High Accuracy Mobile Emissions Laboratory
This page updated April 30, 2008
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Los Gatos Research |
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High Accuracy Mobile Emissions Laboratory |
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| Technology and Innovation | ||||||||
| Los Gatos Research proposes to apply its patented laser-based instruments, which are based on the use of high-finesse optical cavities as measurement cells, for real-time measurements of important greenhouse gases and pollutants in ambient air. LGR’s patented technology provides optical path lengths of tens of kilometers to allow gas concentration measurements with unprecedented sensitivity, accuracy and precision in a compact package. LGR will incorporate several instruments, along with global positioning, ambient temperature, gas velocity and pressure and relative humidity monitors, into a vehicle (e.g., hybrid van) that will be used to record real-time measurements of critical atmospheric gases at several urban and rural locations throughout California. This ‘Mobile Lab’ will enable detailed measurements and long-term monitoring of mobile and fixed-location emissions and pollutant sources with unprecedented accuracy, precision and sensitivity. In addition, the on-board instrumentation will be autonomous, easy to use, and automatically store and report data to a central station. | ||||||||
| Emission Benefit | ||||||||
| The proposed project will enable, for the first time, untrained personnel to record accurate measurements of important greenhouse gases and pollutants with unprecedented sensitivity at the source in real time. These measurements will provide, for the first time, regulatory agencies, monitoring stations, scientists and researchers with temporally and spatially resolved data (measurements of important greenhouse gases and pollutants) necessary for compliance monitoring, as well as cap and trade, at any location. | ||||||||
| Project Description | ||||||||
| The
technical
goals of the project are to demonstrate field-ready state-of-the-air
gas analyzers for autonomous measurements of critical greenhouse gases
and pollutants with high accuracy and sensitivity in a mobile vehicle.
The vehicle (hybrid van or truck) containing the analyzers will serve
as a mobile laboratory (Mobile Lab) and allow measurements at any site
without extensive operator training. Measurements will be recorded
within minutes of arriving at a new measurement site. The Mobile Lab
will be used to monitor hot spots, for compliance monitoring, cap and
trade, and for pollutant credits accounting, at several locations
throughout California. In this project, LGR will quantify the ability
of the Mobile Lab to record and report measurements in real time with
high accuracy. In addition, LGR will work with Air Resources Board
research personnel to determine the most important urban and rural
locations to monitor (candidate locations include agricultural areas
around San Joaquin Valley, manufacturing facilities in Los Angeles, and around the Sacramento Delta) for extended studies. |
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ICAT Funded Projects
