Miniaturized Carbon Monoxide Sonde for Small Aerial Platforms

Carbon monoxide (CO) is a valuable tracer in atmospheric studies. For example, in the study of stratosphere/troposphere exchange, it is possible to differentiate between stratospheric or tropospheric origins of air parcels based on carbon monoxide content. Carbon monoxide also serves as an excellent tracer of anthropogenic air pollution in the troposphere. QEI Technologies proposes to develop a miniaturized CO sonde suitable for use on a variety of small aerial platforms including balloons and RPVs. The device will be based on a related design developed by the Principal Investigator for use on tethered kites and balloons. The sensor will be based on the principle of a reducing gas detector, but with significant new modifications to the instrument layout and chemistry. These changes will greatly reduce the size, mass, and power consumption of the new detector in contrast to previous designs. The new design will also be far more user-friendly and require very little maintenance in contrast with its predecessors. Phase I work will focus on demonstrating the nontraditional design improvements incorporated into the CO sonde design. Phase II work would involve finalizing the design as well as extensive field trials with several prototypes.