Spectroscopy combining base stations and unmanned aerial vehicles
A spectroscopy system including a base station having a reflecting telescope and a laser light source coupled to the telescope, the laser providing an outgoing light signal; at least one Unmanned Aerial Vehicle containing a mobile retroreflector configured to receive the light signal from the laser and return a light signal back to the telescope; a detector to record the intensity of the returning light signal; and optical components for spectroscopic measurements, the optical components utilizing the intensity of the returning light signal, revealing the presence of a chosen narrow band for the purpose of detecting a target.
1 . A spectroscopy system comprising:
a base station comprising:
a reflecting telescope and a laser light source coupled to the telescope, the laser providing an outgoing light signal;
a detector to record intensity of a returning light signal; and
optical components for spectroscopic measurements, the optical components utilizing the intensity of the returning light signal, revealing the presence of a chosen narrow band for the purpose of detecting a target;
at least one Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) containing at least one optical detector configured to receive the light signal from the laser and return the light signal back to the telescope via at least one radio transponder to increase range of the UAV; and
at least one sensor configured to form a raster-scan pattern of sensor measurements to build at least one low-resolution image of a gas plume to determine a total volume of gas release by the gas plume and to compute an amount of material released with the gas plume as well as to predict downwind exposure from the amount of material released by the gas plume.
2 . The spectroscopy system of claim 1 , wherein the laser light source is a quantum cascade laser (QCL).
3 . The system of claim 2 , wherein the detector is configured to sweep the returning light signal in wavelength to reveal the presence of the chosen narrow band to detect a target compound in a atmosphere.
4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the base station further comprises at least one actuator to allow the telescope to track a path of the mobile retroreflector.
5 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the base station is fixed.
6 . They system of claim 1 , wherein the base station is mobile.
7 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the base station is at least one of ground-based, water-based, or air-based.
8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the detected target is one or more gases.
9 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the detector and the optical components are located in the base station.
10 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising at least one of a beacon and a fiduciary mark located on or near the at least one mobile retroreflector, wherein the telescope is configured to track the at least one mobile retroreflector by following the beacon or fiduciary mark.
11 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the telescope is configure to track the at least one mobile retroreflector by using a Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) Real Time Kinematic (RTK)-derived position/heading broadcast received from the at least one mobile retroreflector.
12 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising a control station coupled to the telescope, the control station configured to direct the at least one mobile retroreflector and the telescope in order to coordinate tracking of the at least one mobile retroreflector by the telescope.
13 . They system of claim 1 , wherein the UAV has a preprogrammed circular flight path.
14 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising fixed retroreflector stations near known potential sources.
15 . The system of claim 1 , where the UAV further includes one or more mirrors, refractive optics, reflective optics, dispersive optics, and prism device.
16 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the base station and components therein are configured for at least one of terrestrial vapor monitoring, stack gas measurement, area survey, leak detection, and planetary science.