{"project":{"acronym":"","projectId":33198,"title":"Instrument for Airborne Measurement of Carbonyl Sulfide","primaryTaxonomyNodes":[{"taxonomyNodeId":10755,"taxonomyRootId":8816,"parentNodeId":10751,"level":3,"code":"TX08.3.4","title":"Environment Sensors","definition":"Environment sensors provide the local environmental measures such as vehicle health and habitation health and include sensors such as seismometers, weather sensors (temp, wind speed, atmospheric pressure, humidity), static electric field, chemical species, structural measures (pressure, strain, etc.), particle detectors","exampleTechnologies":"Temperature, humidity, wind speed and direction, atmospheric pressure, seismic","hasChildren":false,"hasInteriorContent":true}],"startTrl":2,"currentTrl":4,"endTrl":4,"benefits":"Phase I and Phase II will result in an instrument for measurement of carbonyl sulfide that could be used by NASA to measure this important sulfur species from airborne platforms or in ground-based studies. The instrument platform could be adapted for measurement of other atmospheric species (including carbon monoxide, hydrocarbon gases, water vapor, carbon dioxide, and other sulfur species).
This type of instrumentation is of interest to other government agencies involved in atmospheric research, including NOAA, the Department of Energy, and NSF-supported institutions such as NCAR. The instrumentation, if adapted for measurement of pollutant gases, could be of interest to EPA and industrial customers concerned with pollutant monitoring and control. Southwest Sciences intends to manufacture and sell instrumentation based on the project technology to NASA, other government agencies, and the general atmospheric research and evironmental monitoring communities.","description":"Southwest Sciences proposes to develop small, low power instrumentation for the real-time direct measurement of carbonyl sulfide (OCS) in the atmosphere, especially targeting airborne measurements. The instrument will be based on a recently introduced room temperature interband cascade laser (ICL) operating in the 4830 nm region. This laser has a substantially reduced (by a factor of approximately 12) power requirement than quantum cascade lasers operating in the same region and should be better-suited for use in atmospheric field instruments. The Phase I effort will concentrate on characterizing the sensitivity and precision that can be achieved for OCS measurement, using this laser in a laboratory prototype. The Phase I work will also include direct measurement of ambient carbonyl sulfide in the local outside air. The follow-on Phase II project will emphasize development of an airborne-worthy prototype instrument that can be field tested. Carbonyl sulfide is the most abundant naturally occurring sulfur species in the atmosphere, with previous measurements of its concentration yielding results in the range of 500 parts-per-trillion (ppt). The lifetime of OCS in the troposphere is believed to be several years, allowing its transport into the lower stratosphere where it is photochemically oxidized to sulfate particles. Improved understanding of the tropospheric – stratospheric exchange of this important species is needed to gain a better understanding of the role of OCS in sulfate particle production. In turn, the sulfate aerosol layer may significantly influence the earth's energy budget through increased solar scattering. Existing instrumentation for measurement of OCS is bulky and expensive and is complicated by several indirect steps. In contrast, this R&D effort will result in an instrument that measures OCS directly, in real time, with 1-second time response or better.","startYear":2015,"startMonth":6,"endYear":2015,"endMonth":12,"statusDescription":"Completed","principalInvestigators":[{"contactId":6864,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Alan","lastName":"Stanton","fullName":"Alan C Stanton","fullNameInverted":"Stanton, Alan C","middleInitial":"C","primaryEmail":"astanton@swsciences.com","publicEmail":true,"nacontact":false}],"programDirectors":[{"contactId":206378,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Jason","lastName":"Kessler","fullName":"Jason L Kessler","fullNameInverted":"Kessler, Jason L","middleInitial":"L","primaryEmail":"jason.l.kessler@nasa.gov","publicEmail":true,"nacontact":false}],"programExecutives":[{"contactId":215154,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Jennifer","lastName":"Gustetic","fullName":"Jennifer L Gustetic","fullNameInverted":"Gustetic, Jennifer L","middleInitial":"L","primaryEmail":"jennifer.l.gustetic@nasa.gov","publicEmail":true,"nacontact":false}],"programManagers":[{"contactId":62051,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Carlos","lastName":"Torrez","fullName":"Carlos Torrez","fullNameInverted":"Torrez, Carlos","primaryEmail":"carlos.torrez@nasa.gov","publicEmail":true,"nacontact":false}],"projectManagers":[{"contactId":3164692,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Robert","lastName":"Anderson","fullName":"Robert Anderson","fullNameInverted":"Anderson, Robert","primaryEmail":"Robert.C.Anderson@nasa.gov","publicEmail":true,"nacontact":false},{"contactId":461333,"canUserEdit":false,"firstName":"Theresa","lastName":"Stanley","fullName":"Theresa M Stanley","fullNameInverted":"Stanley, Theresa M","middleInitial":"M","primaryEmail":"theresa.m.stanley@nasa.gov","publicEmail":true,"nacontact":false}],"website":"","libraryItems":[{"file":{"fileExtension":"pdf","fileId":301538,"fileName":"SBIR_2015_1_BC_S1.07-9285","fileSize":394679,"objectId":298079,"objectType":{"lkuCodeId":889,"code":"LIBRARY_ITEMS","description":"Library Items","lkuCodeTypeId":182,"lkuCodeType":{"codeType":"OBJECT_TYPE","description":"Object Type"}},"objectTypeId":889,"fileSizeString":"385.4 KB"},"files":[{"fileExtension":"pdf","fileId":301538,"fileName":"SBIR_2015_1_BC_S1.07-9285","fileSize":394679,"objectId":298079,"objectType":{"lkuCodeId":889,"code":"LIBRARY_ITEMS","description":"Library Items","lkuCodeTypeId":182,"lkuCodeType":{"codeType":"OBJECT_TYPE","description":"Object Type"}},"objectTypeId":889,"fileSizeString":"385.4 KB"}],"id":298079,"title":"Briefing Chart","description":"Instrument for Airborne Measurement of Carbonyl Sulfide Briefing 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The instrument platform, with substitution of suitable lasers and possible adjustment of the optical path length, could be adapted for measurement of other atmospheric species (including carbon monoxide, hydrocarbon gases, water vapor, carbon dioxide, and other sulfur species).
