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Development and validation of an outdoor low-cost smoke monitor

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dc.contributor.authorKelleher, Scott, author
dc.contributor.authorVolckens, John, advisor
dc.contributor.authorJathar, Shantanu, committee member
dc.contributor.authorAnderson, Georgiana Brooke, committee member
dc.contributor.authorPierce, Jeffrey, committee member
dc.date.accessioned2017-09-14T16:06:24Z
dc.date.available2017-09-14T16:06:24Z
dc.date.issued2017
dc.description.abstractWildfires and prescribed fires produce emissions that are harmful to human health. These health effects, however, are difficult to quantify, likely in part due to sparse data on exposure. The ability to measure fire emissions as they reach sensitive areas is critical to ensuring the protection of public health. Ground level quantification of smoke from wildfires and prescribed fires has proven to be a difficult task. The state of the art for monitoring outdoor air quality has long relied upon expensive, cumbersome equipment that generally requires line power. Few ground-based measurements are typically made during fire events, which limits our ability to quantify and assess the impact of smoke from fire events. The objective of this work was to develop and validate a new type of outdoor air quality monitor, the Outdoor Aerosol Sampler (OAS). The OAS is an active, filter-based air sampler that has been miniaturized and weatherproofed. The OAS represents and attempt to address the technical limitations of field sampling with a device that is relatively inexpensive and independently powered. Prototype development of the OAS was made possible through low-cost electronics, open-source programming platforms, and in house fabrication methods. An online PM2.5 sensor was selected and integrated with the OAS. A Monte Carlo simulation aided in the selection of battery and solar power necessary to independently power the OAS, while keeping cost and size to a minimum. Cellular communications established via Short Message Service (SMS) technology were utilized in transmitting online sensor readings and controlling the OAS remotely. Numerous OAS were deployed to monitor smoke concentrations downwind from a large prescribed fire. Mass concentrations sampled from the burn were interpolated to depict smoke concentration gradients downwind of the fire. Field tests found OAS solar charging efficiency (6.7%) to be slightly less than model input efficiency (7.5%). Outdoor urban testing of the OAS demonstrates moderate agreement with equivalent federal reference method samplers for gravimetric analysis of PM2.5.
dc.format.mediumborn digital
dc.format.mediummasters theses
dc.identifierKelleher_colostate_0053N_14392.pdf
dc.identifier.urihttps://hdl.handle.net/10217/184017
dc.languageEnglish
dc.language.isoeng
dc.publisherColorado State University. Libraries
dc.relation.ispartof2000-2019
dc.rightsCopyright and other restrictions may apply. User is responsible for compliance with all applicable laws. For information about copyright law, please see https://libguides.colostate.edu/copyright.
dc.subjectmonitor
dc.subjectsmoke
dc.subjectlow-cost
dc.subjectwildfire
dc.subjectparticulate matter
dc.titleDevelopment and validation of an outdoor low-cost smoke monitor
dc.typeText
dcterms.rights.dplaThis Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights (https://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/). You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).
thesis.degree.disciplineMechanical Engineering
thesis.degree.grantorColorado State University
thesis.degree.levelMasters
thesis.degree.nameMaster of Science (M.S.)

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