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WEST Systems portable soil flux meter
for Carbon dioxide, Methane and Hydrogen sulfide fluxes
The WEST Systems Fluxmeter is a portable instrument for the measurement of soil
gas diffuse degassing phenomena that use the accumulation chamber method.  This method studied for soil respiration in agronomy (Parkinson) and for soil degassing in volcanic
areas (R. Cioni et al.), has been designed by WEST Systems to obtain a portable instrument that
allows the performance of measurements with very good accuracy in a short time. The instrument
allows a wide range evaluation of the amount of soil gas flux, and can be utilized for the evaluation of
biogas degassing (landfills), survey of non visible degassing phenomena in volcanic and geothermal
areas as well as soil respiration rate in agronomy. In the picture below, the results of the degassing
survey of the tree kill area at Horse Shoe Lake (Mammoth Mountain USA). Portable soil flux meter Common physical characteristics:
WEIGHT:
DoubleFlux: Total Weight = 8.3 Kg/16 lbs. to be carried on the back using the backpack-like
support vest. The field operator will also have to carry one of the accumulation chambers and the
palmtop: Warm Up
Only at instrument cold start-up a warm-up time of 20 minutes is required. The typical measurement time
ranges from 2 to 4 minutes and the autonomy of the instrument is about 4 hours with a single NiMH 14.4
Volts, 2.6 A/h battery. The instrument comes with two interchangeable batteries.
Accumulation Chamber specifications:
! Accumulation chamber A diameter : 200 mm / Height: 100 mm / weight: 1.5 Kg/3.3 lbs
! Accumulation chamber B diameter : 200 mm / Height: 200mm / weight : 2.2 Kg /4.84 lbs
Palm top computer: PocketPC Color Display based on PocketPC 2002 operating system.
! Size 125mm (4.8”) x 82mm (3.2”) * 25 mm (1”).
Software The instrument is supplied with a custom software, PalmFlux, which allows recording and
visualization of the increase in concentration of the target gas in the accumulation chamber, and then the
flux calculations. The measurements obtained can be saved on the palmtop computer and then
transferred to a desktop PC with a USB connection or using a Compact Flash & SD card.
The instrument is supplied complete with:
backpack-like support vest
Carrying case for transport and storage
2 batteries NiMH 14.4 Volts 2.6 A/h and 1 NiMH battery charger Accumulation chamber A and B
Palmtop Pocket PC
User Manual, in English
PalmFLUX Software for PocketPC, in English
The standard flux meter configuration is supplied with a single gas detector, normally the carbon dioxide
detector. The double flux release can host two sensors. Special releases, based on specific customer
request, can be supplied with a maximum of 3 sensors except if methane sensor is present.
Finally we improved the connection between the instrument and the palmtop that now is based on
BlueTooth wireless embedded device.  Carbon dioxide fluxmeter
The Fluxmeter is equipped with the LICOR LI-8 0 the most
accurate and reliable portable carbon dioxide detector.The LI-820 is
a double beam infrared sensor compensated for temperature
variation in the range from -10 to 45°C and for atmospheric pressure
variation in the range 660-1060 HPa. Accuracy 2% repeatability
±5ppm. The full scale range can be set to 1000 , 2000, 5000 or 20000
ppmV of carbon dioxide. The characteristics of precision refer to the
sensor set to a full scale range of 20000 ppmV. If a very high
sensitivity is required the detecto can be set to 1000 or 2000 ppm full
scale value.
The accumulation chambers In the normal use of instrument only the chamber B is used. To extend
the instrument sensitivity to very low fluxes the accumulation
chamber A is supplied.
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