2017

• July - Wójtowicz, M. A., Cosgrove, J. E., Serio, M. A., Nalette, T., Guerrero, S. V., Papale, W., and Wilburn, M. S., "Development of trace contaminant control prototypes for the Primary Life Support System (PLSS)," Proc. 47th International Conference on Environmental Systems (ICES), Charleston, South Carolina, 16-20 July, 2017, technical paper No. ICES-2017-270, 2017.
• July - Serio, M. A., Cosgrove, J. E., Wójtowicz, M. A., Stapleton, T. J., Nalette, T. A., Ewert, M. K., Lee, J., and Fisher, J., "Measurement and modeling of torrefaction processing for human solid waste management in space," Proc. 47th International Conference on Environmental Systems (ICES), Charleston, South Carolina, 16-20 July, 2017, technical paper No. ICES-2017-335, 2017.

2016

• July - Wójtowicz, M. A., Cosgrove, J. E., Serio, M. A., and Wilburn, M. S., "Co-adsorption of ammonia and formaldehyde on regenerable carbon sorbents for the Primary Life Support System (PLSS)," Proc. 46th International Conference on Environmental Systems (ICES), Vienna, Austria, 10-14 July, 2016, technical paper No. ICES-2016-345, 2016.

2015

• July - Wójtowicz, M. A., Cosgrove, J. E., Serio, M. A., and Wilburn, M. S., "Adsorption of ammonia on regenerable carbon sorbents," Proc. 45th International Conference on Environmental Systems (ICES), Bellevue, Washington, 12-16 July, 2015, technical paper No. ICES-2015-179, 2015.
• July - Serio, M. A., Cosgrove, J. E., Wójtowicz, M. A., Lee, J., Wignarajah, K., and Fisher, J., "Space applications of torrefaction processing," Proc. 45th International Conference on Environmental Systems (ICES), Bellevue, Washington, 12-16 July, 2015, technical paper No. ICES-2015-291, 2015.

2014

• Markham, J.A., Cosgrove, J., Scire, Jr. J., Haldeman, C., and Agoos, I., “Aircraft engine-mounted camera system for long wavelength infrared imaging of in-service thermal barrier coated turbine blade,” Review of Scientific Instruments, 85, 124902, 2014.

2013

• July - Serio, M. A., Cosgrove, J. E., Wójtowicz, M. A., Wignarajah, K. and Fisher, J., "A prototype microwave pyrolyzer for solid wastes," Proc. 43rd Int. Conf. on Environmental Systems (ICES), Vail, Colorado, July 14-18, technical paper No. AIAA-2013-3371, AIAA, 2013.
• May - Awarded two NASA SBIR Phase I projects titled: "Torrefaction Processing of Human Fecal Waste" and "Regenerable Sorbent for Combined CO₂, Water, and Trace-Contaminant Capture in the Primary Life Support System (PLSS)"

2012

• R&D 100 Award Winner

• January - AFR receives two NASA SBIR Phase I projects titled, " Regenerable Trace Contaminant Sorbent for the Primary Life Support System (PLSS)" and "Laser Stethoscope for Use in Noisy Spacecraft Environments."

 2011

• July - AFR presents a paper at the 41st International Conference on Environmental Systems (ICES) titled, "Microwave-Assisted Pyrolysis of Solid Waste" (July 17-21, 2011, Portland, Oregon).

