Bardabunga is quite presumptuous!
Ice-free measurement of volcanic ash concentration
The ThermoExperts manufacture pipe trace heaters for mass spectrometers for ice-free measurement of the concentration of volcanic ash in the atmosphere - the client is the Laboratory for Environmental Measurement Technology at Düsseldorf University of Applied Sciences. The know-how from Stapelfeld is required for the skillful assembly of mineral-insulated sheathed heating conductors that keep a stainless steel capillary tube at temperature. This design ensures that the measuring lines do not freeze and can only analyze ash particles - free of condensate or ice. These pipe trace heaters are then installed in a complex mass spectrometer and mounted on the outside of a corresponding measuring aircraft.
The measured height of the ash concentration is currently the only measurable variable for the air readiness department under Professor Konstantin Weber that represents an indicator of flight safety. The Institute thus provides the German Federal Aviation Authority, the British Isles and Iceland with a basis for making decisions and risk assessments as to whether the volcanic ash will harm air traffic. When and how often the unpronounceable volcanoes Eyjafjallajökull or Bardarbunga in Iceland will spew ash into the busy airspace remains uncertain for the time being.
