Development and Characterization of a Filter based Bioaerosol Sampler Capable of Integration into Small Unmanned Aerial Systems
Abstract
In developing functional SUAS, performance characteristics that indicate system capability should be developed prior to initiating initial system design. Key performance parameters should be developed involving all system elements (including vehicle body, operator, ground station, sensor, and algorithm or processing module). A bioaerosol sampler designed specifically for use in SUAS was characterized based on designated performance measures to determine overall effectiveness compared to traditional bioaerosol samplers. For a system with a goal of accurately identifying and quantifying areas of airborne biological contamination or surveying background levels for longitudinal studies, performance parameters such as weight of the vehicle with payload and sampler specific parameters were quantitatively evaluated. These sampler-specific parameters include operational noise levels, power demand compared to performance, and particle size sampling fraction. These were evaluated in a series of lab-based tests to determine if the developed model of bioaerosol sampler could be deployed for use in military environments. Overall, it was found that the developed EOS inlet over sampled for the background concentrations, though this may be due to ground effects on the system as the bottom placement for the sampler performed worse than expected based on previous research in comparison to the sampler closer to the rotors.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Mar 26, 2020
- Accession Number
- AD1101602
Entities
People
- Stephanie Ohms
Organizations
- Air Force Institute of Technology