NSF Award
1214593
This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project aims to develop inexpensive carbon<br/>dioxide sensors for heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) controls. The sensors will use<br/>Dioxide Materials' patent pending catalyst mixtures, to create a series of CO2 sensors using a novel<br/>design. We expect to create sensors that are an order of magnitude less expensive than the CO2 sensors<br/>used for HVAC systems today and yet show comparable performance. The proposed Phase I work will<br/>include developing solid electrolytes for the device, testing performance against customer supplied<br/>specs, and checking for corrosion.<br/><br/>The broader impact/commercial potential of this project is to develop a sensors that will enable affordable<br/>control systems that result in significant reductions in utility costs for homes and businesses. Most HVAC<br/>systems are inefficient. They run full blast when buildings are nearly empty, and over ventilate because<br/>the air quality in a building is unknown. Several, vendors have developed control systems that use CO2<br/>sensors to assess the air quality and adjust the HVAC systems accordingly. Energy savings of up to<br/>$0.31/ft2/yr (i.e. $465/yr for a 1500 ft2 house) have been demonstrated, but the systems have not been<br/>widely deployed because the needed CO2 sensors are too expensive and cannot be attached to a<br/>standard thermostat. If the project is successful through Phase II, Dioxide Materials' new sensors will<br/>make advanced HVAC control systems affordable. Utility bills will go down. Further, utilities will not<br/>need to generate as much electricity, so greenhouse gas emissions will be reduced.
