A Light-Emitting-Diode (Led) Non-Dispersive Absorption Sensor For Early Fire And Hazardous Gases Detection

Abstract

With compact, economical, low-power sensors that are able to continually monitor gases that are characteristic of burning materials, a distributed sensor array could be implemented on space vehicles that would allow early detection of fires, gas leaks, or other critical events. With careful selection of targeted gases, it may be possible to identify the material that is burning or smoldering, better informing the crew so that they may respond and prioritize high emergency events. A lab proto type of such a sensor has been developed using robust, low-cost light-emitting-diodes (LEDs) that is currently configured to simultaneously resolve transient CO and CO2 concentrations, which are trace gases that increase in the presence of smoldering/burning materials. This early stage system has been shown to be cable of a detectability limit of 400ppm for CO and 30ppm for CO2, with no cross interference between the gases. The signal is well resolved for fluctuations up to 250Hz. Work is currently being done to improve CO measurements to meet NASA's maximum allowable concentration of 10ppm and to extend to additional gases such as N2O, hydrocarbons, and polymer vapors.

Publication Date

1-1-2016

Publication Title

2016 Spring Technical Meeting of the Eastern States Section of the Combustion Institute, ESSCI 2016

Document Type

Article; Proceedings Paper

Personal Identifier

scopus

Socpus ID

84971507139 (Scopus)

Source API URL

https://api.elsevier.com/content/abstract/scopus_id/84971507139

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