A fiber-optic water monitoring system developed by a UWM chemist Peter Geissinger is a boon for industries for effective waste-water treatment. UWM Research Foundation encourages this patent-pending UWM research.
Associate Professor Peter Geissinger (from left), Tom Dougherty of ACS in Milwaukee and researcher Paul Henning display elements of the sensing system.
Milwaukee-based Advanced Chemical Systems (ACS) is a joint- initiative, through which industrial users can procure wastewater pretreatment systems and chemicals. In addition, it also offers contaminant removal services. The firm is intended to analyze the level of specific contaminants prevailing in wastewater through a real-time and reliable data.
As part of the initiative, accurate water analysis will be executed in an off-site lab. However, it will be accomplished within some weeks. Based on fiber-optics technology, Geissinger designed a water-quality monitoring system. This system utilizes light-transmitted sensor information to detect targeted contaminants.
According to ACS President Tom Dougherty, integration of cost-efficiency features in this system will help gain acceptance among its customers, thereby promoting it to be a widely-deployed pretreatment systems.
Supported by National Science Foundation, this Milwaukee-based Advanced Chemical Systems has also received Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from federal agencies. Being awarded with this grant represents their excellent quality of work.
With financial support from the UWM Research Foundation’s Bradley Catalyst Grant program, Geissinger and his postdoctoral researcher Paul Henning has promoted this system for further implementation.
Furthermore, the team anticipates making this equipment more cost-effective and portable, contributing to multiple-field application. It is expected to be available for business application in another two or three year time.