MarqMetrix Receives National Science Foundation Grant to Develop Commercial Aircraft Oxygen Sensor

SEATTLE - Dec. 16, 2014 - PRLog -- MarqMetrix, Inc (http://www.marqmetrix.com/)., a groundbreaking optical measurement company, has recently been awarded a National Science Foundation grant for development of a prototype oxygen monitoring instrument for use in commercial aircraft. The device will provide real-time, precise measurements of oxygen levels in jet fuel vapors over an extended period, enabling aircraft maintenance crews to appropriately purge fuel tanks while also reducing the possibility of explosions.

“Right now, real-time oxygen monitoring is not possible because technology that meets the demands of the aircraft industry and the FAA does not exist,” said Brian Marquardt, founder and chief science officer of MarqMetrix. “This grant will allow us to advance MarqMetrix’s existing oxygen sensor technology into an instrument that will save lives and eliminate the substantial costs associated with catastrophic fuel tank explosions.”

The U.S. Air Force, the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) each recognize the explosion hazards posed by oxygen in the headspace of aircraft fuel tanks. As a result, the FAA and NTSB mandate that all aircraft be retrofitted with on-board inert gas generation systems that purge the fuel tanks with oxygen depleted air to maintain concentrations below critical levels; however, none of the existing systems have the ability to monitor in real-time.

“Our optical instrument is based on combination of three unique sensing technologies: vapochromic sensors, Quantum Dots and white light polarization interferometry,” Marquardt said. “In simpler terms, we’re measuring signals related to temperature, pressure and the presence of oxygen molecules over a broad temperature and press range with an optical instrument that does not pose any spark hazards.”

This genius design has caught the attention of Boeing, according to the company’s administrator of research and technology, Michael Edelmann. Boeing has offered assistance in designing and evaluating the proposed instrument with hopes that MarqMetrix’s invention can meet the needs of the aviation industry.

In addition to its commercial aircraft applications, there are wide range of uses for the MarqMetrix oxygen monitoring instrument. It may be utilized by the military to ensure that planes and helicopters are adequately purged after being hit by ballistics, protecting the aircraft and the personnel on board.

As well, the instrument may be used by the oil and gas industry to monitor ullage in oil tankers and reservoirs. More importantly to the oil and gas companies, the MarqMetrix oxygen sensor may be a key to making rail transportation of crude oil safer, especially the volatile Bakken Shale crude, as it provides advance warning of oxygen presence in rail tank cars and can enable mitigation handling to avoid dangerous oxygen build ups.

The pharmaceuticals and specialty chemical manufacturing industries will also benefit from the MarqMetrix tool as they require reduced levels of oxygen to prevent expensive catalysts from fouling.

The National Science Foundation is among eleven federal agencies that annually allocate 2.8 percent of their budgets to grants such as the one received by MarqMetrix. These grants enable small businesses to tap into their technological potential by providing incentives to profit from the commercialization of their inventions.

About MarqMetrix

MarqMetrix uses patented technology and multi-disciplinary expertise to solve complex applied and industrial challenges to maximize efficiency, sustainability and profitability. The company offers optical measurement research, development and consulting services to numerous commercial and government clients.

Founded in Seattle in 2012, the company was established by Brian Marquardt based on his desire to take his Raman BallProbe™, a light-sensing device with a unique spherical sampling lens, outside of a laboratory setting to fully leverage its real-world applications. Today, the MarqMetrix team conducts its groundbreaking work from a 6,100 square foot facility including a 4,200-square-foot cutting-edge laboratory with state-of-the-art equipment for optical, chemical and biological measurement and testing. The company works with a number of recognizable global brands representing the oil and gas, energy, chemical, aerospace, food and agricultural and medical industries, among others.

About the National Science Foundation

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency created by Congress in 1950 "to promote the progress of science; to advance the national health, prosperity, and welfare; to secure the national defense…" With an annual budget of $7.2 billion (FY 2014), NSF is the funding source for approximately 24 percent of all federally supported basic research conducted by America's colleges and universities. In many fields such as mathematics, computer science and the social sciences, NSF is the major source of federal backing.