SBIR Phase I: Laser-based in-exhaust NOx sensor for automotive applications

The broader/commercial impact of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project seeks to develop a novel on-board sensor for detecting oxides of nitrogen (NOx) in diesel exhaust streams with a sensitivity and specificity unmet by existing technologies. Diesel engine manufacturers currently cannot accurately precisely control their exhaust systems due to the lack of appropriate cost-effective sensors capable of differentiating between NOx and other species in the exhaust stream. The proposed sensor can result in 10% fuel efficiency improvements. Use of this sensor at scale will lead to reduced carbon emissions and healthier air with lower amounts of NOx-induced smog, ground-level ozone, and acid rain. The intellectual merit of this project is based on a novel application of laser-absorption spectroscopy, which probes the unique spectral absorption fingerprint of NOx species to avoid cross-species interference. This sensor is projected to achieve tenfold lower detection thresholds than current widely deployed electrochemical sensors in the harsh high-temperature particulate-laden diesel exhaust environments in a form factor similar to those of existing diesel aftertreatment systems. This Phase I research will leverage novel manufacturing techniques to fabricate and demonstrate the performance of a high-sensitivity laser-based sensor capable of surviving high-temperature, oxidizing, intensely vibrating, and particulate-laden flows characteristic of vehicle exhaust gases. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.