Lightweight, Compact Atmospheric Gas Sensor

The objective of the SBIR project is to develop a lightweight and compact atmospheric and trace gas sensors that can be safely used within the Scope of Certification boundary to provide real-time monitoring of CO2, O2 and trace contaminant levels in manned compartments or within piping systems onboard submersibles. .Synkera has extensive experience at development of sensor technologies for industrial health and safety, air quality and process control applications. Synkera proposes to adapt its family of sensor technologies based upon chemiresistive, electrochemical and acoustic mechanisms to meet the needs identified in SOCOM topic 08-005. Synkera’s toxic gas sensors have been shown to detect ppb levels of a wide range of atmospheric contaminants, and are robust and reliable. The proposed analyzer will utilize sensors based upon advances in materials chemistry, nanotechnology and ceramic micromachining to exceed the performance available from state of the art commercial devices. The Phase I project demonstrated the feasibility of Synkera’s approach, and this Phase II project will build and test prototype detectors for use onboard submersibles. BENEFITS: The atmospheric analyzer will benefit the health and safety of persons serving onboard military vessels with closed environments. The proposed analyzer will also be applicable to other commercial enclosed atmosphere systems, such as submersibles, hyperbaric chambers, or space applications, as well as industrial settings for gas measurement or commercial contaminant or air quality warning systems.