Instrument Development & Project Vulcan | Emily Wilson | Empirical Energy Podcast

Join host Mark Smith as he sits down with Emily Wilson, the brilliant scientist leading instrument development at Clean Connect, for an in-depth exploration of cutting-edge emission measurement technology. In this fascinating episode, Emily shares her remarkable 23-year journey at NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, where she developed groundbreaking instruments for measuring trace gases in Earth and planetary atmospheres, including sending the mini carb instrument into orbit via the space station in 2019. Short description: Emily Wilson discusses her transition from NASA to Clean Connect and introduces Project Vulcan, a revolutionary approach to measuring and reducing stack emissions in real-time. Tune in inside: NASA instrument development, miniaturized laser heterodyne radiometer, Project Vulcan stack monitoring, combustion efficiency optimization, greenhouse gas reduction, empirical measurement vs emission factors, global carbon observation networks, spectroscopy applications, feedback loop technology, climate change mitigation Take away: • Learn how Emily's NASA-developed technology is being adapted for commercial emission monitoring • Discover Project Vulcan's approach to mapping combustion emissions across stack cross-sections • Understand why direct measurement beats emission factors for accurate environmental data • Explore the potential for 10% greenhouse gas reduction through optimized combustion • See how real-time feedback loops can gamify emission reduction for companies • Understand the critical need for global carbon monitoring networks in developing countries Chapters: 00:00 - Intro 00:47 - Emily's NASA Background and Instrument Development 05:32 - Partnership with Clean Connect and Technology Transfer 07:02 - Project Vulcan Overview and Client Response 11:38 - Spectroscopy and Emission Mapping Technology 14:42 - Manufacturing Challenges and Component Sourcing 16:58 - Future Vision for Climate Impact and Global Monitoring 20:14 - Empirical Energy vs Traditional Emission Factors 21:52 - Outro Quote of the show: "I just want to build, I want to create the idea, buy the parts, build the thing, test the thing, manufacture the thing. That's the key part. And then we can get it into use." Ready to dive deeper into the science behind emission measurement? Subscribe to the Empirical Energy Podcast for more groundbreaking conversations with the innovators reshaping global energy markets. Hit the notification bell to stay updated on the latest episodes featuring producers, traders, consultants, and renegades driving the clean energy revolution. #EmpiricalEnergy #EmissionMeasurement #NASA #CleanTech #ProjectVulcan #SpectroscopyTechnology #GreenhouseGas #ClimateChange #InstrumentDevelopment #CombustionOptimization #EnvironmentalMonitoring #EnergyInnovation