Solid State Carbon Monoxide Sensor

18 Solid State Carbon Monoxide Sensor--Physitron, Inc., 3304A Westmill Drive , Huntsville, AL 35805-6132; (205) 534-4844 Mr. T.G. "Bo" Henderson, Principal Investigator Dr. Melvin L. Price, Business Official DOE Grant No. DE-FG02-97ER82457 Amount: $75,000 Electric generating stations that burn fossil fuels produce large quantities of pollutants, which include oxides of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur. Sensors are required to allow continuous monitoring and control of the combustion process and resulting waste gases. The only chemical sensors capable of operating in this severe environment at present are made of chemical vapor deposited (CVD) diamond. Previously developed high-temperature hydrogen and oxygen sensors using CVD diamond test structures have demonstrated the ability to sense carbon monoxide in the laboratory. In Phase I this project will develop a preprototype of a chemical sensor capable of measuring the concentration of carbon monoxide gases in the severe environment of the exhaust gas flue. During the Phase II effort, prototypes of the sensor and its packaging will be delivered to DOE. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee: In addition to the prime application in conventional powerplants, high-temperature carbon monoxide sensors are needed in the exhaust manifolds of automobiles, in analysis of biological fluids, and for industrial controls. The increased sensitivity and responsivity of these detectors may lead to using them in many other environmental sensing applications.