Miniature Electronic Sniffer for Navy Vertical Take off Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (VTUAVs)

The objective of this research is a reliable, low false alarm sniffer system for use with shipboard-launched unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to provide standoff detection capabilities for surface vessels during encounters with potentially explosive-laden vessels. Makel Engineering, Inc. (MEI) and the Universities Space Research Association (USRA) have proposed glow-discharge based detection system that will be extremely compact (<1 lb.) and provide highly sensitive detection of explosives and the potential to detect a broad range of chemical and biological agents. This system will be a microplasma-based electronic sniffer (MHGD Sniffer). During Phase I, MEI and USRA developed a breadboard microplasma system with mass detection limits of low ppm to high ppb of chemicals tested, with improvement expected as the detection system is further engineered. Species identification may be made quantitative through calibration. No such combined capability currently exists for compounds that range from aerosols to gases.