This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project targets development and commercialization of pressure sensors capable of operating at temperatures greater than 650°C for application in gas turbines; aircraft engines and internal combustion engines; in downstream measurements in oil & gas drilling and geo-thermal explorations and in other performance-driven process control systems involving harsh operating conditions. Availability of reliable and inexpensive microsensors for such environments is hindered by the challenge of micromachining refractory materials, such as silicon carbide, diamond or ceramics. As a result, upper operating temperature of the current sensors is limited to ~650°C. This project will employ a novel micromachining process to create monolithic ceramic pressure transducers that can operate at temperatures as high as 850-900°C. The proposed technology is also expected to support a broad dynamic range and have low manufacturing cost. The objectives of Phase I include design and fabrication of preliminary prototypes, demonstration of their high temperature operation, as well as selecting design and packaging options for Phase II development. The expected Phase I results include demonstration of the proposed microstructures, initial performance data and analysis of the feasibility of the proposed approach to meet the market needs at acceptable cost.
The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is derived from a new family of products: low-cost pressure sensors for high temperature, harsh environment applications, such as combustion engines, aircraft and industrial turbines, geothermal installations, oil wells and industrial processes. The proposed technology will help enable "intelligent engines" by providing process control in conditions unavailable with existing sensors. Deploying this technology is expected to increase reliability, improve fuel efficiency and reduce the emissions of engines and turbines, resulting in overall reduction of operating cost and better resource utilization. In the long term, the project will also enhance scientific and technological understanding in the MEMS industry by developing a new technology platform that supports a wide range of designs and enables new products. Expanding the materials and process library in the rapidly growing MEMS industry will help deliver critical and value adding functionalities to end users. Societal impacts include reduced pollution, increased fuel efficiency and increased product reliability enabled by intelligent process control using proposed sensors. Combining advanced performance with low manufacturing cost positions this technology for rapid commercialization.
Intellectual Merit Many processes and applications involving harsh environments, such as gas turbines in power plants, jet engines in airplanes, internal combustion engines, oil & gas drilling and geo-thermal explorations, rely on continuous monitoring of process parameters in order to achieve better energy efficiency, reduce fuel consumption and harmful emissions, enable safe and stable operation over a wide range of conditions and increase equipment lifetime. One of the most important parameters is pressure, which is measured using specialized sensors embedded into process equipment. Although pressure sensors have been around for decades, current state-of-the-art sensors are not rated for operation much above 600 degrees Celsius (1100°F). This is far below than the temperatures encountered inside a modern jet engine or a power plant turbine, where the fuel burns at up to 2000 degrees Celsius. Availability of pressure sensors for such extreme environments is hindered by the challenges in making sensors from materials that are suitable for high temperature, especially if the sensor have to be small, unobtrusive and fast-responding. In this NSF SBIR project, InRedox applies a novel technology for 3-D micromachining of high temperature ceramic to develop microsensors for measuring pressure in the extremely harsh environments, including temperatures in the 650 to 1200 degrees Celsius range. InRedox successfully completed the 6-month Phase I of this project and, using combination of computer simulation and experiments, unequivocally demonstrated the feasibility of such sensors. For the first time, preliminary prototypes of ceramic sensors were produced and shown to withstand continuous exposure to temperatures up to 900 degrees Celsius, significantly exceeding the capability of current sensors. These results establish a firm foundation for the follow-up product development and commercialization. Based on this success, InRedox is preparing the application for follow-up funding from NSF and is seeking partners for application development. Broader Impacts The proposed project targets low-cost pressure sensors that are intrinsically suitable for operating temperature as high as 1200°C, have superior reliability and lifetime, and allow flexible design and packaging options. These advantages over the state-of-the-art technology will enable a new product family that could provide significant benefits to end users in several market segments, from transportation and power generation to geothermal and oil & gas exploration to industrial process control. The proposed technology will contribute to the emerging "intelligent engines" by enabling process control in conditions unavailable with existing sensors. Deploying this technology is expected to increase equipment reliability, improve fuel efficiency, and reduce the emissions of engines and turbines, leading to overall reduction of operating cost and better resource utilization. The project will also enhance technological capabilities in the rapidly growing microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) industry by offering a new microfabrication platform that supports a wide range of designs for ceramic microdevices, enables products that could not be realized with conventional materials. Societal impacts include reduced pollution, increased energy efficiency and improved product reliability enabled by intelligent process control using proposed sensors.
