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October 2009 - February 2010

During this period the Generation 5 Stand-Off LIBS system located at U.S Army Research Laboratory (ARL), Aberdeen Proving Ground, Maryland, USA, was upgraded to include i) a new-design laser beam expander for 355 nm laser wavelength, and ii) improved system software providing a more user-friendly interface with the operator. The new hardware and software were installed and tested at ARL in February 2010.

Generation 5 ruggedised system: CAD model showing 1064 nm beam expander	Generation 5 ruggedised system: CAD model showing 355 nm beam expander

April 2007 - March 2009

During this period we have designed and manufactured two further ST-LIBS™ systems for the US Army Research Laboratory (ARL): Generation 4 and Generation 5.

The Generation 5 Stand-Off LIBS system is a field-deployable, ruggedised ST-LIBS™ instrument.

The outline specification for Gen 5 is as follows:
It is user-configurable as either 1064 nm or 355nm (both double-pulse capable).  In 1064 configuration, either one of two laser beam expanders may be fitted – a 3-inch beam expander which is good for approaching 100 metres range, and a 6-inch beam expander which should be good for 200 metres range.  Gen 5 utilizes two Quantel Brilliant B lasers, a PI-Acton VSMS broad-band spectrograph, and a modified RC Optical Systems 16” military-grade Ritchey-Chretien telescope with UV-Vis-NIR optics.  It also has a built-in air-conditioning system which supplies filtered and chilled air to the base unit, optics and telescope.  The whole system has been ruggedized for field use, with all sensitive components protected against shock and vibration.  The entire design of Gen 5 is fully documented including detailed 2D and 3D engineering CAD data (SolidWorks Professional) and optical design CAD data (Zemax EE).

Generation 5 ruggedised system	Generation 5 fitted with 6" beam expander

 

The Generation 4 Stand-Off LIBS system was designed specifically for a series of field trials conducted at Fort Irwin, California, and Yuma Proving Ground (Arizona) between Dec 2007 and August 2008.  The field trials were part of a JIEDDO funded project named “Guardian Angel” with BAE Systems Inc as lead contractor.  The field trial involved mounting the Gen 4 system (plus a suite of other sensors including a Stand-Off Raman system developed by a US company) to an M35 military truck which was then driven to various locations in the Mojave and Arizona deserts.  Operating conditions were harsh due to fine airborne dust, shock and vibration from the movements of the M35 truck, and daytime temperatures reaching 120 F.

The outline specification of Gen 4 is as follows:
Operating range up to 60 metres.  Double-pulse 1064 nm laser (2 x 800 mJ) or 355 nm laser (2 x 150 mJ) configurations.  Three spectrographs covering the wavelength range 245 nm to 950 nm.  14” telescope (modified Meade LX200R) with custom-made robotic forkmount.  Integral laser range finder under system software control to achieve autofocus of laser beam and telescope optics.  Two on-board cameras, one equipped with high-power zoom lens.  Entire system ruggedized for field use with all sensitive components protected against shock and vibration.  External air-conditioning unit used to feed chilled air to Gen 4 electrical and electronic components.  System software written in LabVIEW, allowing for full wireless remote control of Gen 4.

Generation 4 arriving at Fort Irwin	Generation 4 during field trials

Gen 4 is currently located at US Army Research Laboratory, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD.

 

See the ST-LIBS image gallery for more photographs of Gen 4 and Gen 5.

See the ST-LIBS References and Publications page for further information on the detection of energetic materials and explosive residues with Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy.

May 2005 - July 2006

During this period we designed and manufactured three experimental prototype ST-LIBS™ instruments for US Army Research Laboratory (ARL). The three instruments were of the following general specifications:

Generation 1:

• Double-pulse, 1064nm (300mJ) Q-switched Nd:YAG laser (Big Sky CFR 400)
• Meade LX90 GPS Schmidt-Cassegrain 8" telescope
• Ocean Optics LIBS 3000 broad-band spectrometer
• Operating range 10 - 30 metres

Generation 2:

• Double-pulse, 1064nm (300mJ) Q-switched Nd:YAG laser (Quantel Brilliant Twins)
• Meade LX200 GPS Schmidt-Cassegrain 14" telescope
• Ocean Optics LIBS 3000 broad-band spectrometer
• Operating range 10 - 60 metres

Generation 3:

• Quantel Brilliant B plus NCAR Raman cell to produce "eye-safe" output beam of 1543nm
• Meade LX200 GPS Schmidt-Cassegrain 14" telescope
• Ocean Optics LIBS 3000 broad-band spectrometer
• Operating range 10 - 20 metres

Generation 1	Generation 2	Generation 3

See the ST-LIBS image gallery for more photographs of Gen 1, 2 and 3.

December 2004

Organised by Dr Andrzej Miziolek of US Army Research Laboratory (ARL) and funded by NATO, field trials of various configurations of LIBS instrument were conducted during December 2004 at Yuma Proving Ground (YPG) in Arizona, USA, with the aim of demonstrating the detection of trace residues of explosive materials. The team consisted of research scientists from ARL, the University of Malaga (Spain), Applied Photonics Ltd (UK) and Ocean Optics Inc (USA). Three types of LIBS instrument were tested at YPG - a Stand-Off LIBS (ST-LIBS) device developed by University Of Malaga, a Fibre-Optic LIBS (FO-LIBS) device developed by Applied Photonics Ltd, and a Man-Portable LIBS (MP-LIBS) device developed by Ocean Optics Inc.

ST-LIBS™ (University of Malaga) at Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona	FO-LIBS™ (Applied Photonics Ltd) at Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona	MP-LIBS (Ocean Optics Inc) at Yuma Proving Ground, Arizona

February 2003

A custom-designed ST-LIBS™ instrument was used to remotely analyse highly-radioactive waste residues at the Windscale Vitrification Plant (WVP) at the Sellafield nuclear site in northwest England. The ST-LIBS™ instrument was deployed by directing the laser beam through a 1.5 metre thick lead-glass shield window so that a laser generated plasma was created on various residues inside the hot cell. Results of the analysis were used to deduce the source of the residue deposits so that appropriate remedial action could be taken.

ST-LIBS™ instrument used at hot-cell	View through a hot-cell window	Hot-cell facility

Summer 2002

A custom-designed ST-LIBS™ instrument was used to remotely determine the composition of liquid aluminium alloy during an experimental program conducted at a European aluminium manufacturing plant.

Spring / Summer 2001

A custom-designed ST-LIBS™ instrument was used at the Wylfa nuclear power station (Anglesey, UK) to identify cooling water tubes and reinforcing bars within the concrete pressure vessel of the Magnox reactors. Access to the components being analysed was via 20mm diameter boreholes drilled into the concrete structure and which could be up to 1 metre in length.

Wylfa nuclear power station	Schematic of ST-LIBS™ system deployed at Wylfa	ST-LIBS™ deployed at Wylfa

Autumn 2001

A custom-designed ST-LIBS™ instrument was used to remotely characterise radioactive materials in the Basket handling Cave of the Thorp spent-fuel reprocessing plant at the Sellafield nuclear site (UK). Deposits of an unknown material were found to be accumulating on the upper sections of the dissolver baskets - there was a requirement to characterise this material, preferably in-situ so as to avoid problems associated with physical sampling and removal of the radioactive material from the hot cell.

Sellafield site, West Cumbria, UK		Deployment of ST-LIBS™ instrument

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