Wireless, Low-Cost, Low-Power Integrated Sensor Photonics

ongoing

Fugitive methane emissions (“FME”) from fossil fuels account for 20% of total methane emissions. Fugitive emissions are the result of loss of well and pipeline integrity, particularly in aging or decommissioned infrastructure. Emissions are largely self-reported by fossil fuel companies, and one survey indicated leaks from approximately 47% of active wells in the area indicating that actual methane emissions may be much higher than that reported by industry or estimated by government. Gas Analysers based on the current mid infrared (mid IR) Laser Absorption Spectroscopy technology are still complex, delicate and expensive, which limits their potential for deployment. WILLOWISP will combine four recent breakthroughs to make an ultraportable gas analyser for methane, which will be lightweight, streamlined and fully self-contained comprising the laser, photothermal transducer, gas management and electronics. We will reduce a spectroscopy system that currently occupies 1m2 on an optical bench to a 5cmx5cm footprint, with the same and potentially better performance relative to the benchtop system. The system will be capable of operating in environments that are challenging to traditional spectroscopy systems such as small unmanned aerial vehicles. WILLOWISP will realise a separate transducer chip and excitation chip that are indirectly coupled via the photothermal effect in the analyte, No optical elements (lenses, mirrors, fibres etc) are required to couple the two chips. As a result, our gas analyser will have very high vibration and shock resistance. The two photonic chips can be assembled with standard electronics industry high throughput pick-and-place assembly tools. This simplicity and compactness translate into significantly reduced costs, by at least two orders of magnitude, creating a great opportunity for a spin-out company.