Apparatuses, systems, and methods for gas flux measurements with mobile platforms
Apparatuses, systems, and methods for open path laser spectroscopy with mobile platforms. An example system may include a first mobile platform and a second mobile platform, each of which supports a payload. A light beam directed from one payload to another may define a measurement path, which may be at a particular height above the ground. The payloads may determine a gas concentration along the measurement path. Wind information at the measurement height may be used to determine a gas flux. One or both of the mobile platforms may then move to a new location, and take a measurement along a new measurement path. By combining the measurement paths, gas flux through a flux surface may be determined.
1 . An apparatus comprising:
a first drone configured to follow a first motion path;
a second drone configured to follow a second motion path;
an optical system including a source and receiver configured to measure a gas concentration measurement along a measurement path between the first drone and the second drone; and
a processor configured to collect a plurality of the gas concentration measurements along a plurality of measurement paths, wherein at least two of the plurality of measurement paths are not parallel to each other, and wherein the processor is configured to reconstruct a gas concentration as a function of horizontal and vertical positions across a surface based, at least in part, on the at least two of the plurality of measurement paths that are not parallel to each other and their associated gas concentration measurements,
wherein the processor is further configured to determine the angles of the plurality of measurement paths between the drones, and wherein the reconstruction of the gas concentration as a function of horizontal and vertical positions across a surface is based, at least in part, on the angles of the plurality of measurement paths between the drones and their associated gas concentration measurements.
2 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to:
determine wind data corresponding to at least one of the plurality of the gas concentration measurements;
determine a gas flux through the surface based on the plurality of gas concentration measurements and the wind data.
3 . The apparatus of claim 2 , further comprising at least one wind measurement device positioned on at least one of the first drone or the second drone,
wherein the wind measurement device is configured to collect at least one wind measurement, and
wherein the processor is configured to determine the wind data based, in part, on the at least one wind measurement.
4 . The apparatus of claim 3 , wherein the wind measurement device is configured to collect a first wind measurement at a first height and a second wind measurement at a second height.
5 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the source and receiver are positioned on the first drone, and wherein a reflector is positioned on the second drone.
6 . The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising:
a first sensor configured to determine a position of the first drone; and
a second sensor configured to determine a position of the second,
wherein the processor is further configured to reconstruct the gas concentration as a function of horizontal and vertical positions across a surface based, at least in part, on the positions of the first drone and the second drone.
7 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the surface is a substantially vertical surface.
8 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the source is positioned on the first drone and wherein the receiver is positioned on the second drone.
9 . The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the processor is further configured to tomographically reconstruct the gas concentration.
10 . A method comprising:
moving at least one of a plurality of drones along at least one motion path;
collecting a plurality of gas concentration measurements along a plurality of measurement paths, wherein the plurality of measurement paths are based, at least in part, on the position of at least two of the plurality of drones along the at least one motion path, and wherein at least two of the plurality of measurement paths are not parallel to each other;
reconstructing gas concentration as a function of vertical and horizontal positions across a surface based, at least in part, on the at least two of the plurality of measurement paths that are not parallel to each other and their associated gas concentration measurements; and
determining angles of the plurality of measurement paths between the drones,
wherein the reconstructing of the gas concentration as a function of vertical and horizontal positions across the surface is based, at least in part, on the angles of the plurality of measurement paths between the drones and their associated gas concentration measurements.
11 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
determining wind data corresponding to at least one of the plurality of the gas concentration measurements; and
determining a gas flux through the surface based on the plurality of gas concentration measurements and the wind data.
12 . The method of claim 11 , wherein the wind data is based on a plurality of wind measurements, the method further comprising collecting the plurality of wind measurements substantially at the same time as collecting the plurality of gas concentration measurements.
13 . The method of claim 11 , further comprising collecting the plurality of wind measurements at a plurality of heights.
14 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the surface is downwind of an emission source.
15 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
determining positions of the plurality of drones,
wherein the reconstructing of the gas concentration as a function of horizontal and vertical positions across a surface is based, at least in part, on the positions of the plurality of drones.
16 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the reconstructing of the gas concentration as a function of horizontal and vertical positions across the surface includes tomographically reconstructing the gas concentration as a function of horizontal and vertical positions across the surface.
17 . The method of claim 10 , wherein the surface is substantially vertical.
18 . The method of claim 10 , further comprising:
directing a beam from a source on a first of the at least two of the drones to a reflector on a second of the at least two of the drones;
receiving the beam from the reflector at a receive on the first of the at least two of the drones, and determining one of the plurality of gas concentration measurements based, at least in part, on the received beam.