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Fiber Optic Sensor for Industrial Process Measurement and Control--MetroLaser, Inc., 18010 Skypark Circle, Suite 100, Irvine, CA 92614-6428; 949-553-0688
Dr. Jeffrey Segall, Principal Investigator
Dr. Cecil F. Hess, Business Official
DOE Grant No. DE-FG03-99ER82828
Amount: $99,991
An increasingly competitive global marketplace requires energy and waste-intensive industries to improve efficiency while also generating fewer pollutants and other wastes. Achieving the necessary improvements requires improved in-process chemical sensor technology that will provide faster and more accurate measurements of key parameters. Existing monitoring instrumentation is either difficult to use, expensive, or has insufficient time response. This project will develop advanced diode laser-based fiber optic sensors for direct, rapid, and quantitative measurement of gaseous species and temperature in industrial processes. In Phase I, computational simulations of conditions in industrial processes will be performed to determine appropriate measurement conditions. A breadboard diode laser-based chemical sensor system will be developed and demonstrated in laboratory conditions designed to replicate the industrial process environment.
Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee: These fiber optic chemical sensors should be attractive in industrial applications where conventional monitoring systems are either large, expensive, slow, or not versatile enough. The sensors should significantly improve process and energy efficiency and reduce emissions of unwanted pollutants and greenhouse gases. Particular applications include the forest products, glass, aluminum, and chemical industries.