamma detectors, GPS, thermometer, CPU, and a radio-transmission device. Cold weather performance of both individual components and the integrated module will be determined along with corrective methods for hardening the components to achieve reliable detection and reporting at Arctic temperatures. The performance of a hardened integrated prototype will be evaluated over a range of simulated Arctic conditions. Commercial applications include acquiring, transmitting, and managing chemical, biological, radiological, and physical data from remote Arctic environments and installations in real-time. Potential customers include Arctic researchers; oil and mining companies; schools and universities; and municipal, state, and federal agencies with regulation, oversight, and security missions related to Arctic areas.