Design, Implementation and Integration of a Mobile Sensor Platform for On-Site Ship Emission Measurements

Abstract

Maritime transport is a major contributor to air pollution in port areas, emitting nitrogen oxides (NOx), carbondioxide (CO2), particulate matter (PM), and ozone precursors. While high-precision reference stations provide accurate data, they are limited in spatial coverage and mobility. This paper presents the design, implementation, and field evaluation of a low-cost, portable immission monitoring system tailored for harbor environments. The system integrates electrochemical, NDIR, and laser scattering sensors within a modular hardware architecture as a weather-resistant external sensor unit. A lightweight software framework enables modular sensor integration, standardized data handling, and wireless transmission to a central server. Field tests alongside a calibrated stationary measuring system demonstrate that the NO2 sensor closely matches reference measurements in medium concentration ranges, while deviations occur at low levels, partly due to the applied moving average filter. The results confirm the system’s robustness, ease of deployment, and suitability for mobile air quality monitoring in ports. Future work will address energy independent operation, improved calibration of additional sensors, and integration with ship traffic data for emission source attribution.

Keywords: Air Pollution, Emission Monitoring, Mobile Sensor Platform, Low-Cost Air Quality Sensors, Modular Hardware Design, Smart Port Operations

DOI: 10.54941/ahfe1008126