Jeffrey T Culp

US Patent:

20230039427, Feb 9, 2023

Filed:

Aug 8, 2022

Appl. No.:

17/883553

Inventors:

- Columbus OH, US
Jeffrey T. Culp - Wexford PA, US
James E. Ellis - Pittsburgh PA, US

International Classification:

G02B 6/02
G01N 21/59
C03C 13/04
C09D 183/04
C09D 7/61
C03C 25/106
C03C 25/47
C03C 25/42
C03C 25/40

Abstract:

Novel chemical sensors that improve detection and quantification of COare critical to ensuring safe and cost-effective monitoring of carbon storage sites. Fiber optic (FO) based chemical sensor systems are promising field-deployable systems for real-time monitoring of COin geological formations for long-range distributed sensing. In this work, a mixed-matrix composite integrated FO sensor system was developed that reliably operates as a detector for gas-phase and dissolved CO. A mixed-matrix composite sensor coating on the FO sensor comprising plasmonic nanocrystals and zeolite embedded in a polymer matrix. The mixed-matrix composite FO sensor showed excellent reversibility/stability in a high humidity environment and sensitivity to gas-phase COover a large concentration range. The sensor exhibited the ability to sense COin the presence of other geologically relevant gases, which is of importance for applications in geological formations. A prototype FO sensor configuration which possesses a robust sensing capability for monitoring dissolved COin natural water was demonstrated. Reproducibility was confirmed over many cycles, both in a laboratory setting and in the field.