SBIR Phase I: Development of a High Precision, Autonomous Quantum Cascade Laser-Based Detector for Methane and Nitrous Oxide

SBIR 第一阶段：开发高精度、自主量子级联激光甲烷和一氧化二氮探测器

• 批准号: 0215147
• 负责人: David Nelson
• 金额: $ 10万
• 依托单位: Aerodyne Research Inc
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2002
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2002-07-01 至 2002-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0215147&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SBIR; Phase; Development; Precision; Autonomous

This Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to develop a compact and autonomous, high precision monitor for the potent greenhouse gases, methane and nitrous oxide. This proposal is submitted under the Geoscience Instrumentation subtopic (subtopic E) of the Electronics topic. The target molecules are currently detected with cw lead salt diode lasers. These lasers require cryogenic cooling and, due to their lack of long term stability, a highly trained operator. Quantum cascade (QC) lasers are spectroscopically stable and can be operated near room temperature when they are pulsed. This allows the design of compact, rugged, inexpensive and autonomous molecular monitors. This system is further simplified by detecting both methane and nitrous with a single QC laser using nearly coincident transitions near 1300 mm . The Phase I research objectives will be to demonstrate that the required sensitivity and specificity can be obtained in this spectral region using a pulsed QC laser and non-cryogenic infrared detectors. The Phase I research will produce a preliminary design for an instrument to be constructed during Phase II. The resulting turn-key monitor will address the widespread need to monitor these important species in a sensitive and cost-effective manner.Potential commercial applications for this research include 1) the research market attempting to quantify the worldwide sources and sinks of greenhouse gases, 2) the market for trading credits for greenhouse gas emission reductions which requires quantitative documentation of these reductions, 3) the market for goods and services able to identify and locate leaks in natural gas distribution systems and 4) various research markets needing to quantify methane and/or nitrous oxide concentrations or emissions in both laboratory and field settings.

这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目是开发一种紧凑、自主、高精度的强效温室气体、甲烷和一氧化二氮监测仪。本提案在电子学主题的地球科学仪器子主题（子主题E）下提交。目前用连续波铅盐二极管激光器检测靶分子。这些激光器需要低温冷却，并且由于缺乏长期稳定性，需要训练有素的操作人员。量子级联（QC）激光器具有光谱稳定性，当它们被脉冲时可以在室温附近工作。这使得设计紧凑、坚固、廉价和自主的分子监测仪成为可能。通过在1300毫米附近使用几乎一致的跃迁，用单个QC激光器检测甲烷和氮气，进一步简化了该系统。第一阶段的研究目标将是证明使用脉冲QC激光器和非低温红外探测器可以在该光谱区域获得所需的灵敏度和特异性。第一阶段的研究将为第二阶段建造的仪器提供初步设计。由此产生的交钥匙监测器将解决以敏感和具有成本效益的方式监测这些重要物种的广泛需求。这项研究的潜在商业应用包括：1)试图量化全球温室气体源和汇的研究市场；2)温室气体减排信用交易市场，这需要对这些减排进行量化记录；3)能够识别和定位天然气分配系统泄漏的商品和服务市场；4)需要在实验室和现场环境中量化甲烷和/或一氧化二氮浓度或排放的各种研究市场。