Air quality measurements with drones

Air quality measurement from the air!

The use of drones for air quality measurements promises a very high degree of flexibility in terms of the location and choice of measuring devices as well as rapid deployment. The miniaturisation of measurement technology enables mobile air quality monitoring with comparable performance, but small and light enough to be suitable for installation in carrier systems or to be portable.

Proven technology

Air quality measurements are diverse and so is the product range. For your application, we rely on reliable systems for air quality measurement, particulate matter measurement and gas detection.

The Muve C360 multi-gas detector from FLIR was developed for use in the event of chemical accidents. Measurement results are taken directly from the air and displayed on your screen with real-time monitoring. You can rely on an 8-channel sensor with a photoionisation detector and a lower explosive limit detector, as well as 6 other sensors. Optimised thanks to an integrated snorkel, the samples are taken outside the downwash effect and from unaltered air

With the Fidas Fly 200 particulate matter module on the HORUS air clip development, pollutant concentrations can be recorded along a predetermined route or at specific points within a room. Stationary measurements can also be carried out for hours at one point using a wired flight.

The particulate matter module uses the recognised measurement technique of optical light scattering on individual particles. Calibration is extremely simple and is carried out on site and also between individual measurements. With a particle size range of 0.18 - 18 µm and a volume flow of 1.4 l/min, mass fractions PM1, PM2.5, PM4, PM10, PMtotal or the alveolar, thoracic and inhalable mass fractions according to DIN EN 481 can be determined. In addition, it is possible to determine the particle number concentration as well as the particle size distribution in up to 64 size classes in the particle size range of 0.18 - 18 µm or 0.5 - 40 µm.

The measuring system has already been successfully tested in the following areas:

Basis for planning pollutant-reducing measures
Pollutant occurrence and distribution at affected locations (open-cast mining, industrial areas, road traffic)
Vertical profiles up to a height of several hundred metres
Supplement to the stationary measuring container
Validation of model calculations and dispersion models
Spot measurements at emission sources (chimney, leaks, ... )
Ship tracking measurements on a waterway or overseas

Quality measurements

A successful campaign also includes on-site meteorological data. The parallel use of a weather station or detailed data from neighbouring stations is therefore essential. Due to the complexity of the usual measurement methods, which can also only record spot measurement data, the innovative and tried-and-tested system represents an alternative. We are currently testing the possibilities and limits of this technology for other applications and would be happy to advise you on this topic and carry out measurements together with you.