SBIR Phase I: More Effective Power Plant Water Monitoring by Online Microfluidic Electro-Chromatography with Conductivity Detection Technology

这个小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目将开发一个在线离子监测仪的原型，以提高电力行业水资源的效率和成本效益。目前，该行业缺乏既能监测浓度低于10g /L的离子，又能以近乎实时的自动化方式进行操作的仪器。能够满足这一需求的仪器将使发电厂运营商能够更好地控制宝贵的超纯水资源。该项目将创建一个原型仪器，能够对工业界最感兴趣的四种目标阴离子进行亚g/L检测。Advanced MicroLabs有限责任公司将设计、建造和测试一种自动化原型设备，允许在不受环境污染的情况下检测亚g/L的目标阴离子。这个概念验证原型的创建将代表一个开发里程碑，展示了实用性，并最终允许现场测试。这项研究的更广泛/商业影响是通过离子分析进行水质监测，仅在全球电力行业就已成为约5亿美元的市场。然而，市场仍然需要既能自动在线监测又能低灵敏度的仪器。事实上，电力行业？美国的研究机构EPRI在过去10年里投入了数百万美元的研究资金，试图解决这一需求，但收效甚微。Advanced MicroLabs， LLC提供了另一种技术。根据行业反馈，该项目中创建的设备将导致更有效的水监测，在一个典型的发电厂每年节省1.74亿加仑的水，节省52.2万美元的成本

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will develop a prototype online ion monitor for more efficient and cost effective management of water resources in the power industry. The industry currently lacks instrumentation that can both monitor ions below 10 g/L concentrations and be operated in an automated near-real time fashion. Instrumentation that could address this need would allow power plant operators significantly better control of precious ultrapure water resources. This project will create a prototype instrument capable of sub g/L detection of four target anions most interesting to the industry. Advanced MicroLabs, LLC will design, construct, and test an automated prototype device allowing sub g/L detection of target anions free of environmental contamination. Creation of this proof-of-concept prototype would represent a development milestone demonstrating the utility and ultimately allowing on-site testing. The broader/commercial impacts of this research are water quality monitoring through ion analysis has become approximately a $500 million market globally in the power industry alone. Yet there still exists a market need for instrumentation that can both monitor in an automated, online fashion and with low sensitivity. Indeed, the power industry?s research institute, EPRI, has spent $ Millions in research money over the last 10 years, attempting to address this need with limited success. Advanced MicroLabs, LLC offers an alternative technology. Based on industry feedback, the device created in this project would result in more effective water monitoring, providing total annual water savings of 174 Million gallons and cost savings of $522k at a typical power plant