STTR Phase I: Miniaturization of the Continuous-Flow Streamwise Thermal-Gradient Cloud Condensation Nuclei (CCN) Counter

这项小型企业技术转让（STTR）第一阶段的研究提案解决了理解气候变化的最大不确定性之一。云凝结核（CCN）气溶胶的测量是提供大气气溶胶特性和云微物理之间联系的基础。连续流方向热梯度技术显著提高了CCN测量的质量。该仪器的主要特点包括：过饱和是流量和温度的函数；连续流允许快速采样；简单的圆柱形结构减小了尺寸，减少了浮力的影响。在这种新的设计中，已经确定了操作限制，并且减小了仪器的总体尺寸。这项研究计划的目标是提供一个微型CCN计数器，基于一个可操作的原型，将重量、尺寸和功耗降低十倍。该公司已将流向热梯度CCN仪器商业化，这是公认的标准，并已成功部署在数十个国际实验中。未来关于气溶胶/云/气候相互作用的研究需要作出重大努力，提供足够的仪器来弥合气溶胶和云性质之间的差距，以确定大气模式的限制。微型商用CCN仪器对于下一代研究飞机的部署至关重要。这种仪器的发展将是为气候研究人员提供额外数据的重要一步。

This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I research proposal addresses one of the largest uncertainties in understanding climate change. Measurements of cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) aerosols are fundamental for providing the link between atmospheric aerosol properties and cloud microphysics. The continuous-flow streamwise thermal gradient technique has significantly improved the quality of CCN measurements. The main features of this instrument include: supersaturation that is a function of flow rate and temperature; continuous flow allows fast sampling; and simple cylindrical geometry reducing size and minimizing buoyancy effects. In this new design the operational limits have been identified and the overall size of the instrument reduced. The objective of this research proposal is to provide a miniature CCN counter, based on an operational prototype that will reduce weight, size and power consumption by a factor of ten.This company has commercialized the streamwise thermal-gradient CCN instrument that is the accepted standard and has been successfully deployed in dozens of international experiments. Future studies on aerosol/cloud/climate interactions require a major effort to provide adequate instrumentation to bridge the gap between aerosols and cloud properties to define limits for atmospheric models. A miniature commercial CCN instrument is essential for deployment in the next generation of research aircraft. This instrumentation development will be an important step forward in providing additional data for climate researchers.