MAKEL ENGINEERING, INC. — Department of Defense SBIR Phase I: AF151-023

Description

ABSTRACT:Makel Engineering, Inc. and the University of California at Davis propose to develop an Orthogonal Air Quality Sensor Suite (OAQSS) which combines single species solid state chemical sensors with a miniature ion mobility spectrometer (IMS) to monitor oxygen levels and a wide range of potential contaminants. In addition to chemical species, the OAQSS will include pressure, temperature and dew point measurements. Several solid state chemical sensors will be derived from previous research for fire detection and emissions monitoring (e.g., O2, CO2, CO, NOx, hydrocarbons). The miniature IMS technology will enable detection of a wide range of volatile organic compounds and other vapors, significantly expanding the capabilities of the solid state sensors. The OAQSS will be a flyable system capable of real-time monitoring of the species of interest. It will be suitable for integration with aircraft environmental control system, adhering to available power sources and data transfer protocols. The system will have internal logging capabilities keeping a data buffer sufficient to store data for one or more flights Consistent with flight requirements, the OAQSS will be robust to survive the acceleration and vibration environment expected in fighter planes, yet design will emphasize minimization of physical envelope, mass and power consumption. BENEFIT:An aircrafts OBOGS supplies proper oxygen partial pressure to the pilot by conditioning and concentrating oxygen from engine bleed air. In addition to concentrating the oxygen levels, this system effectively filters out contaminants from typical bleed air supply. Problems arise when bleed air composition is substantially out of spec with elevated levels of contaminants. Real-time monitoring and detection of contaminants via the proposed system can immediately alert the pilot and aircrew to dangers, and initiate timely execution of emergency procedures. As commercial and civil aviation transition from traditional high pressure gaseous and liquid oxygen systems to OBOGS, there will exist additional commercial opportunities for the proposed Orthogonal Air Quality Sensor Suite (OAQSS).