Abstract

PAPANDREA, S et al. Design and development of a sunphotometer based on LED technology. An. AFA [online]. 2015, vol.26, n.2, pp.65-69. ISSN 0327-358X.

The remote sensing systems based on atmospheric measurements of solar radiation (direct or scattered) are very useful when studying natural (such as volcanic emissions) or anthropogenic (biomass burning, industrial emissions, etc.) phenomena. The concentration of certain gases and the presence of particles (aerosols) in air can be determined by using appropriate sensors. Also, solar radiation can be sensed in the ultraviolet-visible or near-infrared range. There are different techniques and monitoring instruments, from complex equipment such as LIDAR systems (based on the emission of a laser beam into the atmosphere) to instruments of lower cost and complexity, which use spectral filters and specific sensors. In this paper, the design and development of a portable, self-contained, low cost sun photometer, able to determine the measurement of AOT (Aerosol Optical Thickness) in different channels is presented. The instrument is composed of a spatial positioning system (suntracker), a LED-based detector and associated electronic circuits. Different types of LEDs were characterized in order to select the most suitable one for use as radiation sensors quantum. Electronic circuits were designed to set up and acquire signals with a microcontroller. Also, a visual interface (Visual C#) to control the entire system was developed.

Keywords : Sun photometer; AOT; Aerosols; LED.

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