SBIR Phase II: Fiber Optic Based Nitrogen Oxides Sensor

这个SBIR第二阶段项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力将是增强了使用一种从根本上不同于今天商业部署的电压偏置固体电解质扩散技术的独特方法来光学监测NOx的能力。NSF第一阶段的活动暴露了现有传感器技术的缺点，包括响应时间慢和高达90%的原始设备制造商和监管机构必须解决的“垃圾数据”。第二阶段的工作包括改进第一阶段的原型，在那里观察到近瞬时的NOx检测到~200ppm。NOx是一种主要污染物，也是酸雨、地表臭氧和烟雾形成的前驱物质。世界各地的监管机构正在将NOx法规推向越来越严格的水平，从而对现实世界的排放提出了更大的挑战。针对这些法规，工业必须部署后处理技术，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。随着持续的成功，新的NOx传感器有可能通过比目前的NOx检测技术更准确和更快的检测来显著降低排放水平，从而允许内燃机直接使用检测反馈来增强排放控制。这个小型企业创新研究(SBIR)第二阶段项目将继续基于光学氮氧化物(NOx)传感器技术的原型和表征，而不是基于目前市场上找到的氧传感器衍生品。我们将通过不断的实验和测试，进一步优化新型热催化NOx传感机构所需的设计和材料。增加催化气体传感元件的数量和类型，并将它们集成到现有的OEM包装中，将使我们能够测量NOx以及包括氨(NH3)在内的其他气体。传感器校准方程和响应查找表将帮助验证我们用于NOx检测的新方法，并获得成功的结果，为基于这种新型差分检测架构的新类型传感器奠定基础。目前的车用NOx传感器不能满足对这些参数至关重要的行业对响应时间、准确性和价格的要求。第二阶段将优化光学传感机制，计划中的实验设计将有助于将这项技术提炼成可靠而坚固的设备。除了NOx和NH3，我们的“无机味蕾”还会在测量过程中产生一氧化碳和未燃烧的碳氢化合物浓度，从而为任何燃烧排放控制应用提供额外的实用程序。

The broader impact/commercial potential of this SBIR Phase II project will be the enhanced ability to monitor NOx optically using a unique approach that is fundamentally different from voltage biased solid electrolyte diffusion technology deployed commercially today. NSF Phase I activities brought to light the shortcomings of existing sensor technology, including slow response time and up to 90% "garbage data" that OEMs and regulatory authorities have to work around. Phase II efforts include improvement of Phase I prototypes where near instantaneous NOx detection to ~200 ppm was observed. NOx are a major pollutant and precursor to acid rain, surface ozone and smog formation. Worldwide regulatory bodies are driving NOx regulations to increasingly stringent levels, thus presenting even greater challenges for real-world emissions. Addressing these regulations, industry must deploy 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. With continued success, the new NOx sensor has the potential to significantly reduce emissions levels through a more accurate and much faster detection than current NOx detection techniques thus allowing the internal combustion engine to directly employ detection feedback to enhance emission controls.This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project will continue the prototyping and characterization of an optical based Nitrogen Oxides (NOx) sensor technology not based on oxygen sensor derivatives found in the market today. We will further optimize the design and materials needed for a novel thermo-catalytic NOx sensing mechanism through continued experimentation and testing. Increasing the number and type of catalytic sensing elements and integrating them into existing OEM packaging will allow us to measure NOx as well as other gases including ammonia (NH3). Sensor calibration equations and response lookup-tables will help validate our new method for NOx detection with successful results creating the foundation of a new category of sensors based on this differential detection architecture. Current automotive NOx sensors do not meet response time, accuracy and price requirements as used in the industry where such parameters are critical. The Phase II will optimize the optical sensing mechanism, and planned designs of experiment will help refine this technology into a reliable and robust device. Besides NOx and NH3, our "inorganic taste buds" also derive carbon monoxide and unburned hydrocarbon concentration as a byproduct of the measurement process, thus providing additional utility for any combustion emissions control application.