Advanced Analyzers for Monitoring Submarine Atmosphere

The Navy requires an advanced analyzer to improve the performance and reduce the maintenance cost of current submarine atmosphere monitoring systems. To meet this need, we propose to develop an advanced Raman spectrographic system that will detect, identify and accurately measure much lower trace-level chemicals than current systems and provide measurements and readouts in real time. The system will also be programmable, so it can be easily adjusted through software changes to enable identification of a wide variety of future target chemicals of interest. The small, compact technology being used is highly durable, requiring only minimal, inexpensive maintenance, and the system will be easily integrated into existing onboard spaces. The Phase I project will develop a detailed system design and provide a comprehensive proof of concept through performance tests and demonstrations of all critical sensor components. The resulting system will bring submarine atmosphere monitoring to the state of the art and provide the technology needed to support many other important military, government and commercial sensor requirements.