ETEGENT TECHNOLOGIES, LTD. — Department of Energy SBIR Phase I: 06b

Description

Reliable, accurate temperature sensing at critical, harsh-environment process points remains an unmet need that degrades the ability to effectively control and monitor critical operation parameters in multiple different industries. Existing temperature measurement approaches cannot withstand the temperatures or caustic environments they are being asked to endure. The need for better sensing will be addressed by utilizing ultrasonic thermography. Ultrasonic thermography has the advantage that a temperature sensor can be created from most any material which conducts ultrasonic stress waves. This gives extensive flexibility in the selection of materials for a given application. This flexibility in material selection, which is unique to this technology, allows the creation of sensors specifically suited for the environment they will be placed. During Phase I, Etegent will work with our partner, Morgan Advanced Materials to develop improved manufacturing, fabrication and bonding approaches for the waveguide temperature sensor. This will help increase the yield of the probe and lower the overall cost on a per probe basis, allowing the probe to be installed in a wider array of applications. Better temperature sensing in extreme environments is a fundamental need for a large variety of different applications. Commercial applications include land and aerospace gas turbine engines, refineries, gasifiers, and other chemical processing applications.