2010

• November - AFR receives a contract to develop a smartphone version of its radiation detection software. The app will use the onboard camera and computer to detect dangerous levels of radiation for individual users. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) funded project was awarded under their Transformative Apps broad agency announcement (BAA-10-41) and will fund a series of advanced radiation detection and measurement applications.
• July -AFR presents a paper at the 40th International Conference on Environmental Systems (ICES) titled, "A Compact, Efficient Pyrolysis/Oxidation System for Solid Waste" (July 11-15, 2010, Barcelona, Spain).
• May - AFR receives additional $150,000 supplemental funding for its Phase II SBIR award from the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO) of the Department of Homeland Security. This contract, titled “Radiological Source Surveillance with Video-Centric Radiation Detection,” now has a total value of $932,000
• April - Successful test of Gamma Pix video at the U.S. Dept. of Energy’s Oak Ridge National Lab. All tests are passed, validating ability to detect radiation threats in seconds

2009

• September - AFR receives approval for Option Year funding for its Phase II SBIR award from the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO) of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) for the contract titled “Radiological Source Surveillance with Video-Centric Radiation Detection.” This contract modification increases the allocation by $211,290, bringing the total contract value to $782,820.
• August - AFR gives invited presentation on the success of the Medical Center (Washington, DC Metro) deployment of video-centric radiation detection prototype to the meeting of the Advisory Panel of the National Academy of Sciences' Transportation Research Board.
• June - AFR receives supplemental funding for its Phase II SBIR award from the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office (DNDO) of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). This contract, titled “Radiological Source Surveillance with Video-Centric Radiation Detection,” is given an additional allocation of $256,781, bringing the total contract value to $571,530.
• April - AFR receives a Phase II SBIR Award from the Air Force Arnold Engineering Development Center (AEDC) titled “High-Speed Thermal Imaging of In-Service Turbine Blades.” The project is to develop an innovative sensor system to map the surface temperature of thermal barrier coated (TBC) turbine blades during operational testing of advanced military jet engines.
• March -Successful operational test of a video camera-based radiation detection prototype performed at Medical Center station of the Washington, DC Metro; a 17 mR/hr radiation field from small, unregulated sealed source detected in about 20 seconds.
• January - Work begins on a critical deployment test to the Washington D.C. Metro system under a Phase 2 contract to the National Academy of Sciences' Transportation Research Board. A three camera system is installed into the Medical Center station in Bethesda, MD. The title of this contract is, “Detection of Radioactivity in Transit Stations – Phase 2, Transit IDEA Project 54”
• The Arnold Air Force Base publication High Mach (vol. 55, no. 1, Jan. 9, 2009) recognizes the R&D 100 Award winning Rumble and Screech Spatial Mapping Analyzer Tool (RASSMAT) as a highlight in their “Year in Review 2008”. The RASSMAT was developed and delivered by AFR under an SBIR Phase II project with the Air Force Arnold Engineering Development Center (AEDC).

2008

• December - AFR receives a Phase I SBIR award from the NASA Ames Research Center titled “A Compact, Efficient Pyrolysis/Oxidation System for Solid Waste Resource Recovery in Space.” This project continues previous NASA sponsored work on the investigation of pyrolysis processing of mixed solid waste materials for space applications.
• October - AFR receives an R&D 100 Award from R&D Magazine for its Rumble and Screech Spatial Mapping Analyzer Tool (RASSMAT). Developed under an SBIR Phase II project with the Air Force, the RASSMAT provides a non-contact method for sensing combustion instabilities, often called rumble and screech, during development testing of jet engine augmentors (afterburners). The R&D 100 Award was jointly received by AFR, the AEDC Air Force SBIR Program of Arnold Air Force Base, and the Aerospace Testing Alliance of Arnold Air Force Base.
• September -
  • AFR receives a Phase II SBIR award from the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office of the Department of Homeland Security. This contract, titled “Radiological Source Surveillance with Video-Centric Radiation Detection,” is given an initial allocation of $314,748.
  • The Japanese Patent Application for “Apparatus and Method for Detection of Radiation,” was published on September 25, 2008 and assigned Japanese Publication No. P2008-537774A.
• July - Dr. Michael A. Serio, President of AFR, receives the Distinguished Service Award from the American Chemical Society, Division of Fuel Chemistry. He had previously served the Division of Fuel Chemistry as Program Chair, Program Secretary, Chair, Trustee, and Head Trustee.
• June - United States Patent #7,391,028, “Apparatus and Method for Detection of Radiation,” issued and assigned to AFR. This invention is concerned with a method for detecting radiation using digital cameras. With applications in the homeland security and military force protection markets, licensing opportunities are being explored. The inventor is Dr. Eric P. Rubenstein.

