Li-cor, Inc.

Dayle K McDermitt

Robert D Eckles

Jonathan M Welles

Liukang Xu

Michael D Furtaw

George G Burba

Georgiy G Burba

Mark A Johnson

Tyler Anderson

Bradley Alan Riensche

Xiaomao Lin

Dave Johnson

Anatoly Komissarov

Daniel J Anderson

Systems and methods for measuring turbulent gas flux using high-speed vertical wind speed measurements (e.g., on the order of 5-10 Hz or more frequently) and low-speed gas content measurements (e.g., on the order of 5 Hz or less frequently), without the need for the sophisticated and expensive high-speed hardware to separate gas samples (e.g., into accumulation bags) according to updrafts and downdrafts. A time series of high-speed vertical wind speed data is used as a guide to distinguish between updrafts and downdrafts. When vertical wind speed is upward (updraft), the low-speed gas content is recorded into a data structure in one location, or marked with one flag. When vertical wind speed is downward (downdraft), the low-speed gas content is recorded into a different location, or marked with a different flag. Eddy Accumulation or Relaxed Eddy Accumulation computations can be performed using the stored gas content data to determine gas flux.

Methods and apparatus for measuring gas flux

Active compensation designs to offset the impact of gas diffusion sources and sinks in a photosynthesis and transpiration measurement system are disclosed. A sensor head for use in a gas exchange analysis system includes an active, piezoelectric flow splitting device for splitting a flow between a sample chamber and bypass pathway. The active flow splitting device is controlled by feedback from a downstream flow meter. A continuous measurement system for rapidly and accurately surveying large numbers of samples is described.

Gas exchange system flow configuration

A system and method to obtain correct gas density and flux measurements using (i) gas analyzer (open-path, or closed-path gas analyzers with short intake tube, or any combination of the two); (ii) fast temperature or sensible heat flux measurement device (such as, fine-wire thermocouple, sonic anemometer, or any other device providing fast accurate gas temperature measurements); (iii) fast air water content or latent heat flux measurement device (such as, hygrometer, NDIR analyzer, any other device providing fast accurate gas water content measurements); (iv) vertical wind or sampling device (such as sonic anemometer, scintillometer, or fast solenoid valve, etc.) and (v) algorithms in accordance with the present invention to compute the corrected gas flux, compensated for T-P effects. In case when water factor in T-P effects is negligible, the fast air water content or latent heat flux measurement device (item iii in last paragraph) can be excluded.

Method and apparatus for determining gas flux

Gas analyzer systems and methods for measuring concentrations of gasses and in particular dry mole fraction of components of a gas. The systems and method allow for rapid measurement of the gas density and/or dry mole fraction of gases for a number of environmental monitoring applications, including high speed flux measurements. A novel coupling design allows for tool-free removal of a cell enclosing a flow path to enable in field cleaning of optical components.

Gas analyzer

Gas analyzer systems and methods for determining gas flux in a short intake tube configuration without using any Webb-Pearman-Leuning density correction. Gas analyzer systems and methods for measuring concentrations of gasses and in particular dry mole fraction of components of a gas. The systems and method allow for rapid measurement of the gas density and/or dry mole fraction of gases for a number of environmental monitoring applications, including high speed flux measurements. A novel coupling design allows for tool-free removal of a cell enclosing a flow path to enable in field cleaning of optical components.

Disclosed embodiments of the present invention provide means to obtain correct gas density and flux measurements using (i) gas analyzer (open-path, or closed-path gas analyzers with short intake tube, for example 1 m long, or any combination of the two); (ii) fast temperature or sensible heat flux measurement device (such as, fine-wire thermocouple, sonic anemometer, or any other device providing fast accurate gas temperature measurements); (iii) fast air water content or latent heat flux measurement device (such as, hygrometer, NDIR analyzer, any other device providing fast accurate gas water content measurements); (iv) vertical wind or sampling device (such as sonic anemometer, scintillometer, or fast solenoid valve, etc.) and (v) algorithms in accordance with the present invention to compute the corrected gas flux, compensated for T-P effects. In case when water factor in T-P effects is negligible, the fast air water content or latent heat flux measurement device (item iii in last paragraph) can be excluded.

A method and apparatus are provided for maintaining pressure inside a closed chamber equal to the changing outside pressure, detecting leaks in the plumbing (i.e., air handling system) of a trace gas flux measurement system, and estimating the kinetic volume, e.g., of such a system.

Vent and soil flux measurement system

To measure water vapor and carbon dioxide, a gas analyzer includes a light source, a reference flow cell, a sample flow cell, a detector and a source of gas. The light source, flow cells and detector are arranged so that the detector detects light transmitted from said light source through the flow cells. The flow cells have folded paths for the light. A reference signal is subtracted from a sample signal to obtain an independant variable. Carbon dioxide and air mixed with carbon dioxide are supplied as required. The carbon dioxide is supplied from a container through capillary tubes. Heat is applied to the tubes to control the flow rate. A signal representing gross concentration of the carbon dioxide as a dependant variable is obtained from said independent variable from an empirically determined polynomial.

Apparatus and method for simultaneous measurement of carbon dioxide and

Apparatus and method for analyzing gas

To measure water vapor and carbon dioxide, a gas analyzer includes a light source, a reference flow cell, a sample flow cell, and a detector. The light source, flow cells and detector are arranged so that the detector detects light transmitted from said light source through said reference flow cell and through said sample flow cell and generates a reference signal representing the light transmitted through a reference gas in said reference flow cell and a sample signal representing the light transmitted through a sample gas in said sample flow cell. The reference signal is subtracted from the sample signal to obtain an independant variable. A signal representing gross concentration of the carbon dioxide as a dependant variable is obtained from said independent variable from a stored empirically determined third power polynomial. The polynomial includes terms having at least first, second and third powers of said independant variable. Each of these terms includes a coefficient determined empirically so that values of the dependant variable, gross concentration, can be determined for different independant variables.

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Lincoln, NE, United States of America

Dayle K McDermitt