Gas sensor fits on a lamp post
A European project is developing a hand-sized gas sensor and analyser to detect multiple toxic gases in real-time that can sit on a lamp post.
The €6.9m PASSEPARTOUT led by Munster Technological University in Cork, Ireland finishes this year having developed a compact gas sensor with a complete understanding of the types and concentrations of toxic gases at a much more reasonable price.
The units use a hyperspectral laser sensor to spot trace amounts of numerous gasses including nitrogen dioxide (NO2), sulphur dioxide (SO2), carbon monoxide (CO), ozone (O3), and particulate matter – in real-time in dynamic environments.
- First real-time environmental monitoring toolkit
- Sensor measures air quality, pollution, temperature and humidity
The Quartz Enhanced Photo-Acoustic Spectroscopy (QEPAS) sensor uses a laser to heat a small sample of air.
“QEPAS is particularly useful for the detection and quantification of trace gases in challenging environments,” said PASSEPARTOUT project coordinator Dr William Whelan-Curtin.
“We use a quartz tuning fork with a sharp mechanical resonance to detect the signals generated by the gas sample while suppressing the background noise. This tuning fork detects the acoustic waves generated by the gas as it heats and cools. The signal is then analysed to determine the concentration of the target gas. The exact wavelengths of the laser, or lasers, can be tuned to match the characteristic absorption spectrum of the target gas, meaning our system categorically detects specific gases, like carbon monoxide or sulphur dioxide.”
This robust sensing allows the PASSEPARTOUT detector to monitor environments, providing dynamic and to-the-minute air quality representations continuously. “Even the most tiny fluctuations in toxic gas concentrations can be captured promptly, enabling more effective and timely interventions,” he said.
“The miniature PASSEPARTOUT hyperspectral optical-based sensors will provide a comprehensive approach to understanding urban air quality. To have a widespread network and to take meaningful steps towards a smart city, current, expensive methods are not feasible,” he said.
“At present, accurate assessments of urban air are difficult. Air quality varies significantly over time, over short distances and across different areas within a city. Traditional monitoring methods struggle to capture these nuanced variations adequately. We are working to provide a system with high precision and excellent spatial resolution to detect NOx, SO2, NH3, CH4, CO, CO2, and black carbon.”
The project has aspirations to make its real-time metropolitan networks commonplace. “We would like to make the technology as common as video surveillance by installing a detector on every lamppost,” he said. “As part of the project, we are developing a smartphone app to check air quality in real-time. In the future, we hope this can be integrated into Google Maps so that your journey to and from work or school can show you not just traffic hotspots but also the route with the cleanest air.
“Ultimately, we want to help save lives and help citizens everywhere enjoy clean air. At the sub-one thousand Euro price tag, our technology will enable municipalities, environmental agencies, and researchers the ability to make targeted interventions and policy decisions for a fraction of the price.”
The PASSEPARTOUT team is trialling their technology in landfill sites, seaports, at the University of Bari, and in a selection of schools in Cork.
The project is coordinated by Munster Technological University and will conclude in 2024. It includes 19 other partners: University College Cork – National University Of Ireland, Cork (Ireland); Universita Degli Studi Di Bari Aldo Moro, Politecnico Di Bari, Etg Risorse E Tecnologia Srl, Ecospray Technologies Srl, Techno Sky Srl Technologies For Air Traffic Management, Comune Di Bari (Italy); Nanoplus Nanosystems And Technologies, Technische Universitaet Muenchen (Germany); Centre National De La Recherche Scientifique Cnrs, Universite Cote D’azur, Le Verre Fluore (France); Green Lab Magyarorszag Mernoki Iroda Korlatolt Felelossegu Tarsasag (Hungary); Argotech As (Czechia); Technische Universitaet Wien (Austria); Vario-Optics Ag, Fachhochschule Nordwestschweiz Fhnw (Switzerland); Haze Instruments, Razvoj In Proizvodnja Merilnih Instrumentov Doo (Slovenia); AUG Signals Hellas Technology Developments And Applications Hellas Single Member Private Company (Greece).
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