NIKIRA LABS INC. — Department of Agriculture SBIR Phase I: 8.4

Description

In this SBIR effort Nikira Labs Inc. proposes to develop an open-path cavity-enhancedspectroscopy system for the accurate rapid quantification of ammonia flux.Most ammoniaemissions are due to agricultural activities and react in the atmosphere to produce aerosols thatresult in adverse health effects.Ammonia's solubility and adherence make it difficult to makedirect rapid ammonia measurements for eddy flux determinations.We propose to develop a NH3 flux analyzer that does not employ extractive sampling or large pumps and is suitable for long- term field deployment. The system can be used to measure ammonia flux from agriculturalactivities and gauge emission mitigation strategies.In Phase I we will fabricate a prototype and laboratory test it to determine its analyticalperformance.The prototype will be deployed to measure a controlled release and emissions froma fertilized plot.Finally the Phase I results will be used to design a Phase II system.In Phase II the analyzer will be extended to simultaneously measure the flux of ammonia andother species (e.g. COCHand H O).It will be packaged for robust long-term field deployment2 4 2 and tested against a variety of established methodologies. The Phase II system will be deployed ata variety of research sites before finally being delivered to a USDA research laboratory.During Phase III Nikira Labs Inc. will work to commercialize the system for use in environmentalresearch and monitoring networks.A preliminary market estimate suggests 5-yr revenue of morethan $11M - $22M for these two markets alone.