IN THIS STTR PHASE I EFFORT, LOS GATOS RESEARCH (LGR) AND PROFESSOR SCOTT SANDERS (MECHANICAL ENGINEERING D…

Public award description

IN THIS STTR PHASE I EFFORT, LOS GATOS RESEARCH (LGR) AND PROFESSOR SCOTT SANDERS (MECHANICAL ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT, UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN MADISON) PROPOSE TO DEVELOP A HIGHLY-ACCURATE SENSOR FOR HIGH-PURITY OXYGEN DETERMINATION. THE ANALYZER, WHICH IS BASED ON NEAR-INFRARED TUNABLE DIODE LASER ABSORPTION SPECTROMETRY (TDLAS) AND LGR'S PATENTED OFF-AXIS INTEGRATED CAVITY OUTPUT SPECTROMETRY (OFF-AXIS ICOS), WILL BE CAPABLE OF RAPIDLY QUANTIFYING HIGH-PURITY OXYGEN (95 100 %) WITH VERY HIGH ACCURACY (TO BETTER THAN 0.05 %), MINIMAL CALIBRATION, AND NO ZERO DRIFT. THE ANALYSIS WILL BE COMPLETELY SPECIFIC AND EXHIBIT NO MEASURABLE CROSS-INTERFERENCES FROM OTHER BACKGROUND SPECIES (E.G. ARGON, NITROGEN, WATER VAPOR, CO, CO2, OR SMALL ORGANICS). MOREOVER, THE ANALYZER WILL BE LOW-POWER, BATTERY-OPERABLE, REQUIRE NO CONSUMABLES, AND SUFFICIENTLY COMPACT AND ROBUST FOR ADAPTABILITY TO FUTURE SPACE MISSIONS. THE HIGH-PURITY OXYGEN SENSOR WILL HELP CHARACTERIZE NASA OXYGEN GENERATORS FOR BREATHING AND PROPULSION APPLICATIONS.