SBIR-STTR Award

Automated Monitoring of VOCs with a Compact Gas Chromatography-Proton Transfer Reaction Mass Spectrometer (GC -Vocus)
Award last edited on: 9/26/2022

Sponsored Program
SBIR
Awarding Agency
DOC : NOAA
Total Award Amount
$649,998
Award Phase
2
Solicitation Topic Code
9.5.02
Principal Investigator
Jordan Krechmer

Company Information

Aerodyne Research Inc (AKA: ARI~Aerodyne Products Corporation)

45 Manning Road
Billerica, MA 01821
   (978) 663-9500
   info@aerodyne.com
   www.aerodyne.com
Location: Multiple
Congr. District: 06
County: Middlesex

Phase I

Contract Number: NA20OAR0210319
Start Date: 7/1/2020    Completed: 12/31/2020
Phase I year
2020
Phase I Amount
$150,000
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are emitted from a wide variety of biogenic and anthropogenic sources. VOCs transform in the atmosphere, forming ozone and oxygenated VOCs (OVOCs), which in turn can form fine particulates or condense onto preexisting particulate matter (PM). Both ozone and fine PM are deleterious to human health and alter the EarthÂ’s climate. Measurements of (O)VOCs are necessary to model the sources and sinks of harmful atmospheric chemicals. Progress in this area is limited, however, by the lack of field-deployable instrumentation capable of proving detailed molecular information. The goal of the proposed work is to develop a hybrid gas chromatograph and miniature proton transfer reaction Vocus mass spectrometer (GC-mVocus) instrument capable of real-time molecular-level chemical characterization of VOCs and OVOCs. Specific tasks in Phase I include characterizing the mVocus, developing the GC method, and developing automated data analysis and display software for the combined instrument. The result of Phase I will be the design and operating procedure of a prototype GC-mVocus that will be built and demonstrated in Phase II in a field campaign. The result of Phase II will be a GC-mVocus instrument that is capable of real-time, robust, and sensitive measurements of VOCs and OVOCs.

Phase II

Contract Number: NA21OAR0210294
Start Date: 7/1/2021    Completed: 6/30/2023
Phase II year
2021
Phase II Amount
$499,998
Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) are emitted from a wide variety of biogenic and anthropogenic sources. VOCs transform in the atmosphere, forming ozone and oxygenated VOCs (OVOCs), which in turn can form fine particulates or condense onto preexisting particulate matter (PM). Both ozone and fine PM are deleterious to human health and alter the EarthÂ’s climate. Measurements of VOCs and OVOCs are necessary to model the sources and sinks of harmful atmospheric chemicals. Progress in this area is limited, however, by the lack of field-deployable instrumentation capable of providing detailed molecular information. The goal of the proposed work is to develop a hybrid gas chromatograph and a lower resolution proton transfer reaction Vocus mass spectrometer (GC-Vocus) instrument capable of real-time molecular-level chemical characterization of VOCs and OVOCs. Phase I resulted in a prototype instrument and software capable of measuring VOCs and OVOCs. The result of Phase II will be a GCVocus instrument that is capable of fully autonomous, real-time, robust, and sensitive measurements of VOCs and OVOCs.