Financial source: Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación Code: PDC2021-121379-I00 Acronym: NIRFLOW |
Principal Investigator: Francisco Yubero
Period: Research team: Francisco Yubero, Jorge Gil-Rostra, Manuel Oliva, Victor Rico, Juan Pedro Espinós, R. Gonzalez, Javier Lloreda, Agustín Rodríguez Gonzalez-Elipe |
NIRFLOW is a R+D+i Project for the realization of a Proof of Concept in which it is aimed to develop a pre-commercial prototype for the optical analysis in the near infrared of fluids in flow conditions in relevant industrial environments. The project is based on several innovations that are not implemented in conventional NIR apparatus in the market so far. First, to substitute the conventional NIR optics mainly operated by spectrometers based on diffraction gratings or Fourier optics by a selection of the wavelength of analysis based on combinations of continuously variable short and long pass filters designed to tune a NIR passband (regarding center and width). Second, to develop an optofluidic cell, operated in transflectance mode, characterized by a tunable optical pathlength to optimize the info obtained by the different overtones of the characteristic molecules present in the fluid under analysis. This innovation will offer the possibility of more robust statistical analysis than conventional NIR spectroscopy operated with single optical pathlength. Finally, the prototype will be developed within a microfluidic approach with automate analysis concept, for its operation within a wireless remote technology. These three innovations make NIRFLOW a R&D+i project in which part of the knowledge and one of the developments done in previous research project from the Spanish Plan Estatal (MAT2016-79866-R), partially protected by a patent claim, is aimed to be transferred to the society through the development of a precommercial prototype that showed ability of analysis in industrial operational environments, in particular to follow the evolution of fermentation processes linked to wine production.