Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** the animal industry plays a crucial…

Awards issued prior to january 20, 2025, were funded under previous administrations and may not reflect the priorities and policies of the current administration.** the animal industry plays a crucial role in supplying essential protein products. Detecting ammonia levels is of paramount importance within animal production settings, as elevated ammonia concentrations can pose a significant threat to the health and well-being of animals (with limits set at 35 PPM for short-term exposure and 300 PPM for immediate life-threatening exposure). Unfortunately, existing commercial ammonia detectors are either prohibitively expensive (priced at approximately $75,000) or lack durability. Spectral energies and the university of tennessee are collaborating to develop a portable, durable, and cost-effective optical-based absorption sensor. These sensors will be engineered to accurately detect ammonia levels of less than 1 part per million (< 1 PPM) while maintaining a highly competitive hardware cost target of under $15,000 per sensor after the completion of phase II. We strongly believe that the cost per sensor can be further reduced when the sales volume increases.to achieve this ambitious goal, our team will conduct rigorous testing of the diode laser absorption sensor during phase I to attain the desired detection limit. In phase II, we plan to explore even more cost-effective light sources such as leds or laser diodes. This proposed sensor holds immense potential within the global poultry healthcare market and the broader industry safety market.