Simultaneous Measurement of Vaporous and Aerosolized Threats by Active Open Path FTIR

Abstract

The Environmental Protection Agency's open-path Fourier transform infrared (OP-FTIR) activities include passive and active measurements in several stack and fugitive emission monitoring applications. Extensive research has been devoted during the past two years to evaluate and validate various OP-FTIR technologies for the identification and detection of toxic industrial compounds and chemical warfare agents, primarily in the gas phase. This paper emphasizes the superiority of the active OP-FTIR system over the passive system in detection levels and data quality, and disputes misconceptions that are generally well accepted for FTIR technologies. Additionally, a new approach for detection and identification of aerosolized threats using an active modulated OP-FTIR is described. Revisiting the use of active OP-FTIR techniques is recommended as recently many non-battlefield detection applications have emerged.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Nov 15, 2004
Accession Number
ADA449529

Entities

People

  • Mark Modrak
  • Patrick D. Sullivan
  • Ram A. Hashmonay
  • Ravi M. Varma
  • Robert H. Kagann

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Sensors

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force Research Laboratories
  • Alcohols
  • Chemical Warfare
  • Chemical Warfare Agents
  • Detection
  • Detectors
  • Environmental Protection
  • Homeland Security
  • Identification
  • Information Operations
  • Materials
  • Measurement
  • Military Operations
  • Security
  • United States
  • Vapor Phases
  • Vapor Pressure

Readers

  • Aerosol Science/Aerosol Physics
  • Economics
  • Optical Fiber Sensing and Electromagnetic Propagation.