Carbon Dioxide Sensor for Atmospheric Monitoring

The burning of fossil fuels adds carbon to the atmosphere, principally in the form of carbon dioxide (CO2). It is important to understand the fate of this excess CO2 in the global carbon cycle. This project will develop a lightweight, battery powered instrument ¿ suitable for observatory, tall-tower, and aircraft measurements ¿ to accurately and rapidly detect the local concentration of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. The micro-miniaturize CO2 analyzer will employ a novel optical sensor, which uses a sample concentrator in conjunction with single-beam, dual-wavelength IR measurements. The instrument will provide: (1) ±0.1 ppm resolution in a background of ca. 370 ppm, (2) less than 30 sec response times, (3) less than 100 mA power requirements, and (4) less than 250 g total weight. In Phase I, a novel polymeric CO2 concentrator will be designed, fabricated, and evaluated. A porous, chemically-modified polymer film will be used to sorb and concentrate CO2 for enhanced IR detection. Commercial Applications And Other Benefits as described by the Applicant: A lightweight, battery-powered CO2 analyzer should find application in obtaining highly accurate and precise atmospheric CO2 measurements from a wide range of measurement platforms. Low-cost, accurate CO2 monitoring also should find widespread use in medical, industrial, agricultural, and security applications.