Potential customers for this instrumentation include government agencies active in atmospheric research (NASA, NOAA, DOE, NSF) and atmospheric researchers at universities. The instrumentation, if adapted for measurement of pollutant gases, could be of interest to EPA and industrial customers concerned with pollutant monitoring and control. Southwest Sciences will build these instruments on a custom manufacturing and sales basis after the conclusion of Phase II.","description":"In this Phase II SBIR program, Southwest Sciences will continue the development of small, low power instrumentation for real-time direct measurement of carbonyl sulfide (OCS) in the atmosphere, especially targeting airborne measurements. The instrument is based on a room temperature interband cascade laser (ICL) operating in the 4800 - 4900 nm region. This laser has a substantially reduced (by a factor of 40) power requirement compared to quantum cascade lasers operating in the same region and should be better-suited for atmospheric field instruments. Phase I concentrated on characterizing the sensitivity and precision that can be achieved for OCS measurement, using this laser in a laboratory prototype. Phase I also demonstrated direct measurement of ambient carbonyl sulfide in the local outside air, at levels of about 450 parts per trillion. Phase II emphasizes development of an airborne-worthy prototype instrument that can be field tested during the Phase II performance period. Carbonyl sulfide is the most abundant naturally occurring sulfur species in the atmosphere. The lifetime of OCS in the troposphere is believed to be several years, allowing its transport into the lower stratosphere where it is photochemically oxidized to sulfate particles. Improved understanding of the tropospheric - stratospheric exchange of OCS is needed to gain a better understanding of its role in sulfate particle production. In turn, the sulfate aerosol layer may significantly influence the earth's energy budget through increased solar scattering. Existing instrumentation for measurement of OCS is bulky and expensive and is complicated by several indirect steps. In contrast, this R&D effort will result in an instrument that measures OCS directly, in real time, with time response of a few seconds or better. At the conclusion of Phase II, Southwest Sciences will manufacture and sell commercial instruments for OCS measurement to NASA and the broader atmospheric research community.","startYear":2016,"startMonth":4,"endYear":2018,"endMonth":10,"statusDescription":"Completed","website":"","program":{"acronym":"SBIR/STTR","active":true,"description":"
The NASA SBIR and STTR programs fund the research, development, and demonstration of innovative technologies that fulfill NASA needs as described in the annual Solicitations and have significant potential for successful commercialization. If you are a small business concern (SBC) with 500 or fewer employees or a non-profit RI such as a university or a research laboratory with ties to an SBC, then NASA encourages you to learn more about the SBIR and STTR programs as a potential source of seed funding for the development of your innovations.
The SBIR and STTR programs have 3 phases:
The SBIR and STTR Phase I contracts last for 6 months with a maximum funding of $125,000, and Phase II contracts last for 24 months with a maximum funding of $750,000 - $1.5 million.
Opportunity for Continued Technology Development Post-Phase II:
The NASA SBIR/STTR Program currently has in place two initiatives for supporting its small business partners past the basic Phase I and Phase II elements of the program that emphasize opportunities for commercialization. Specifically, the NASA SBIR/STTR Program has the Phase II Enhancement (Phase II-E) and Phase II eXpanded (Phase II-X) contract options.
Please review the links below to obtain more information on the SBIR/STTR programs.
Provides an overview of the SBIR and STTR programs as implemented by NASA
Provides access to the annual SBIR/STTR Solicitations containing detailed information on the program eligibility requirements, proposal instructions and research topics and subtopics
Schedule and links for the SBIR/STTR solicitations and selection announcements
Federal and non-Federal sources of assistance for small business
Search our complete archive of awarded project abstracts to learn about what NASA has funded
Still have questions? Visit the program FAQs
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The SBIR and STTR programs have 3 phases:
The SBIR and STTR Phase I contracts last for 6 months with a maximum funding of $125,000, and Phase II contracts last for 24 months with a maximum funding of $750,000 - $1.5 million.
Opportunity for Continued Technology Development Post-Phase II:
The NASA SBIR/STTR Program currently has in place two initiatives for supporting its small business partners past the basic Phase I and Phase II elements of the program that emphasize opportunities for commercialization. Specifically, the NASA SBIR/STTR Program has the Phase II Enhancement (Phase II-E) and Phase II eXpanded (Phase II-X) contract options.
Please review the links below to obtain more information on the SBIR/STTR programs.
Provides an overview of the SBIR and STTR programs as implemented by NASA
Provides access to the annual SBIR/STTR Solicitations containing detailed information on the program eligibility requirements, proposal instructions and research topics and subtopics
Schedule and links for the SBIR/STTR solicitations and selection announcements
Federal and non-Federal sources of assistance for small business
Search our complete archive of awarded project abstracts to learn about what NASA has funded
Still have questions? Visit the program FAQs
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