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| | | | | | | Space sensor perks up medical analysis and environmental protection
11 August 2008
| Miniaturised ceramic gas sensor, originally developed for measuring oxygen levels for the Russian Inflatable Re-entry and Descent Technology (IRDT) research spacecraft capsule has been used to develop an improved human breath measurement apparatus, a system to better control of heater combustion thereby reducing pollution, and a handheld instrument to measure hydrogen leakage in industrial installations such as the ones used for manufacturing fuel cells.
Credits: ESA | |  |  | |
| | | | | Space technology serves European citizens in many non-space applications. Here can be seen a miniaturised ceramic gas sensor used to measure the oxygen level in a plasma flame in a wind tunnel used for testing re-entry space vehicle surface protection. The same ceramic sensor is now used to safeguard environment in the monitoring of oxidizable gases (COe) of burners in home heaters. Other novel non-space systems made possible with this sensor include a human breath measurement mask and hydrogen leakage instrument.
Credits: ESCUBE GmbH | | | | |
| | | | | Special miniature ceramic gas sensors to measure oxygen distribution in the plasma wind tunnels originally developed to test heat-shield materials for re-entry spacecraft in extreme conditions is now used in new non-space applications. The small size of the sensor and its fast reaction time have made it possible to develop an improved human breath measurement apparatus, a control system to reduce exhaust gases from heating systems for home and industry, and a handy, easy-to-use portable system to test for hydrogen leakage in industrial installations.
Credits: ESA | | | | |
| | | | Accurate human breath analysis
| The use of a space sensor has made it possible for the German company EXCUBE to create a mask to obtain a very accurate breath-by-breath analysis for the measurement of oxygen, carbon dioxide and the flow of the human breath, and with very quick response time.
Credits: ESA | | | | |
| | | | Reducing environmental pollution
| The use of a gas sensor developed for re-entry spacecraft is used to optimise the burners in industrial plants and home heating systems. The system can reduce the exhaust gases that are harmful for the environment, and at the same time, by ensuring the heating system works at an optimum level, it can also reduce fuel consumption by about 10 to 15%.
Credits: ESA | | | | |
| | | | Spotting hydrogen leakage
| Rainer Baumann, Technical University of Dresden, shows a fast and easy handheld hydrogen leakage system which has been possible to develop thanks to a gas sensor which was developed for testing of spacecraft re-entry vehicles.
Credits: ESA | | | | |
| | | | | Flux (Phi) Probe Experiment - Time resolved Measurement of Atomic Oxygen (FIPEX) is a system which is able to distinguish and measure molecular and atomic oxygen at very low ambient pressures. It is based on solid oxide electrolyte micro-sensors, developed by Technical University of Dresden (TU Dresden) in Germany. The scientific objectives of the experiment FIPEX mounted on the International Space Station (ISS) are in summary:
- Measurement of atomic oxygen flux in low earth orbit over a long period of time.
- Investigation of ISS contamination in thrusting periods and during proximity operations of the logistic vehicles. This experiment would give a time resolved determination of the contamination of satellite structures in space.
- Investigation of the behaviour of the ceramic solid electrolyte and the different electrode coatings during exposure to the space environment.
Credits: ESA | | | | |
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| | Related information Gas Sensor for Medical Performance DiagnosisTU-Dresden: Miniaturised Sensor System for respiratory InvestigationsESCUBE: Sensor controlled combustion optimization for domestic heaters and boilersRelated links ESA's Technology Transfer ProgrammeTechnology Transfer Broker NetworkESCUBETU Dresden Institute for Aerospace Engineering
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