SBIR Phase I: Sensor for Hazardous Static Voltage

SBIR 第一阶段：危险静态电压传感器

• 批准号: 1314673
• 负责人: Paul Martin
• 金额: $ 15万
• 依托单位: Chameleon Optics, Inc.
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2013
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2013-07-01 至 2013-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1314673&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: SBIR; Phase; Sensor; Hazardous; Static

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will investigate the synthesis of electrochromic materials to fabricate a sensor for hazardous static voltage. This device will visibly warn of the build-up of dangerous static charge on a surface. In prior work, we have developed electrochromic materials to produce flexible electrochromic films that change reversibly from neutral gray to clear upon the application of a low voltage (1.5 volts). However, this application requires electrochromic pigments with bright colors and an ion-conductive dielectric that can tolerate a potential of up to 100 kV. In this project, brilliant primary-color electrochromic metal ferrocyanide nano-pigments will be synthesized, and the existing ion conductive dielectric will be substantially reformulated to tolerate extremely high electric potentials. These materials will be incorporated into a static charge sensor which will be useful in a wide range of industries. The broader impact/commercial potential of this project arises from the significant hazards associated with static electricity. The first application for this sensor is the aircraft industry, where an uncontrolled static discharge can result in catastrophic loss of facilities, vehicles and personnel. However, the market opportunities for the sensor are much broader, encompassing virtually any facility that synthesizes, manipulates, stores, or transports non-conductive materials. Of particular note are facilities which handle flammable vapors or dusts, such as oil refiners or grain mills. Flammable vapors account for about 70% of all explosive atmosphere detonations, with the most severe costing dozens of lives and causing hundreds of millions of dollars in damage. Furthermore, there are on average 12 explosions resulting annually from flammable dusts, resulting in two fatalities and millions of dollars of damage per year. Timely warning of dangerous static charge could help prevent these accidents. Less dramatically but still of economic importance, this sensor would improve yield in other industries adversely affected by static discharge, such as integrated circuit fabricators. Based on data from the U.S. Business Census, there are about 386,000 firms operating 538,000 establishments with a total of 13 million employees that could benefit from the device to be developed.

这个小企业创新研究第一阶段项目将研究电致变色材料的合成，以制造危险静态电压传感器。这种装置可以明显地警告危险的静电荷在表面上的积聚。在之前的工作中，我们已经开发出电致变色材料来生产柔性电致变色薄膜，这种薄膜在低电压（1.5伏）下从中性灰色可逆地变为透明。然而，这种应用需要具有鲜艳颜色的电致变色颜料和能够承受高达100kv电位的离子导电介质。在本项目中，将合成绚丽的原色电致变色金属亚铁氰化物纳米颜料，并对现有的离子导电介质进行实质性的重新配制，以承受极高的电位。这些材料将被集成到静电传感器中，这将在广泛的工业中有用。该项目的广泛影响/商业潜力源于与静电有关的重大危害。该传感器的第一个应用是飞机工业，其中不受控制的静电放电可能导致设施，车辆和人员的灾难性损失。然而，传感器的市场机会要广泛得多，几乎包括任何合成、操作、存储或运输非导电材料的设施。特别值得注意的是处理易燃气体或粉尘的设施，如炼油厂或谷物磨坊。可燃气体约占所有爆炸性大气爆炸的70%，最严重的爆炸造成数十人死亡，造成数亿美元的损失。此外，每年平均有12起由可燃粉尘引起的爆炸，每年造成两人死亡和数百万美元的损失。对危险静电的及时预警有助于防止这些事故的发生。这种传感器将提高其他受静电影响的行业（如集成电路制造商）的产量，虽然效果不那么显著，但仍具有重要的经济意义。根据美国商业普查（U.S. Business Census）的数据，大约有38.6万家公司、53.8万家机构、总计1300万名员工可以从即将开发的设备中受益。