Oxygen concentration sensors and methods of rapidly measuring the concentration of oxygen in fluids

1. An apparatus for rapidly sensing the oxygen concentration of a fluid comprising:

a transducer capable of photoluminescence and configured to be installed in an intake manifold of an internal combustion engine;

an excitation light source in optical communication with said transducer for transmitting an excitation light that is at least partially absorbed by said transducer;

a light detection system in optical communication with said transducer; and

wherein said transducer enters a higher energy state through the at least partial absorption of the excitation light and enters a lower energy state through radiation of emitted light in approximately 200 nanoseconds to produce spectral indicia that is indicative of the oxygen concentration in the fluid for processing by said light detection system.

2. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said excitation light source is selected from the group consisting of a light emitting diode, a laser diode, a non-diode laser, an incandescent device, and a fluorescent device.

3. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein a fiber optic cable is disposed between said excitation light source and said transducer.

4. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said light detection system is selected from the group consisting of a spectrometer, photomultiplier tubes, diode detectors, charge coupled device (CCD) arrays, and diode arrays.

5. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein a fiber optic cable is disposed between said transducer and said light detection system.

6. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said transducer is disposed at a terminus of a fiber optic cable.

7. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said transducer is made from a material that phosphoresces as it transitions between energy states.

8. The apparatus as recited in claim 7 wherein said transducer is made from a rare-earth metal doped phosphor material.

9. The apparatus as recited in claim 1 wherein said transducer is made from a material that fluoresces as it transitions between energy states.

10. The apparatus as recited in claim 9 wherein said transducer is made from an organometallic complex.

11. A method of rapidly measuring the oxygen concentration of a fluid with a sensing apparatus comprising the steps of:

a. providing a transducer capable of photoluminescence and configured to be installed in an intake manifold of an internal combustion engine;

b. energizing said transducer through the at least partial absorption of excitation light transmitted by an excitation light source that is in optical communication with said transducer;

c. generating spectral indicia with said transducer as said transducer transitions to a higher energy state from a lower energy state through the at least partial absorption of

the excitation light and as said transducer transitions to a lower energy state from the higher energy state through radiation of emitted light; and

d. processing the spectral indicia with a light detection system that is in optical communication with said transducer to determine the oxygen concentration of the fluid; and

wherein steps b, and c are performed in approximately 200 nanoseconds.

12. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein the optical communication of said energizing step is performed by a fiber optic cable.

13. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein the optical communication of said processing step is performed by a fiber optic cable.

14. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein the transducer of said providing step is comprised of a phosphorescent material.

15. The method as recited in claim 11 wherein the transducer of said providing step is comprised of a fluorescent material.