The Met One Instruments, Inc. C-12 Portable Carbon Monitor is a revolutionary device that measures and reports the concentration of black carbon “BC” continuously with a 1-minute time resolution. It uses the principle of optical attenuation of 880 nm near-infrared light through filter media upon which particulate matter containing BC deposits in real-time, and has the capability of making more than 1,000 filter advances. This means that the sensor can operate unattended for more than two months.
The C-12 is an industrial-grade device that provides the user with an array of diagnostic information in real-time that allows them to monitor its performance continuously. It is also inexpensive compared to other commercially available carbon monitors, with an expected operating life of more than ten years.
The device is self-contained and eliminates the need for an expensive, space- and power-consuming environmental shelter. Instead, it can be set up in a matter of minutes virtually anywhere. It comes standard with an AC power adapter but can also be operated off modestly-sized solar panels in most regions due to its modest sampling rate of 1 LPM.
The standard configuration of the C-12 enables the user to measure and report the BC concentration with sensitivity better than 70 ng/m3 at 1-minute time intervals. Equipped with an integrated CCS+ COMET Cloud modem, the data is available in real-time on a customized webpage dashboard.
The C-12 Portable Carbon Monitor samples total suspended particulate matter “TSP” and, if desired, the user may opt to mount the C-12 onto an optional tripod for rapid, flexible deployment. Pole-mount is also optional.
The groundbreaking new C-12 has a low initial acquisition cost and low ongoing operational costs. With a standard sampling rate of 1 LPM, the unit may be flow-checked and flow-calibrated using most commercially available flow calibrators, and an optional flow calibration system may also be purchased to support operation. The C-12 employs the same span calibration value (MACS) used by other commercially available tape-based carbon measurement devices (Aethalometer) and the Met One Instruments, Inc. Model BC-1054 and Model BC-1060.