The FASPEC (Fast Adaptive Spectrometer Programmable for the Evaluation of Combustion) sensor addresses the need for high-speed, multiwavelength, multi-line-of-sight optical monitoring in dynamic environments such as flames.

FASPEC’s unique spectrometer combines up to 16 fiber-optic light inputs, programmable wavelength tuning with a Digital Micro-mirror Device (DMD), and detection with a linear sensor array to monitor multiple views simultaneously while switching rapidly between wavelengths at a sub-millisecond rate.

Spectral measurements can be acquired in a variety of ways, including a single band or several bands, a chemically selective matched filter response function, or an entire spectrum using Dispersive Transform Spectroscopy (DTS).

The simultaneous measurements over multiple lines-of-sight can enable tomographic reconstruction of the instantaneous shape of a flame or flow field.

Applications include:

• Combustion and boiler monitoring to determine temperature, combustion efficiency, and flame location
• Measurement of the dynamics and spatial characteristics of high-temperature effluents and other gas streams