PICOYUNE — Department of Energy SBIR Phase I: 07b

Description

Picoyune is proposing a novel plasmonic mercury vapor sensor. The design is exceptionally compact, low-power, and low-cost. This project will demonstrate the feasibility of a powerful and sensitive mercury vapor sensor that is less than 0.2 cm3 in volume, draws less than 1 Watt, and costs hundreds of times less than the existing tools in parts. The highly sensitive and selective plasmonic sensor will be applied to the needs of the bioenergy market. Mercury is a potent neurotoxin that also damages metallic equipment. Mercury must be monitored and controlled for health and safety, reliability, and commercial viability. Energy derived from biological feedstocks offer a promising replacement for petroleum fuels that are lower carbon, domestically produced, and renewable. However, the adoption of biofuels is hampered by trace contamination in the feedstock, as biofuels producers lack adequate methods to characterize their feedstock causing supply chain issues, logistical problems, and ultimately limiting commercial potential. Immediate analysis of mercury contamination in feedstock would improve the integration of biofuels into existing transportation, refining, and chemical production infrastructure. During Phase I of this project, Picoyune will deliver a prototype mercury analysis platform, called Atlas. Atlas combines three innovative technologies, plasmonic mercury sensors, integrated optical modules, and a high efficiency thermal decomposition unit, into a single selective instrument. Atlas can uniquely measure higher sample volumes of solids and liquids and complex hydrocarbon gas mixtures. Atlas will not require consumables, reagent chemicals or compressed gasses. Atlas will be portable and battery powered. Unlike the standard mercury analyzers, the plasmonic sensor in Atlas does not require mercury-added products. Mercury levels vary dramatically in bioenergy feedstocks, requiring operators to send samples out for laboratory analysis. While they wait for results, the feedstock must be stored. Atlas will allow decisions to be me made immediate with accurate real-time field measurements. Atlas allows biofuel producers to measure intermediate and final products to tune their facilities and ascertain where mercury may be accumulating. These expanded capabilities will assure producers and their customers, that the biofuels they use are substantially mercury free and suitable for their application — increasing the uptake of biofuels and providing concordant benefits to the economy and environment for the American public.