55

Carbon Dioxide Sensor for Atmospheric Monitoring—Eltron Research Inc., 4600 Nautilus Court South, Boulder, CO  80301-3241; 303-530-0263, www.eltronresearch.com 

Dr. John D. Faull, Principal Investigator, eltron@eltronresearch.com

Mr. James Steven Beck, Business Official, contracts@eltronresearch.com

DOE Grant No. DE-FG02-06ER84414

Amount:  $100,000 

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 awardee:   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.