25-10-2012, 11:24 AM
Understanding Fire Through Improved Technology
ABSTRACT
Aztec(TradeMark) is the commercial name for Southwest Sciences laser. The laser has coarse tuning ranges of 10
nanometers (nm) to 30 nm at wavelengths ranging from 630 nm to 2,300 nm, making it the only commercially available
external cavity diode laser with wavelengths beyond 1,650 nm. The laser’s high-speed tuning in both coarse and fine
wavelength regimes allows for increased trace gas detection. With the automated coarse tuning option, the Aztec sweeps
through its wavelength range in less than 1 millisecond. While some diode lasers can only detect one type, or species, of a
trace gas, the Aztec’s broad wavelength tuning provides access to multiple trace gas species. The Aztec has a wide range of
applications for both NASA and commercial users, from protecting astronauts in space to improving combustion processes on
Earth. It may serve as a new tool for planetary exploration, as it can detect a wide range of multiple gas species in planetary
atmospheres. The laser could optically detect gaseous indicators of incipient fires on the International Space Station and Space
Shuttle, as well as detect low concentrations of potentially toxic gases in spacecraft crew habitats. The laser could also provide
more accurate fire detection in aircraft cargo compartments. Since the Aztec can detect several gases that only evolve during
an actual fire, its implementation could reduce the large number of commercial aircraft landings that currently occur due to
false alarms. Other applications include environmental and industrial process monitoring.