The invention is a method for sensing the H₂ concentration of a gaseous stream through evaluation of the optical signal of a hydrogen sensing material comprised of Pd- or Pt-based nanoparticles dispersed in a matrix material. The sensing layers can also include engineered filter layers as the matrix or as an additional layer to improve H₂ selectivity. This technology is available for licensing and/or further collaborative research from the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory.

Challenge
The ability to selectively sense H₂ is critically important for a broad range of applications spanning energy, defense, aviation, and aerospace. One of the most significant needs is for sensors that are capable of leak detection of H₂ at levels up to the lower explosive limit. Additional applications of hydrogen sensors requiring operation at elevated temperatures include monitoring of hydrogen in metallurgical processes as well as monitoring the composition of fuel gas streams in power generation technologies such as gas turbines and solid oxide fuel cells. Measurements of H₂ levels dissolved in transformer oil can also enable condition-based monitoring to provide early detection of potential failures with large associated economic and environmental impacts.
 

The invention is a distributed radio frequency (RF) /electromagnetic (EM) interrogation scheme that leverages distributed antennas along a coaxial cable for subsurface, pipeline, and other energy infrastructure monitoring. This technology is available for licensing and/or further collaborative research from the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory.

Challenge: 
In industrial and wireless sensing, the communication channel often determines the characteristics and performance of the overall sensing network. For wellbore monitoring applications, telemetry challenges are acute because of harsh environmental conditions (elevated temperature and pressure, chemical corrosives) which restrict the application of complex electronics and instrumentation. In addition, inherent absorption of electromagnetic radiation within the subsurface environment limits the potential for free space wireless power and signal delivery over distances. However, distributed wireless sensors throughout the subsurface environment could provide unprecedent visibility for monitoring and minimizing environmental impacts associated with the wellbore and ensure safe and productive operation of oil and gas recovery processes, enhanced geothermal systems and carbon storage sites.  Similar needs exist for monitoring of natural gas pipelines and other energy infrastructure for which enhanced visibility can significantly impact reliability, resiliency, and security. 
 

The invention consists of the application of metal oxide nanowire-based sensor layers to optical sensing platforms such as optical fiber-based sensor devices. This technology is available for licensing and/or further collaborative research from the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory.

Challenge

Thin film and thick film metal oxide based materials are typically employed as the active layer in harsh environment chemical sensing. However, these sensing layers do not have sufficient sensitivity and chemical selectivity in many applications because of their microstructure and the lack of a sufficiently large surface area.

The innovation represents a BIAS particle sorbent suspended in a non-aqueous fluid carrier (slurry) that is capable of CO₂ sorption, is easy to incorporate into established power plants, and can minimize energy and infrastructure requirements.

Challenge

Carbon sequestration can reduce the emissions of CO₂ from large point sources and holds potential to provide deep reductions in greenhouse gas emissions. Amine-based solid sorbents are effective and economical agents for CO₂ capture from gaseous mixtures. However, because of the high concentration of CO₂ in many feed streams, a large quantity of the gas often reacts with the sorbent exothermically to produce excessive heat, which must be removed from the sorbent to prevent temperature instability within the reactor and to eliminate potential degradation of the sorbent. Reducing the damage to sorbents with this technology and method can increase efficiency and reduce replacement costs faced by industries.

The Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory is seeking licensing partners interested in implementing United States Patent Number 7,288,136 titled "High Capacity Immobilized Amine Sorbents."

Disclosed in this patent is the invention of a method that facilitates the production of low-cost carbon dioxide (CO₂) sorbents for use in large-scale gas-solid processes. This method treats an amine to increase the number of secondary amine groups and impregnates the amine in a porous solid support. As a result of this improvement, the method increases CO₂ capture capacity and decreases the cost of using an amine-enriched solid sorbent in CO₂ capture systems.

The Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory is seeking licensing partners interested in implementing United States Patent Number 6,908,497, titled "Solid Sorbents for Removal of Carbon Dioxide from Gas Streams at Low Temperatures."

Disclosed in this patent is a new low-cost carbon dioxide (CO₂) sorbent that can be used in large-scale gas-solid processes. Researchers have developed a new method to prepare these sorbents by treating substrates with an amine and/or an ether in a way that either one comprises at least 50 weight percent of the sorbent. The sorbent captures compounds contained in gaseous fluids through chemisorptions and/or physisorption between layers of the substrate lattice. The polar amine liquids are located within these layers. This method eliminates the need for high surface area supports and provides absorption capabilities independent of the sorbent surface area, and can be regenerated.

The Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory is seeking licensing partners interested in implementing U.S. Patent No. 8,391,552 titled "Method of Particle Trajectory Recognition in Particle Flows of High Particle Concentration Using a Candidate Trajectory Tree Process with Variable Search Areas.

The Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) is seeking licensing partners interested in implementing United States Patent Number 7,421,166 titled "Laser Spark Distribution and Ignition System."

Disclosed in this patent is NETL’s laser spark distribution and ignition system, which reduces the high-power optical requirements normally needed for such a system by using optical fibers to deliver low-peak-energy pumping pulses to a laser amplifier or laser oscillator. Laser spark generators then produce a high-peak-power laser spark from a single low power pulse. The system has applications in natural gas fueled reciprocating engines, turbine combustors, explosives, and laser induced breakdown spectroscopy diagnostic sensors.

The Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) is seeking licensing partners interested in implementing United States Patent Number 7,704,746 titled "Method of Detecting Leakage from Geologic Formations Used to Sequester CO₂."

Disclosed in this patent is a method to measure carbon dioxide leakage from sequestration reservoirs and, specifically, an enhanced method for the detection and quantification of carbon dioxide leaks from geologic formations. The method injects tracers along with the carbon dioxide, monitors leakage with gas chromatography, and provides early detection of leakage by measuring the leakage rates of other gases within the geologic formation.

The Department of Energy’s National Energy Technology Laboratory (NETL) is seeking collaborative research partners and/or licensees interested in implementing a patented gas sensing system technology. The patent is jointly owned by NETL and the University of Pittsburgh, with the University handling the licensing.  NETL would work with a potential licensee and the University to license the technology.

Described in this patent is a gas analyzing sensor that characterizes gaseous fuel, exhaust gases, or other process gas streams. The sensor reports concentrations of all majority gases to 0.1% in 1 second or less, and can be used for real-time gas analysis and system control. The sensor relies on novel techniques to enhance usually weak spontaneous Raman emissions from the gases being sampled, enabling the application of Raman spectroscopy to rapid gas analysis. The invention provides a gas composition measurement system that is fast, accurate, cost effective, and capable of continuously measuring the concentrations of gases in a mixture such as natural gas, at elevated system pressures.