The fourth generation Falcon 4G is designed for active stand-off detection and measurement of Chemical Warfare Agents (CWA) and Toxic Industrial Chemicals (TIC) in vapor concentrations without getting into direct contact with them. Our Patent Protected Technology uses pulsed CO2 laser based on DIAL (Differential Absorption LIDAR) principle.
There are two approaches to chemical stand-off detection.
Both passive and active approaches are based on the same basic scientific principal which is absorption of light passing through the chemical cloud. Various wavelengths of light are absorbed in the cloud which creates a specific and identifiable signature. The first challenge is that the atmosphere itself absorbs various wavelengths of the light. Thus, it is not possible to use any of the existing wavelengths found in the natural background. For long range detection (in 1000s of meters) all detection methods use what is called the “atmospheric window”, a window of opportunity where wavelengths in the far infrared spectrum (some call it mid infrared), between 8.5 um and 11 um are able to pass through the atmosphere almost unaffected. Another very crucial factor influencing success of detection as well as success of identification of chemical vapours is the humidity.
One alternative technology known as passive stand-off detection, utilize energy that naturally exists in the environment and only passively “listens”. With this approach, the detection result is entirely dependent on the energy emitted from the background. For a passive detection system, humidity is a real problem, the longer the detection distance, the bigger the problem. Once humidity reaches over 80%, detection using a passive detector is only possible in theory.
The other alternative technology known as active stand-off detection has their own source of energy, a tuneable laser. Our Patented Technology uses a pulsed CO2 laser based on Differential Absorption LIDAR (DIAL) principles. Falcon 4G does not assess the whole absorption spectra, but it evaluates the absorption at two for chosen gas specific wavelength: λON – strongly absorbed by the gas and λOFF-nearly not absorbed by the gas.
The DIAL system has the following advantages
- No physical contact with the agent;
- Detection of average concentration of the chemical on the detection path (not only locally);
- Large detection range (CWA- up to 6km)
Significant factor in its success is that our Patent Protected Technology can detect in environments that were previously thought impossible, including high humidity, rain, or any temperature range.