Tracking Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Experimental aircraft equipped with air pollution instrumentation

The Patagonia-Alaska project: two pilots – Juan Martín Escobar and Guillermo Casamayú – with their self-constructed airplane Correcaminos and a black carbon measuring device. The aim: an adventurous flight from one end of the continent to the other during which they continuously measured the concentration of soot particles at an altitude of 2,500 m.

Their route covered 40,000 kilometers in 150 flight hours across 22 countries – from the southernmost city of the world, Ushuaia in Patagonia, to Alaska. Flying the entire length of South, Middle and North America, the pilots had a diaphragm gas pump from KNF on board, incorporated into the Magee Scientific Aethalometer model AE43.

Aethalometer to measure black carbon

Aethalometers are the most widely used tools for monitoring black carbon aerosols in the air. The analysis of carbon fluxes and aerosols facilitates conclusions on climate-relevant chemical and physical processes.

The Magee Scientific Aethalometer model AE43 was developed by the Slovenian KNF customer Aerosol Co., who has partnered with the Patagonia-Alaska project providing this important measuring device along with valuable expertise.

Air sampling at an altitude of 2,500 meters with low-maintenance diaphragm pump

The right wing of the two seater plane was fitted with an additional pitot tube to enable the measurement of black carbon. While pitot tubes normally measure the total pressure of an airplane to determine its speed, this second pitot tube collected air samples at an altitude of 2,500 m.

These samples were then transferred to the Magee Scientific Aethalometer model AE43, which was located in a device behind the seats of the small airplane.

Inside the measuring device, an N 86 diaphragm gas pump from KNF continuously transferred a predefined volume of air to the device’s analysis unit. This low-maintenance pump has ensured that samples could be taken and analyzed throughout the flight north.

Ahead of their great trip, the two pilots and their project partners had tested the airplane, the measuring device and the sampling process on a number of test flights across Patagonia.

Apart from Aerosol Co., the Argentinian meteorological service SMN (Servicio Meteorológico Nacional) and the National University of Patagonia were involved as project partners.

Successful end of the first Argentinian flight expedition

On July 10, Correcaminos landed in Fort Lauderdale, USA. Following some minor technical difficulties, which the Internet community helped resolve, the pilots continued further north from here.

Finally, three days later the team fulfilled their objective and arrived in Alaska. Part of the route of their return flight followed that of the Pan-American Highway.

The analysis of the results of the measurements along this route should provide interesting insights into the highway’s effect on climate change.

Meanwhile, the pilots are offsetting their own carbon footprint by planting 1,000 trees in their home region.

KNF had wished the two pilots the best of luck with their ambitious Patagonia-Alaska project. We are very proud to see our pumps supported the project and made an important contribution to researching carbon aerosols and their role in climate change.