SBIR-STTR Award

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will demonstrate the feasibility of a new luminescent oxygen sensor that can be deployed within aircraft fuel tanks. This sensor takes advantage of recent advances in polymeric materials and microchip lasers to produce an oxygen sensing system that is not degraded by fuels or most other organic chemicals. This is not simply an overcoat for existing luminescent probes, but rather a unique new formulation. This sensor will be the first that can be deployed within the tank to make real-time measurements of the oxygen concentration while the airplane is in operation. This sensor will be capable of measuring oxygen concentrations in chemically harsh environments such as those encountered in fuel tanks. A direct impact of this on society will be safer air travel by eliminating, or significantly reducing the danger of a deadly fuel tank explosion. The key to being able to measure in these chemically harsh environments is the use of Teflon AF as the matrix material; like other Teflon materials, Teflon AF is virtually immune to chemical degradation. This opens the door for development of a whole host of luminescent sensors that can be deployed in chemically harsh environments including the measurement of water in fuels and alcohols, and the measurement of carbon dioxide in chemical processors

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II research project will complete the development of an oxygen sensor that can be deployed inside aircraft fuel tanks. Such a sensor will be needed after the Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) mandates the use of nitrogen-enriched air to prevent explosions like the one that destroyed TWA flight 800. Currently available oxygen sensors cannot withstand the harsh environment and meet the accuracy, longevity, and cost requirements. The technical objectives are to completely characterize and understand the permeation properties of the polymer matrix; examine alternative formulations of the polymer; completely understand the photochemical, leaching, and spectroscopic properties of the phosphorescent dye, examine other candidate dyes, and conduct long-term testing. A flight test of the oxygen sensor is planned. This research will ultimately benefit society by making air travel safer. It will also serve as a model for the interplay between fundamental science, applied science, and the engineering disciplines during product development. The work will open the door for development of other luminescent sensors that can be deployed in comparably harsh chemical environments, including the measurement of water in fuels and alcohols.