A high-performance, portable, field-deployable gas analyzer.

Large-scale fire experiments sometimes require measurement of gas concentrations at many locations to provide insight about fire dynamics and the influence of combustion and oxygen availability on the evolution of structure fires. These experiments often take place in the field which may limit accessibility and introduce additional logistical complications related to collecting data on the gas composition at sampling locations throughout the structure. The sensor module that is the subject of this work was designed to simplify high fidelity field measurement of gas concentrations. The major process improvements in the presented design include portability, reduction of necessary infrastructure, and removal of reliance on proprietary hardware and software. This gas sensor module incorporates a paramagnetic oxygen sensor, a non-dispersive infrared carbon dioxide sensor, and a non-dispersive infrared carbon monoxide detector into a single, small form-factor carrying case and relies on a single cable connection for both power and communications. All design files and processing scripts are presented and the sensor module is characterized in this manuscript.