Long-Term, Autonomous Measurement of Atmospheric Carbon Dioxide Using an Ormosil Nanocomposite-Based Optical Sensor

75726-Carbon sequestration can be used to address concerns about global warming caused by an abundance of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. However, quantifying the progress of carbon sequestration requires a better understanding of the sources and sinks of carbon dioxide. Because of cost and performance constraints, in situ and continuous measurements of atmospheric CO2 are not possible with current instrumentation. This project will develop a simple, inexpensive, and longer lasting CO2 sensor suitable for autonomous measurements in the field. The sensor¿s performance will match that of larger and more expensive instruments. Phase I will establish feasibility of the technical approach by fabricating a working model of the device. High signal-to-noise ratio will be obtained by utilizing a triple correlation-based signal processing algorithm to achieve a resolution of 1 part in 3,000 or better. The sensor will be characterized with respect to long-term drift, sensitivity, accuracy, resolution, and lack of interference from humidity. Commercial Applications and Other Benefits as described by the awardee: In addition to its use in atmospheric CO2 measurements, the technology could be used to construct portable sensors for the autonomous monitoring of other gaseous pollutants, pipelines, storage facilities, and process control sensors for the energy and chemical production industries.