2007

• December - AFR receives a Phase I STTR Award from the National Science Foundation titled “In-Situ Diagnostics and Process Control Based on Optical Emission Spectroscopy and Neural Networks for Manufacturing Thin Film Silicon Photovoltaic Materials. The Research Institution was the Institute of Energy Conversion at the University of Delaware.
• September -
  • AFR receives a $150,000 Phase 1 SBIR award from the Domestic Nuclear Detection Office of the Department of Homeland Security which was concerned with radiological source surveillance using video-centric radiation detection.
  • AFR receives a Phase II SBIR Award from the Air Force titled “Distributed System for Field Detection of Stray Energy from Laser Weapons.” This project is to develop a sensor system that can monitor stray laser energy during open-air testing of high-energy lasers.
• July - United States Patent #7,241,323, “Pyrolysis Process for Producing Fuel Gas,” issued to AFR. This invention is concerned with a staged process for pyrolysis of mixed solid waste materials to produce fuel gases for power generation and other applications. The inventors were Dr. Michael A. Serio, Mr. Erik Kroo, Dr. Marek A. Wójtowicz, and Dr. Eric M. Suuberg.
• June - AFR receives a Phase II SBIR Award from the Department of Education titled “Technology Enhanced Science Education in Middle School.” This project will work to develop 21^st Century science curricula for middle school students by harnessing modern computer technology.
• May - Three papers published by AFR personnel were listed among the Top Ten most cited papers in the twenty-year history of the American Chemical Society journal, Energy & Fuel. No other domestic or international fuels R&D laboratory had this distinction.
• January - United States Patent #7,169,197, “Pyrolysis Processing for Solid Waste Resource Recovery,” issued to AFR. This invention is concerned with an apparatus for pyrolysis of mixed solid waste materials to produce fuel gases for power generation and other applications. The inventors were Dr. Michael A. Serio, Mr. Erik Kroo, Dr. Marek A. Wójtowicz, and Dr. Eric M. Suuberg.

2006

• December - United States patent # 7,151,260 “Analyzer for Measuring Multiple Gases” issued to AFR. With initial development for Air Force jet engine exhaust monitoring applications, the invention enables rapid simultaneous quantitative measurements of key infrared-active gases and infrared-inactive gases with one instrument.
• September -
  • The U.S. Air Force signs a contract with AFR to purchase three “Analyzers for Measuring Multiple Gases,” to be installed in the Arnold Engineering Development Center (AEDC) large Hypervelocity Ballistic Range G facility at Arnold Air Force Base, Tenn.
  • Publications show that the Department of Defense Assured Fuels Initiative gains benefits from Air Force AEDC contracts with AFR that developed and delivered advanced gas analysis capability: 1) “AEDC Team Supports Time Critical Alternative Fuels Test,” High Mach, August 25, 2006; and 2) “Tests of Synthetic Fuel will Shift to Fighter Engines,” Aviation Week & Space Technology, vol. 165, no. 9, pp. 46-47, September 2006.
• June - The U.S. Air Force SBIR Advantage quarterly newsletter for 2006 features AFR's Phase II project on the development of a sensor system to detect combustion instability during the testing of advanced jet engines.
• May - AFR was a team member selected to receive the 2005 Annual Technical Achievement Excellence Award from the Air Force at Arnold Air Force Base, TN. The JETS-APEX2 team consisted of AEDC/DOT, AEDC/ATA, AFR, Aerodyne Research, CARB, EPA, NASA GRC, NASA LaRC, Oakland Airport, Southwest Airlines, U. of Cal-Riverside, U. of Missouri-Rolla COE, Boeing, GEAE, and was selected for using state-of-the-art analytical equipment to measure particle and gaseous species in the exhaust of jet engines.