SBIR Phase II: An Accurate, Low Cost In-Situ Multi-Spectral Absorption Meter

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project will investigate the feasibility of an accurate low cost in-situ multi-spectral absorption meter for measurement of water properties. Current commercially available instruments are limited in their accuracy in real world conditions due to their design. They are also expensive due to the use of costly components such as lamps, filter wheels, spectrometers, etc. This project will explore the use of a novel patented construction method in combination with light sources, optics, and photodiodes to give scientists an accurate yet low cost research tool to measure absorption in-situ over a variety of wavelengths. Compared to currently available instruments, this instrument will be more sensitive, have a broader dynamic range, will be insensitive to interfering parameters (e.g. scattering) and will be able to measure in the ultraviolet region. If successful the proposed product will help the scientific and general public communities better understand water quality in the natural world but also it could be of considerable benefit in broader kinds of chemical processing. Current commercially available in-situ absorbance instruments lack accuracy in field conditions and are relatively expensive. Hence they have not been widely adopted in the scientific community. A more accurate in-situ absorption meter dramatically improves the quality of the data that scientists can generate and reduces the amount of time they spend correcting for interfering parameters. The proposed instrument will address significant needs of organizations measuring water to understand natural processes as well as to determine water quality. A number of applications to measurements of other turbid liquids will be possible.