Microsensors for Gaseous Emissions Analysis

Caviton has developed a new generation of microsensors utilizing microdischarge based emission spectroscopy. The microdischarge plasma is well suited for emission spectroscopy of gases introduced into the discharge, at atmospheric pressure. An opticalfiber near the discharge couples the light from the discharge to a small spectrometer, and a computer for analysis. The properties of these devices make them particularly amenable to the detection of chemicals in air and other applications where smallsize, high sensitivity, low power consumption, and rugged design are at a premium. These sensors will be developed further for gaseous emissions monitoring from jet turbines, as well as for chemical agent detection.