Project description
Measuring air pollution with silicon carbide semiconductors
Air pollution continues to have significant impacts on our health. High levels of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) and particulate matter (PM) are considered the most significant environmental risks to public health in urban areas. This makes air quality monitoring more important than ever to promote air quality awareness and strategies. The EU-funded SiC-MOSFET project is preparing the international commercialisation of its gas sensor technology. Developed after over 20 years of research, it is based on the use of silicon carbide (SiC) for semiconductors. Compared to other sensors currently on the market, the SenSiC sensors offer full functionality in very high temperatures and harsh environments – from domestic heating systems to car engines – and is exceptionally sensitive in very low gas concentrations.
Objective
Air pollution remains one of the biggest environmental risks to public health in Europe and causes an estimated 422 000 premature deaths per year. Nevertheless, many European countries are still failing to meet air quality standards. Poor human health, heart and lung diseases, reduced labour productivity are all unnecessary consequences that result in additional expenditures for health, environment and penalty payments for excess emissions. SenSIC attempts to address these challenges by offering its gas sensors for harsh environments.
SenSiC’s gas sensor technology has been developed over 20 years of research and is based on the use of Silicon Carbide (SiC) for semiconductors. Unlike existing sensors on the market, the SenSiC sensors offer full functionality in very high temperatures (up to 650C) and harsh environments such as domestic heating systems, process industry, automotive and marine engines etc. Because the sensor semiconductor chip is placed directly in the exhaust gases (in situ), there is no extra cooling delay as with other sensors, and therefore the response is quick. A single sensor unit can detect multiple gases as well as pressure.
Our technology has exceptional sensitivity in very low gas concentrations with a proven long term performance. By measuring gas concentrations, e.g. for NH3, NOx, O2 and CO, it is possible to control the combustion and by that reduce harmful emissions. This leads to a cleaner environment and higher quality of the air we all breath.
The key objective of our project is to transform an initial business plan into a robust strategy for international commercialization and to prepare for a Phase 2 development. With this objective in mind, our Phase 1 project will focus on a more precise market evaluation and developing a plan for future demonstration activities, including reference user and application selection. Through the market part of the feasibility assessment, we will further optimize our go-to-market strategy
Fields of science
- engineering and technologymechanical engineeringthermodynamic engineering
- social scienceseconomics and businesseconomicsproduction economicsproductivity
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringair pollution engineering
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringsensors
- natural sciencesphysical scienceselectromagnetism and electronicssemiconductivity
Programme(s)
Funding Scheme
SME-1 - SME instrument phase 1Coordinator
164 40 KISTA
Sweden
The organization defined itself as SME (small and medium-sized enterprise) at the time the Grant Agreement was signed.