CAER News Archive: August 2005
Friday, August 12, 2005
CAER researcher, Mark Crocker, recently received news that a proposal entitled, "Investigation of Aging Mechanisms in Lean NOx Traps," will receive a total of $1,079,314 in funding from the US DOE, including cost share, over the next three years. The project will work to reduce NOx emissions in lean exhaust gases (i.e., gases in which excess oxygen is present) such as those emitted by diesel engines. Improving catalyst durability will be a particular goal of the project. This is important because environmental concerns are resulting in the adoption of stringent new NOx emission standards in the U.S. for diesel vehicles. Staff working on this project will spend a portion of their time at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Ford Motor Company.
Posted by Marybeth McAlister [Link]
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
Drs. Rodney Andrews and Darrell Taulbee recently received grants for Homeland Security Research and Development Projects. The announcement was made on August 8th by United States Congressman, Hal Rogers (R-5th District) at the Center for Rural Development in Somerset, Kentucky. The projects both strive to diminish problems related to explosions. Andrews' $1M project is entitled, “Carbon Materials for Blast-mitigating Wall Treatments” and concerns the development of effective, low cost, modular wall panels to provide blast protection, electromagnetic shielding, radiological protection and chemical agent removal. The other project, "Reduction of the Explosion Potential of Ammonium Nitrate by Coating with Low-Cost, Coal Combustion By-Products" will use an ash-like, coal-combustion by-product to desensitize agricultural-grade ammonium nitrate with respect to detonation. It is funded for $124K.The University of Kentucky is part of the The Kentucky Homeland Security University Consortium, which conducts research and development on ideas that might some day prove useful to the Department of Homeland Security. Eight universities and the Kentucky Community and Technical College System make up the consortium. Morehead State University and Alice Lloyd College will contribute to work on Dr. Andrews' project. Other collaborators are Drs. Mark Meier, John Selegue, and John Anthony, from UK's Department of Chemistry, and Mr. Bob Wombles, Vice President of Technology, Koppers Industries.
Posted by Marybeth McAlister [Link]
