Possible demonstration project in Kansas City & Lawrence to evaluate utility of cell phone tracking data for identifying congestion problems and rerouting traffic. Also would be evaluated as a tool to acquire origin/destination data for better transit route planning.

Formulate performance-based detailing for bridge columns in regions of moderate seismicity, determine economic feasibility of providing performance-based detailing, and laboratory and field measurements of bridge girder movement using photogrammetry techniques. Work in the next quarter will focus on completion of a literature review of detailing practices in the Central & Eastern U.S. The development of performance-based seismic detailing using the results of the four-span bridge test will begin.

Eliminate perceived barriers to engine manufacturer/ aftermarket catalyst manufacturer acceptance of biodiesel blend with the expectation these blends will be fully warranted by the original equipment manufacturers while improving air quality. This will be done to the greatest extent possible through engine and aftermarket catalyst performance & durability tests & real world fleet operations employing these technologies.

In FY08-FY09, NBB will partner with a leading engine testing organization (Refuel, SwRI, or OEM lab) with one or several OEMs to develop a detailed scope of work for testing of biodiesel blends on a Off-Highway engine with active and passive diesel particle filters, and with 1) NOx absorber/catalyst and 2) NOx selective catalytic reduction systems. The testing will include emission control system optimization to explore the potential benefits and challenges resultant from the different fuel chemistry. It will include the transient and steady state operating cycles included in the CFR for engine certification, and will examine the effects of biodiesel on all regulated emissions using this technology. Selected non-regulated exhaust species of interest will also be measured. System durability will be tested under the fleet evaluations portion of the program. A detailed final report for this task will be submitted and the results will be published as an SAE paper or equivalent peer reviewed article.

All grantees participate in the Integrated BioWeb Project that provides a comprehensive analysis of the current state of biomass, alternative paths for biomass development and quantified impacts of biomass industry development (where possible) and in Webnibus, the on-line system that allows researchers, peer reviewers and institutional approvers on a variety of platforms to log in from anywhere to work on, review and approve competitive grant proposals.

Evaluate biomass yield, stand establishment & predicted ethanol yields on a wide range of monoculture and mixed grasses in the northeast region.

Develop cropping systems & practices to incorporate Camelina, a summer annual oilseed crop, into Pacific Northwest crop production systems.

Working with agricultural industries to develop technologies and strategies to recover & use waste materials as economically valuable byproducts; i.e., blend chitin and pomace with glycerin to form rigid, biodegradable containers for the horticulture industry. Other efforts include development & use of biodegradable, edible films/coatings to prolong shelf life of fruits & vegetables. Develop bioproducts & biofuels from dairy & feedlot wastes such as methane and other products. Provide outreach & education on these efforts to the state.

Assemble MODIS & ancillary data sets for feedstock supply curves for biofuel production. Began processing data for 250 meter characterization with 56m data delivered and being analyzed. Papers on crop type mapping & on Corn and soybean mapping in the United States using MODIS time-series data sets published in Agronomy Journal. Produce national scale crop map for corn & soy production centers. Presented Multi-Date Compositing Techniques at USDA Foreign Agricultural Service event (November 2007).

Evaluate & develop woody feedstocks such as hybrid polar & alder to augment cellulosic feedstock production. Sites have been secured & plantings and seedlings purchased. Mature wood samples collected to compare to seedlings for wood structure & carbohydrate yield. Samples analyzed for ash, lignin, carbohydrate & extractive content. Currently finalizing cellulase enzymes for enzymatic hydrolysis and a standard hydrolysis process for all samples. Task 1: Characterize juvenile wood samples of Alnus Task 2: Quantify the ash content of the juvenile Alnus samples Task 3: Assay enzymes used for hydrolyzing biomass to determine their viability/activity level Task 4: Compile the viability and height data from the planting sites. 3rd Qtr. Report: efforts have focused on the enzymatic hydrolysis of all species of Alnus. Procedures outlined by the National Renewable Energy Laboratory for the enzymatic hydrolysis of lignocellulosic biomass have been completed, and the resulting hydrolysate is set to be analyzed by high performance liquid chromatography. This data will provide a baseline efficiency for the enzymatic hydrolysis of Alnus polysaccharides to their monomeric sugar constituents. With the baseline established, enzymatic hydrolysis efficiency gains achieved through the incorporation of a biomass pretreatment step can be properly assessed through comparative analysis