Objective
A photoacoustic (PA) gas sensing microsystem will be developed, including thermal IR emitter, sealed PA microchamber and IR detector. Main features of such modules will be high sensitivity, high selectivity, high stability, moderate cost and network compatibility with aerospace or other (car, domestic) networks.
The project aims at developing the required micromachined silicon components, at assembling these into gas sensing microsystems and at testing their performance in a number of challenging applications:
(i) aircraft early fire detection,
(ii) air pollution monitoring and
(iii) refrigerant leak detection.
In the course of this cooperative effort the consortium partners aim at establishing user/supplier relationships necessary to bring this leading edge technology towards market adoption.
Objectives:
Main objective: Realisation of network compatible and failsafe photoacoustic gas sensing microsystems. Target gases will be CO, CO2 and refrigerants. Main target performances: Measurement range 0-1000 ppm or 0-2000 ppm, resolution below 1 ppm, short term accuracy better than 10 ppm and long-term stability better than 30 ppm per year.
Subset objectives:
a) Realising a silicon micromachined photoacoustic chamber with a piezoresistive microphone and a thermopile reference infrared sensor, filled with the target gas at wafer level using anodic bonding,
b) Realising a silicon micromachined emitter with high speed and high emissivity,
c) Realising a gas sensing module with all the key components,
d) Development of the software for logic control, digital signal conditioning and interfacing,
e) Test and evaluation in end user applications.
Work description:
- Realisation of a silicon micromachined photoacoustic chamber with an integrated piezoresitive microphone and a thermopile reference infrared sensor, filled with the target gas at wafer level during anodic bonding.
- Realisation of a gas sensing microsystem with all the key components, like the photoacoustic chamber, the infrared emitter with high speed and high infrared radiation efficiency and signal conditioning electronics.
- Development of the software/firmware for the microcontroller used for logic control, digital signal conditioning and interfacing using a microcontroller with integrated analog-to-digital converters and on-chip read-only and random access memory, giving a large cost reduction advantage.
- Development of a network interface for the interconnection of the PA system with on-board bus systems for aerospace, automotive and domestic applications.
- Realisation of prototype modules allowing for the selective detection of CO2 (CO) and refrigerants, respectively. The main difference between these will be that photoacoustic chambers are filled with CO2 (CO) or refrigerants, respectively, and that one or two filters in the infrared path are tailored to optimise selectivity and sensitivity.
- Testing and evaluation in end user applications to verify performance and versatility of the photoacoustic technique.
Milestones:
Prototypes of micromachined key components (IR emitters, IR thermopile detectors, silicon microphones).
Prototypes of integrated PA gas sensing microsystems containing lifetime fillings with target gas performed during anodic wafer bonding.
PA system evaluation in several end-user applications and networks (aerospace, environmental, commercial).
Fields of science
- natural sciencescomputer and information sciencessoftware
- engineering and technologymechanical engineeringvehicle engineeringaerospace engineeringaircraft
- engineering and technologyenvironmental engineeringair pollution engineering
- engineering and technologyelectrical engineering, electronic engineering, information engineeringelectronic engineeringsensors
- natural scienceschemical sciencesinorganic chemistrymetalloids
Call for proposal
Data not availableFunding Scheme
CSC - Cost-sharing contractsCoordinator
85521 OTTOBRUNN
Germany