GASEOUS OXYGEN SENSOR FOR ON-BOARD AIRCRAFT USE

AN ELECTRONIC CIRCUIT WILL BE DESIGNED TO SPECIFICALLY MEASURE A PHYSICAL PROPERTY OF AIRCREW BREATHING OXYGEN. OPERATION OF THE CIRCUIT AT A VERY SPECIFIC CONDITION SHOULD RESULT IN A STRONG, MEASURABLE RESPONSE PROPORTIONAL TO OXYGEN PARTIAL PRESSURE. THE PROPOSED EXPERIMENTAL PROGRAM WILL TEST THIS RESPONSE OVER THE RANGE OF OXYGEN CONCENTRATIONS, PRESSURES, AND TEMPERATURES EXPECTED TO OCCUR IN HIGH PERFORMANCE COMBAT AIRCRAFT. FURTHER TESTING WILL ACCOUNT FOR AFFECTS OF WATER VAPOR, CARBON DIOXIDE, AND PARTICULATES. SUFFICIENT DATA WILL BE COLLECTED TO PRODUCE A PHASE II PROTOTYPE DESIGN AND ALSO TO GENERATE A CONCEPTUAL PRODUCT DESIGN IN ORDER TO ESTIMATE CHARACTERISTICS AND COST OF THE FINAL PRODUCT. ULTIMATELY, THE DEVELOPED OXYGEN SENSOR WILL BECOME PART OF AN AIRCREW BREATHING OXYGEN SUPPLY WHICH WILL DELIVER OXYGEN AT PRECISE CONCENTRATION AT FLOWRATES SUFFICIENT TO MEET WIDE RANGING REQUIREMENTS. THE PROPOSED OXYGEN SENSOR HAS UNIQUE POTENTIAL TO MEET AIRCRAFT REQUIREMENTS INCLUDING SMALL SIZE, LOW COST, OXYGEN SPECIFICITY, RUGGED CONSTRUCTION, AND SIMPLE SOLID-STATE CONSTRUCTION.