SBIR/STTR Phase II: Nonintrusive Species Specific Velocimeter

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase II project will develop a passive, nonintrusive species-specific velocimeter (SSV) that simultaneously measures spatially resolved velocities of multiple species in a flame, sorting the information by species and spatial scale size. The SSV will be geared to spatially resolve the mixing and chemical dynamics occurring within flames, and to track these effects in real time. No instruments are available that can make such measurements passively and non-invasively in a com-pact geometry. The SSV will play a critical role in a novel deposition process, combustion chemical vapor deposition (CCVD). CCVD is a continuous open-air deposition process that is targeting a wide spectrum of thin-film-coating markets, including electronics, glass, anti-corrosives, superconductors, catalytics, polymers, and nanopowders. Phase 1 demonstrated feasibility by measuring spatially resolved, species-specific CCVD flame velocities on different spatial scales. Phase 2 will be a proof-of-principal program to (1) construct an engineering prototype, (2) demonstrate the correlation between SSV data and bottom-line CCVD film properties, and (3) design an SSV-based CCVD controller that can be fabricated economically and commercialized in a privately funded This technology will facilitate smart deposition that streamlines the reliability of CCVD. Incorporated into a CCVD system, the SSV will become the central element of a feedback control module that maintains the consistency of the flame and maximizes deposition efficiency. The commercial market for this technology generates about $50 million annually. This project addresses the interest in advanced control techniques for manufacturing. It supports the development of improved and more reliable coatings that will enhance technology and lower the cost of many common products, e.g. electronic memory devices in computers, appliances, and automobiles.