Source£ºthznetwork.org

    Innovative system is expected to precisely detect chemicals that elude current systems

    Goodrich Corporation (NYSE: GR - News) has received a contract from the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) to deliver and evaluate a new chemical detection system that uses advanced technology to pinpoint the presence or absence of hazardous chemicals in public places. The system, a terahertz (THz) spectrometer, is designed to significantly reduce false alarms as well as detect actual hazards, enhancing safety and efficiency in challenging environments such as airports, office buildings and shopping centers. Work will begin immediately at the company¡¯s ISR Systems facility in Danbury, Conn.

    The THz spectrometer works by ingesting an air sample from the exterior or interior of a building and breaking it down into a million separate points in the THz spectrum, which lies between radio and optical spectra. Much like tuning in an analog radio, most chemicals will ¡°tune in¡± or show a signature somewhere throughout the THz spectrum. Because chemical molecules absorb and reflect different bands of frequency in very specific ways, their spectral signatures can be analyzed for the presence or absence of harmful substances.

    The Goodrich system is the first and only chemical detection system to work in the THz region of the spectrum over such a wide operating region (over 1 THz) with very narrow (1 MHz) line widths. This enables the system to detect a much larger variety of chemicals with exceptional precision over traditional chemical detection systems that have limited range and resolution. Initial plans call for DHS to evaluate the system performance against several chemicals in combination with common false alarm sources.

    Tom Bergeron, President, ISR Systems at Goodrich, said, ¡°The terahertz spectrometer system has the potential to significantly improve the protection of our country¡¯s critical assets. It has demonstrated exceptional performance in detecting harmful chemicals as well as common false alarm sources such as cleaning agents, paint and water vapor. We look forward to providing this advanced system to meet the needs of the U.S. government to protect its citizens and infrastructure.¡±