SBIR Phase II: Airborne Soot Sensor for Improving Fuel Efficiency and Reducing Pollutants

这个小型企业创新研究第二阶段项目将开发一种用于汽车柴油发动机尾气传感应用的微型机载烟尘传感器。目前的政府法规要求，到2012年，在美国销售的所有柴油车都将配备车载NOx和空气颗粒物传感器。提出的颗粒物传感器是基于电子自旋共振(ESR)光谱的原理。这项传感器技术将被小型化和硬化，用于汽车空气烟尘传感应用。旨在满足激进的成本削减目标的设计更改是该项目的一个重要特征。最终的结果将是一种汽车级的、低成本的机载烟尘传感器，可以确保最终用户？符合新的柴油引擎废气排放标准。这项计划的更广泛影响/商业潜力是减少空气中颗粒物的排放。空气中的颗粒物已被美国政府确定为可能对健康和环境造成严重影响的六种标准污染物之一。空气中颗粒物(PM)的最大来源是柴油车和发电厂。我们提出了一种基于微型电子自旋共振传感器技术的新型、低成本和高特异性的机载碳烟传感器。即将出台的政府车载诊断法规，再加上国外的类似法规，每年为全球约630万个气载烟尘传感器创造了一个市场。预计由于即将到来的法规变化，机载烟尘传感器的全球市场规模将增长到每年约3.5亿美元。

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase II project will result in the development of a miniature airborne soot sensor for automotive diesel engine exhaust sensing applications. Current government regulations mandate that by 2012, all diesel vehicles sold in the United States will be equipped with onboard NOx and airborne particulate matter sensors. The proposed particulate matter sensor is based on the principle of electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy. This sensor technology will be miniaturized and hardened for use in an automotive application for airborne soot sensing. Design changes intended to meet aggressive cost-reduction goals are an important feature of the project. The end result will be an automotive-grade, low-cost airborne soot sensor that can ensure end-users? compliance with new diesel engine emissions standards.The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is a reduction in airborne particulate matter emissions. Airborne particulate matter has been identified by the US government as one of six criteria pollutants with potentially serious health and environmental effects. Among the largest sources of airborne particulate matter (PM) are diesel vehicles and power plants. We propose a new, low-cost and highly specific airborne soot sensor based on a miniature electron spin resonance sensor technology. The upcoming government regulations for onboard vehicle diagnostics, combined with similar regulations abroad create a market for approximately 6.3 million airborne soot sensors per year worldwide. It is expected that the worldwide market size for onboard airborne soot sensors will grow to approximately $350M/year as a result of upcoming regulatory changes.