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Microliter-Sized, Metastable-Helium Ionization Detector with Novel Electrodes

Award Information

Agency:
National Aeronautics and Space Administration 		Branch:
N/A 		Award ID:
22797 		Program Year/Program:
1997 / SBIR
Agency Tracking Number:
22797 		Solicitation Year:
N/A 		Solicitation Topic Code:
N/A 		Solicitation Number:
N/A
Small Business Information
Pcp, Inc.
2155 Indian Road West Palm Beach, FL 33409
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Woman-Owned: No
Minority-Owned: No
HUBZone-Owned: No
 
Phase 2
Fiscal Year: 1997
Title: Microliter-Sized, Metastable-Helium Ionization Detector with Novel Electrodes
Agency: NASA
Contract: N/A
Award Amount: $600,000.00
 

Abstract:

For flight experiments in low earth orbits and planetary missions, an innovative electrode structure is proposed to obtain a metastable helium ionization detector of active volume down to a fraction of a microliter for use with microbore and microchannel gas chromatographs. Such a small detector volume is achieved by the special electrode structure and gas flow pattern. In Phase I, the detector structure and function will be optimized with the use of a test fixture which examines the metastable helium ionization performance with a coupled mass spectrometer for mass identification. A new generation of micro-sized gas chromatograph columns requires a micro-volume detector for the measurement of organic chemicals, oxygen and water, down to parts-per-billion. A theoretical model for understanding the detector's operation can be based in part on the research results already achieved by PCP, inc. under Contracts NAS2-12997 and NAS2-13276, entitled Ion Mobility Sensing of Extraterrestrial Volatiles from a Gas Chromatograph. For NASA, the further reduction in detector size leads to a reduction in utilities (gas) requirements and weight in space flight instrumentation.

Principal Investigator:

Martin J. Cohen
4076830507

Business Contact:

Small Business Information at Submission:

Pcp, Inc.
2155 Indian Road West Palm Beach, FL 33409

EIN/Tax ID:
DUNS: N/A
Number of Employees: N/A
Woman-Owned: No
Minority-Owned: No
HUBZone-Owned: No