SURFACE ORGANIC CONTAMINATION SENSOR (SOCS)

A NON-CONTACT INSTRUMENT THAT CAN DETERMINE THE QUANTITY OF ORGANIC CONTAMINATION ON METAL SURFACES IS REQUIRED FOR USE IN LIQUID OXYGEN SYSTEMS. EVEN TRACES OF ORGANIC MATERIALS IN CONTACT WITH LIQUID OXYGEN CAN LEAD TO SPONTANEOUS COMBUSTION. THE INSTRUMENT MUST BE ABLE TO MONITOR SURFACES AS SMALL AS 0.04 SQ INCH, BE INSERTABLE INTO 1/4-INCH PIPE, EXTEND AT LEAST 5 FEET, AND BE SENSITIVE TO 1 MG/SQ FT OF ORGANIC CONTAMINATION. SPECTRAL SCIENCES, INC., PROPOSES TO DESIGN AND DEVELOP A SPECTROSCOPIC SENSOR FOR DETERMINING ORGANIC CONTAMINATION ON METAL SURFACES USING DETECTION OF OPTICAL EMISSION EXCITED BY A DIRECT CURRENT ELECTRIC DISCHARGE. THE PROPOSED SOCS INSTRUMENT WOULD CONTAIN AN INSERTABLE PROBE CONTAINING ELECTRODES AND FIBER OPTICS. A LOW-CURRENT DISCHARGE WOULD EXCITE THE ORGANIC MATERIALS, FORMING EXCITED CARBON ATOMS OR CARBON-CONTAINING RADICALS SUCH AS CH, WHICH EMIT LIGHT AT CHARACTERISTIC WAVELENGTHS. PHASE IWOULD PROVIDE A LABORATORY PROOF-OF-CONCEPT DEMONSTRATION OF THE SOCS SENSOR AND ESTABLISH THE DESIGN PARAMETERS FOR ABRASSBOARD SOCS INSTRUMENT TO BE CONSTRUCTED IN PHASE II.