HISTORY

Founded in 1973, Bomem Inc. soon established a reputation for excellence in infrared (IR) spectroscopy. Today the company ranks among the world's top companies manufacturing Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectrometers.

Bomem’s beginnings goes back to a need to measure the IR signature of gases in the upper atmosphere.

Bomem designed and assisted in the operation of a balloon-borne FT-IR instrument for Atmospheric Environment Services. Introducing a technology considered to be best suited for laboratory research and adapting it to the difficult setting of a balloon-borne platform posed multiple challenges.

Fourier Transform Spectrometers (FTS) modulate the IR beam in a wavelength selective way by means of optical interference. This method of generating a spectrum is elegant and powerful but requires very precise alignment of the interferometer’s optics.

The temperature variations experienced during balloon flights affect the alignment of FTS.

In order to adapt FT-IR for high spectral resolution measurements of hot-air balloons, Bomem developed a dynamic alignment technology in which the interferometer’s alignment is continuously monitored and corrected as the interferometer is acquiring a spectrum.

Using the technology developed for these early instruments, Bomem introduced a commercial line of very high-performance FT-IRs called the DA series. The DA series provides high spectral resolution (up to 0.002 cm-1), broad spectral coverage (from UV to microwave), vacuum operation and is available in both laboratory and field models.

Bomem’s early space involvement is also related to Fourier Transform technology.

Bomem led the design of WAMDII, the wide angle Michelson Doppler Imaging Interferometer. This Canadian instrument was for the mapping of mesospheric wind velocity by measuring the minute Doppler shifts in the emission lines of auroral emissions. This design was then re-used for the WINDII instrument that flew on the UARS satellite.

Other early projects included Canopus, a UV/Vis instrument for ground-based monitoring of auroral events and SIRIS, a cryogenic balloon-borne FTS developed for NASA Goddard.

Bomem supplied the FT-IR for the High resolution Infrared Sounder (HIS), a very successful spectrometer used for weather sounding from an ER-2 aircraft for the University of Wisconsin.

In 1986, Bomem introduced a new line of FT-IR spectrometers, the MB Series now known has FTLA2000-100 Series. These instruments were designed as small and low cost, highly accurate, permanently aligned, and rugged enough for industrial environments.

Today, these FT-IRs are used for quality control and quality analysis in the plastics, petroleum, chemical and pharmaceutical industries. Our spectrometers are also being increasingly used in the monitoring of air quality and atmospheric pollution emissions.

The rugged design of the Michelson series interferometers was demonstrated in 1989 when a MB100(FTLA2000-100) was flown on-board the space shuttle, mission STS-34, for a microgravity polymer experiment.

The instrument had a success flight with no modifications except for the addition of a dedicated polymerization multi-cell carrousel and a special enclosure.

Over the years, ABB Bomem Inc has shown unequaled leadership in the development of advanced interferometer designs.

Since 1988 four generations of Imaging FT-IR spectrometers have been developed to respond to the need of remote sensing. This work was sponsored mainly by defense organizations to characterize the spectral and spatial signatures of military targets. The high temporal variations of such targets also led to the development of fast-scanning interferometers.

The recent participation of ABB Bomem Inc. in space programs has strengthened its position as a center for infrared expertise.

Currently, ABB's Remote Sensing group employs approximately 80 engineers, physicists and technicians, and offers complete engineering capability from feasibility studies to space hardware realization. This group focuses on airborne and spaceborne applications, infrared calibration systems, hyperspectral imaging, and software for ground segments and simulation.

The Remote and Sensing group first began participating in space programs with the European Space Agency’s project called the Michelson Interferometer for Passive Atmospheric Sounding MIPAS - pdf document.

This project called for a cryogenic FT-IR that would be used for limb emission sounding of chemical constituents related to the stratospheric ozone problem and to the greenhouse effect.

ABB Bomem was involved in a number of tasks for MIPAS including contribution to the instrument design, performance modeling, the development of ground calibration hardware and software as well as ground segment software design and prototyping.

Following MIPAS, Bomem was invited to participate in a Canadian Space Agency (CSA) project called Measurements of Pollution In The Troposphere MOPITT - pdf document

MOPITT is an IR correlation spectrometer used to accurately measure CO and CH4 concentrations in the atmosphere. ABB Bomem’s IR expertise was used to design and build the ground and flight IR sources used to perform the radiometric calibration of the instrument.

With the expertise gained on MIPAS and MOPITT, Bomem got involved in the AIRS - pdf document - project of the Jet Propulsion Labs (JPL).

The Atmospheric Infra-Red Sounder (AIRS) is a remote-sensing instrument to acquire data about the atmosphere, land and oceans for application in climate studies and weather prediction. Bomem designed and manufactured support equipment for the ground calibration of AIRS.

In early 1996, the former Bomem Inc. became part of Elsag Bailey Process Automation N.V. Elsag Bailey Process Automation is a global supplier of process automation systems, field instrumentation products, and related professional services.

Then, in 1999, ABB (formerly known as Asea Brown Boveri) acquired Elsag Bailey.

ABB is a global leader in power and automation technologies that enables utility and industry customers to improve their performance while lowering environmental impacts. The ABB Group operates in more than 100 countries and employs about 150,000 people worldwide.

In 1999, the CSA selected ABB as the prime contractor for the primary instrument for the Atmospheric Chemistry Experiment (ACE) mission on-board the SciSat-1 Satellite. The ACE-FTS - pdf document - is a solar occulting high-resolution instrument designed to measure the vertical distribution of trace gases concentration and temperature. The goal of the mission is to improve the understanding of the chemical and dynamical processes that control the distribution of the ozone.

The ACE-FTS instrument was delivered for integration to SCISAT-1 spacecraft in September 2002. Scisat-1 is scheduled for launch by NASA in 2003.

Another Remote Sensing group project is the Crosstrack Infrared Sounder (CrIS) - pdf document -, developed for the Integrated Program Office (NASA, NOAA, DoD) with ITT Industries. CrIS will be one of the main instruments on-board the next generation of polar-orbiting meteorological satellite (NPOESS).

CrIS is a vertical sounder that will acquire atmospheric spectra that will be used to derive vertical profiles of temperature, pressure and humidity. The core of CrIS is a Fourier Transform Spectrometer with a dynamic alignment.

ABB is designing and building the interferometer, its control electronics and its metrology system. ABB is providing the blackbody that will be used for the in-flight radiometric calibration of the instrument. ABB is also involved in the definition of the level 1 data processing algorithms.

As part of its involvement in the imaging field of applications, ABB is currently developing a 16 X 16 pixels Imaging FT-Spectroradiometer for the 46th test wing/TSWI at Eglin Air Force Base in Florida.

This airborne instrument will be mounted on an F-15 aircraft and will generate more than 100 spectra per second with a resolution of 8 cm-1 in a spectral band from 3.5 to 5 m. The instrument comes with all support equipment, sophisticated data analyzing workstation and dedicated software for generating radiometrically calibrated spectra.