Successful Test of an Airborne Gas Chromatograph

Abstract

A portable gas chromatograph designed for real-time studies in diffusion has been successfully tested in an airborne application. A 10-mi low-level plume of colorless, odorless non-toxic sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) was laid down over northwest Andros Island, Commonwealth of Bahama Islands, by the Research Flight Facility's (NOAA) C-130. An accompanying DC-6 carrying the analyzer made 81 in-flight samples over a period of less than 3 hr. The chromatograph has a sensitivity limit of 0.03 parts per billion and completes the analysis for SF6 less than 2 min after the sample is injected into the column. Of the more than 80 in-flight chromatograms, 11 indicated positive identification of the inert tracer gas. Confirmation of the on-site analyses was provided by bottle samples taken in flight and analysed later in the laboratory.