SBIR Phase I: Fiber Optic Based Nitrogen Oxides Sensor

这个小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力将是增强了使用一种新的方法光学监测氮氧化物(NOx)的能力，这种方法从根本上不同于今天商业部署的氧化锆基电压偏置扩散技术。NOx是一种主要污染物和酸雨、表面臭氧和烟雾形成的前驱物质。全球监管机构正在将NOx法规推向越来越低的水平，这给现实世界的排放带来了更大的挑战。针对这些法规，工业将增加后处理技术的部署，包括选择性催化剂还原系统和稀有NOx捕集器。这两项技术都将受益于更便宜、更强大、响应更快的NOx传感器。如果成功，新的NOx传感器有可能通过比目前的NOx检测技术更准确、更快的检测机制来显著降低排放水平。这个小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第一阶段项目将表征和制作一种基于光学的氮氧化物(NOx)传感器技术的原型，该技术不是基于氧传感器衍生品等传统技术。这一努力将通过大量实验和测试，包括对观察到近瞬时NOx检测的早期原型的验证，优化新型热催化NOx传感机制所需的设计和材料。增加催化气体传感元件的数量和类型，并将它们整合到现有的NOx传感器OEM封装中，将实现这一目标。传感器校准方程和响应查找表将有助于验证我们用于NOx检测的新方法，成功的结果将作为基于此新架构的新类别传感器的模型。目前商用的NOx传感器不能满足汽车行业对响应时间、准确性和价格的要求，因为汽车行业对这些参数非常关键。在这个项目中，光学NOx传感机制将得到优化，计划中的实验设计将有助于将这项技术改进为更优化和更坚固的设备。此外，作为测量过程的一部分，该检测机制同时测量一氧化碳和未燃烧的碳氢化合物，从而为任何燃烧应用提供额外的实用程序。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will be the enhanced ability to monitor Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) optically using a novel approach that is fundamentally different from zirconia-based voltage biased diffusion technology commercially deployed today. NOx are a major pollutant and precursor to acid rain, surface ozone and smog formation. Worldwide regulatory bodies are driving NOx regulations to increasingly lower levels, presenting even greater challenges for real-world emissions. Addressing these regulations, industry will be increasing deployment of after-treatment technologies including selective catalyst reduction systems and lean NOx traps. Both of these technologies will benefit from a less expensive, more robust, and faster responding NOx sensor. If successful, the new NOx sensor has the potential to significantly reduce emissions levels through a more accurate and much faster detection mechanism than current NOx detection techniques. This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will characterize and prototype an optical based Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) sensor technology that is not based on conventional techniques such as oxygen sensor derivatives. This effort will optimize the design and materials needed for a novel thermo-catalytic NOx sensing mechanism through experimentation and testing, including validation of earlier prototypes where near instantaneous NOx detection was observed. Increasing the number and type of catalytic sensing elements and integrating them into existing NOx sensor OEM packaging will accomplish this. Sensor calibration equations and response lookup-tables will help validate our new method for NOx detection with successful results serving as a model for a new category of sensors based on this architecture. Current commercially available NOx sensors do not meet response time, accuracy and price requirements as used in the automotive industry where such parameters are critical. In this program, the optical NOx sensing mechanism will be optimized, and planned designs of experiment will help refine this technology into a more optimized and robust device. Additionally, the detection mechanism simultaneously measures carbon monoxide and unburned hydrocarbons as part of the measurement process, thus providing additional utility for any combustion application.