A RELIABILE MAINTENANCE-FREE OXYGEN SENSOR FOR AIRCRAFT USING AN OXYGEN-SENSITIVE COATING ON POETENTIOMETRIC ELECTRODES

CURRENT OXYGEN SENSORS ARE NEITHER RELIABLE NOR MAINTENANCE-FREE. THE MEASUREMENT OFTEN CONSUMES OXYGEN WHICH RESULTS IN PROBE FAILURE. THEY REQUIRE PERIODIC RECALIBRATION AND ARE FREQUENTLY REPLACED. A PASSIVE, NON-CONSUMING SENSOR IS POSSIBLE BY COMBINING AN OXYGENSENSITIVE COATING WITH A COMMON POTENTIOMETRIC ELECTRODE. THIS SENSOR IS EXPECTED TO BE COMPACT, ACCURATE, INSENSITIVE TO THE OBOGS OPERATING ENVIRONMENT AND REQUIRE LOW POWER. SINCE 1985, THE DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE HAS CONTRACTED WITH AQUANAUTICS CORPORATION TO DEVELOP AN ARTIFICIAL GILL TECHNOLOGY. THIS PROGRAM PRODUCES OXYGENSENSITIVE COMPOUNDS THAT CAN BE COATED ON A FILM AND INCORPORATED IN A POTENTIOMETRIC PROBE. FOR PHASE I, AQUANAUTICS PROPOSES TO IDENTIFY THE BEST COMPOUNDS AND TEST THEM WITH LABORATORY SENSORS. THE AIR FORCE CAN APPLY THIS REVOLUTIONARY TECHNOLOGY WITH ONLY AN INCREMENTAL INVESTMENT BECAUSE AQUANAUTICS HAS INVESTED $7 MILLION IN R&D. AQUANAUTICS HAS DEMONSTRATED DRAMATIC TECHNICAL ADVANCEMENTS WITH A TEAM OF TWENTY PROFESSIONALS, OF WHOM TEN HOLD PH.D DEGREES. THE COMPANY HAS SBIR EXPERIENCE AND THE FACILITIES TO CONDUCT THE SCOPE OF WORK. A SUB-CONTRACT WILL BE GIVEN TO DR. MARK MEYERHOFF AT THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN, WHO HAS SUBSTANTIAL EXPERIENCE WITH DEVELOPING NEW GAS SENSOR TECHNOLOGY.