Laser Opacity Retroreflector System (LORS)

"During Army training or other activities, particulate matter plumes are generated that cause air quality degradation. To comply with regulatory requirements, the Army is required to measure the opacity of these plumes. The EPA method for assessingopacity requires an observer to judge opacity against the sky's background. These human observations are subjective and therefore disputable. To meet the Army's need for an objective opacity measurement of particulate matter plumes, POC proposes todevelop a novel Laser Opacity Retroreflector System (LORS) that uses a low-cost, eye-safe solid-state laser diode. LORS will operate with a scanned laser and sensitive photodetector/amplifier coupled with retroreflectors placed radially in roughly asemicircle approximately two kilometers away to ensure a strong, dependable return signal. LORS will be portable, and may be hand-held, attached to a vehicle, placed in a tower, or carried aloft by an aircraft or balloon. The inexpensive retroreflectorscan be permanently installed or quickly placed for one-time events. They will have hemispherical fields of view, returning all signals to the receiver regardless of angle of incidence. In Phase I, POC will demonstrate a proof-of-concept prototype; inPhase II, POC will develop a production-scale prototype LORS for field-testing. The Army, Navy, or Air Force can use the LORS system during training activities, including bombing exercises and explosiv