SBIR Phase I: More Effective Power Plant Water Monitoring by Online Microfluidic Electro-Chromatography with Conductivity Detection Technology

这个小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目将开发一个原型在线离子监测器，以更有效和低成本地管理电力行业的水资源。目前，该行业缺乏既能监测低于10g/L浓度的离子，又能以自动化近实时方式操作的仪器。能够满足这一需求的仪器设备将使发电厂运营商能够更好地控制宝贵的超纯水资源。该项目将创建一个原型仪器，能够对行业最感兴趣的四个目标阴离子进行亚克/L检测。Advanced MicroLabs，LLC将设计、建造和测试一种自动化原型设备，允许Subg/L检测目标阴离子而不会对环境造成污染。这一概念验证原型的创建将是一个发展里程碑，它将展示其实用性，并最终实现现场测试。这项研究的更广泛/商业影响是，仅在电力行业，通过离子分析进行水质监测就已成为全球约5亿美元的市场。然而，仍然存在对既能以自动化、在线方式进行监测又能以低灵敏度进行监测的仪器的市场需求。电力行业？电力工业研究所S研究所在过去10年里花费了数百万美元的研究资金，试图满足这一需求，但收效甚微。先进的微型实验室，有限责任公司提供了一种替代技术。根据行业反馈，该项目中创建的设备将导致更有效的水监测，在一个典型的发电厂，每年总共节省1.74亿加仑的水和节省52.2万美元的成本

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will develop a prototype online ion monitor for more efficient and cost effective management of water resources in the power industry. The industry currently lacks instrumentation that can both monitor ions below 10 g/L concentrations and be operated in an automated near-real time fashion. Instrumentation that could address this need would allow power plant operators significantly better control of precious ultrapure water resources. This project will create a prototype instrument capable of sub g/L detection of four target anions most interesting to the industry. Advanced MicroLabs, LLC will design, construct, and test an automated prototype device allowing sub g/L detection of target anions free of environmental contamination. Creation of this proof-of-concept prototype would represent a development milestone demonstrating the utility and ultimately allowing on-site testing. The broader/commercial impacts of this research are water quality monitoring through ion analysis has become approximately a $500 million market globally in the power industry alone. Yet there still exists a market need for instrumentation that can both monitor in an automated, online fashion and with low sensitivity. Indeed, the power industry?s research institute, EPRI, has spent $ Millions in research money over the last 10 years, attempting to address this need with limited success. Advanced MicroLabs, LLC offers an alternative technology. Based on industry feedback, the device created in this project would result in more effective water monitoring, providing total annual water savings of 174 Million gallons and cost savings of $522k at a typical power plant