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Department of Electrical &
Telecommunication Engineering
EET-3120
Sensors and Instruments
Field Trip to Grove School of Engineering’s Optical Sensors Lab
Name of the Student:
E-Mail:
Date:
Instructor:
Faiz Rasool
[email protected]
05/07/2015
Vivian Vladutesc
On April 30th, 2015 our sensors and Instruments class made a trip to Grove School of
Engineering at City College of New York to learn about some sensors and instruments they are
using to take measurements for weather, air pollution(Aerosol in air), light absorbed by air
particles, light radiations. We had tour to the roof where those instruments were installed and
then we went to the lab where they we getting information from those sensors and instruments.
Fig-1. Grove School Of Engineering
Fig-2. Sensors and Instruments Class at roof of Grove School of Engineering
CIMEL Sun Photometer:Sun Photometer Instrument, CIMEL Sun Photometer CE318, is #237 in the NASA AERONET
(Aerosol Robotic Network.) This microprocessor controlled, stepper motor positioned robot has
a two component optical head containing the sun collimator without lens and the sky collimator
with lenses and filter wheel. Sun tracking is controlled with a 4-quadrant detector. Data is
temporarily stored in memory and once every hour uploaded to NASA via a GOES-E
(geosynchronous) satellite uplink.
The instrument directly measures the incoming solar energy at selected wavelengths of 340, 380,
440, 670, 870, 1020 nm, and 936 nm. Light is absorbed and scattered by atmospheric gasses,
water vapor and aerosols. The concentration of different atmospheric components can be
determined by the attenuation at wavelengths which are strongly absorbed or scattered.
Fig - 3. CIMEL N-237
Fig - 4. CIMEL Taking the Measurement
Microwave Radiometer:The instrument measures the microwave radiation emitted from the oxygen molecules and water
vapor in the air and, with the use of statistical methods, determines the temperature and humidity
profiles of the atmosphere from the ground up to 10 km aloft. It measures humidity electrical
sensor that measure the change in resistance due to presence water in air. If there is water on that
sensor it removed by powerful fan but if rain and water is falling continuously then it stop taking
readings.
Fig - 5. Microwave Radiometer
Fig - 6. Data of 05/06/2015 MWR water vapor (g/m3)
The Multi-Filter Rotating Shadowband Radiometer (MFR-7):The Multifilter Rotating Shadowband Radiometer (MFR-7) measures total, diffuse, and direct
irradiance with a broad-band silicon pyranometer and at six wavelengths using sensors with
narrow band filters at 415, 500, 615, 673, 870, and 940 nanometers. The full width half
maximum width is ten nanometers. The head, where the sensors are located, is thermally
stabilized to significantly reduce uncertainties associated with temperature variation. The MFR-7
makes measurements simultaneously across all seven channels. The shadowband enables the
instrument to measure the global and diffuse components of solar irradiance and then calculate
the beam component. It is used for prediction of UV-B hazards to public, Global climate change,
Ozone studies, UV-B and aerosol research and biological effect studies.
Fig - 7. Shadow band Radiometer
Fig - 8. Shadow band Radiometer parts
Backscatter Lidar:Backscatter Lidar works like a radar. It sends the beam of green Laser in the atmosphere that
contains three different wavelengths and it goes upto 15Km in atmosphere and then the
attenuation in the signals is measured on the sensors that give the presence of different aerosoles
and gases in the atmosphere.
Fig - 9. Leaser wavelengthsplitter
Figure - 10. Sensors and transducers for backscatter Lidar
Ceilometers:This instrument also use beam of light or laser to determine the base of clouds. It can be also
used to determine the aerosol concentration within the atmosphere. It consist of laser and
receiver in the same location. A laser is sent through atmosphere where tiny fraction of the light
is scatter by aerosol. The size of particles is similar to the wave length of the laser. A small
component of this scatter light is received by the receiver. The receiving time is transformed into
a spatial range by using the speed of light.
Figure-11. Ceilomerter
References : http://sky.ccny.cuny.edu/#
 http://www.hko.gov.hk/aviat/outreach/observation/18th/MicrowaveRadiometer.htm
 http://www.yesinc.com/products/data/mfr7/