I-Corps: Accelerated Innovation and Technology Transition in Semiconductor-Based Hydrogen and Hydrocarbon Sensors

I-Corps：加速半导体氢和碳氢化合物传感器的创新和技术转型

• 批准号: 1157919
• 负责人: Lisa Porter
• 金额: $ 5万
• 依托单位: Carnegie-Mellon University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2011
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2011-10-01 至 2012-03-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1157919&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Corps; Accelerated; Innovation; Technology; Transition

The purpose of the proposed program is to quantify the technical and economic viability of the sensor technology towards commercial deployment of the sensor through strategic partners within the electrochemical and energy markets. The value proposition of this effort is to provide chemical detection in industrial processes at locations where no monitoring previously existed due to the harshness of the operating environment. The effort is centered on the deployment of a novel, robust chemical sensor technology developed by the proposing team at Carnegie Mellon University (CMU). The team has demonstrated the sensitivity of the sensing technology to hydrogen and various hydrocarbons ranging from parts-per-million levels to 20%. This range covers the lower explosive limit of hydrogen and hydrocarbons in an oxidizing environment (typically 4-10%), making this technology a viable candidate for detection of faulty conditions that may lead to explosions in industrial processes. Devices have been operated at elevated temperatures and in the severe environment of wet chlorine without any observed degradation of the device sensitivity. Empowering this commercial endeavor will have the following three overall broader impacts: 1. Prevent explosions, which may endanger lives, damage capital equipment and cause plant down-time; 2. Advance complementary technologies (e.g. electrical contacts, data transmission). These technologies can be subsequently used to deploy other capabilities (e.g. in-situ flow control and feedback) into similar harsh environments; 3. Develop entrepreneurial expertise required for transitional research. This aspect includes the training of a graduate student who will gain valuable experience with innovative and entrepreneurial processes. Chemical monitoring is of prime importance within industrial processes that deal with flammable gases such as hydrogen and hydrocarbons. Oftentimes, chemical monitoring is not available at the point of flammable gas evolution due to corrosive environments or elevated temperatures. Improvements to existing monitoring can be readily achieved by deploying sensors capable of operation at the point of flammable gas evolution. Development of complementary technologies (e.g. electrical contacts, wireless communications in industrial plants) will contribute to the general understanding of device operation in these environments, which will empower deployment of other innovations.

拟议计划的目的是量化传感器技术的技术和经济可行性，以便通过电化学和能源市场内的战略合作伙伴实现传感器的商业部署。这一努力的价值主张是在以前由于操作环境恶劣而没有监测的地点提供工业过程中的化学检测。这项工作的中心是部署卡内基梅隆大学(CMU)提出建议的团队开发的一种新颖、强大的化学传感器技术。该团队已经展示了传感技术对氢和各种碳氢化合物的敏感性，范围从百万分之几到20%。这一范围涵盖了氧化性环境中氢和碳氢化合物的较低爆炸极限(通常为4-10%)，使该技术成为检测可能导致工业过程中爆炸的故障条件的可行候选。设备在高温和湿氯的恶劣环境中运行，没有观察到设备灵敏度的任何退化。加强这一商业努力将产生以下三个总体上更广泛的影响：1.防止可能危及生命、损坏资本设备和导致工厂停机的爆炸；2.推进配套技术(如电接触、数据传输)。这些技术随后可用于将其他能力(例如现场流量控制和反馈)部署到类似的恶劣环境中；3.开发过渡研究所需的创业专业知识。这方面包括对研究生的培训，他们将在创新和创业过程中获得宝贵的经验。化学监测在处理氢气和碳氢化合物等易燃气体的工业过程中至关重要。通常，由于腐蚀性环境或温度升高，在易燃气体释放点无法进行化学监测。通过部署能够在易燃气体释放点运行的传感器，可以很容易地实现对现有监测的改进。开发补充技术(例如，工业工厂中的电气触点、无线通信)将有助于对这些环境中的设备操作的总体了解，这将使其他创新的部署成为可能。