Physical Optics Corporation — Department of Energy SBIR Phase I: The monitoring of carbon will enhance understanding of the role of CO2 in the global carbo

Description

The monitoring of carbon will enhance understanding of the role of CO2 in the global carbon cycle, the sensitivity of climate to atmospheric CO2, and future potential for sequestration of carbon in terrestrial systems. This requires a system that can detect and quantify annual net carbon changes over large areas. Physical Optics Corporation (POC) proposes to develop a new Carbon Sensor Network (Carb-SN) comprising an array of optical sensors, which measures CO2, CO, and CH4 concentrations in the atmosphere and wirelessly transmits the measured data to a node station for subsequent data processing. Implementation of an innovative wideband wavelength modulation spectroscopy (WMS) technique for measurement of gas concentrations, a novel network concept, and data processing that takes atmospheric temperature and pressure into account, allow spatially resolved carbon changes to be monitored over a large area under variable environmental conditions. Elimination of air sample pumping, implementation of local energy harvesting, and a power-effective, nonlaser, infrared light source ensure the effectiveness of the proposed solution in unmanned operation for periods exceeding 90 days. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits: Implementation of the Carb-SN system will offer benefits to various industrial segments, including building ventilation control, energy (gas, coal mining), transportation, and chemical production. The proposed system can also be used in medical instrumentation for capnometry and in detection of natural gas and carbon monoxide leaks in homes. The system, configured for operation at other wavelengths, can also measure a variety of other species in industrial facilities