Development of a Solar Powered Aerosol Reference Calibrator

This project will develop and demonstrate an inexpensive and portable calibration system for low-cost aerosol sensors. Current calibration methods are cost prohibitive and lack generalizability from one location (or season) to the next, making them impractical for implementation. Access Sensor Technologies (AST) proposes to improve and validate a solar powered aerosol reference calibrator (SPARC) that builds upon an established (patent pending) technology developed at Colorado State University and licensed to AST: the ultrasonic personal aerosol sampler (UPAS). In Phase I, we concluded that SPARC is a good calibration tool for low-cost sensors with performance that approaches federal equivalent methods. There are no commercial technologies that currently meet SPARC’s cost and specifications- especially not integrating size-selective inlets, an easily-exchangeable filter cartridge, a pump, and accompanying sensors into one, solar-powered housing. Phase II will further improve the SPARC to meet customer-voiced needs, such as increased flow rate, power optimization, integrated wireless communications, and additional optional sensors. The proposed Phase II concludes with customer-led field studies to gather performance data, user feedback, and validate the value proposition. Successful completion of this project will yield a versatile air sampling technology that can help improve the reliability and data quality of low-cost air monitoring networks.