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A Closed-Path Methane and Water Vapor Gas Analyzer

Award Information
Agency: Department of Energy
Branch: N/A
Contract: DE-FG02-08ER84968
Agency Tracking Number: N/A
Amount: $100,000.00
Phase: Phase I
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: 16 b
Solicitation Number: DE-PS02-07ER07-36
Timeline
Solicitation Year: 2008
Award Year: 2008
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): N/A
Award End Date (Contract End Date): N/A
Small Business Information
4421 Superior Street
Lincoln, NE 68504
United States
DUNS: 062237961
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 Liukang Xu
 Dr.
 (402) 467-3576
 liukang.xu@licor.com
Business Contact
 Dayle McDermitt
Title: Dr.
Phone: (402) 467-3576
Email: dayle.mcdermitt@licor.com
Research Institution
N/A
Abstract

A closed-path, methane and water vapor gas analyzer is required to support the widespread deployment that is needed to achieve a better understanding of the global methane budget and to quantify exchanges between the atmosphere and terrestrial biosphere. The analyzer must be robust, portable, consistent with solar powered applications, and suitable for long-term and remote field measurements. In addition, it must have low power consumption and use room-temperature lasers. Building on a previously-developed open-path methane analyzer, this project will develop a tunable diode, laser-based, closed-path CH4 and H2O gas analyzer. Based on two recently-developed laser technologies ¿ vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSEL) and wavelength modulation spectroscopy (WMS) ¿ the instrument will provide better spectral performance, lower power consumption, high sensitivity, and less susceptibility to mirror contamination than cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS). Commercial Applications and other Benefits as described by the awardee: The closed-path CH4 and H2O gas analyzer should enable measurements of atmospheric methane concentration that can be made year-round with minimum maintenance and with power from solar panels and batteries. The analyzer also could find use in the measurement of chamber-based soil methane flux and net ecosystem methane exchange.

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

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