Breath ammonia detection based on tunable fiber laser photoacoustic spectroscopy

A new detection method for ammonia in high concentration of CO₂ and H₂O is reported, which uses a wavelength modulated photoacoustic spectrometer based on a near-infrared tunable erbium-doped fiber laser in combination with an optical fiber amplifier. The multi-wavelength (1522.44 nm, 1522.94 nm and 1545.05 nm) photoacoustic signal measurement is established to detect multi-spectrum signal in samples. The problem of ammonia detection in high concentration of CO₂ and H₂O is resolved at atmospheric pressure. The minimum detection limit of 16 ppb (signal-to-noise ratio = 1) in simulated breath samples (5.3% CO₂ and 6.2% H₂O (100% relative humidity at 37°C)) is achieved.     

Development of a cw-laser-based cavity-ringdown sensor aboard a spacecraft for trace air constituents

The progress in the development of a sensor for the detection of trace air constituents to monitor spacecraft air quality is reported. A continuous-wave (cw), external-cavity tunable diode laser centered at 1.55 μm is used to pump an optical cavity absorption cell in cw-cavity ringdown spectroscopy (cw-CRDS). Preliminary results are presented that demonstrate the sensitivity, selectivity and reproducibility of this method. Detection limits of 2.0 ppm for CO, 2.5 ppm for CO₂, 1.8 ppm for H₂O, 19.4 ppb for NH₃, 7.9 ppb for HCN and 4.0 ppb for C₂H₂ are calculated. Received: 3 April 2002 / Revised version: 3 June 2002 / Published online: 21 August 2002 RID="*" ID="*"Corresponding author. Fax: +1-202/994-5873, E-mail: Houston@gwu.edu     

Simulation of operation of multiwave remote gas-analyzer based on NH3-laser

Numerical analysis of a multiwave path gas-analyzer, based on a NH₃-laser pumped by CO₂-laser radiation, is performed for model detection of concentrations of a series of molecular species such as NH₃, HCN, phosgene, NHO₃, CO₂, and H₂O. The potentialities of the gas analyzer and uncertainty of the gas concentration detection were estimated for a 4 km horizontal atmospheric path. The estimation took into account the absorption of laser radiation by the atmospheric aerosol and molecular gases under study and distortion of the laser beam due to atmospheric turbulence.     

Atomic and molecular fluorescence as a stratospheric species monitor

The results of an extensive evaluation are presented assessing the potential of atomic and molecular fluorescence as a stratospheric monitor of the concentrations of any one of eighteen minor species. These include Cl, Cl₂, ClO, ClO₂, CO, H₂, HCHO, HCl, HNO₂, HNO₃, H₂S, NH₃, NO, NO₂, N₂O, O, OH and SO₂. All spectral regions from the vacuum u.v. through to the i.r. have been included. Where appropriate, detection limits (signal/noise ratio of unity) are presented for each species under various sample pressure conditions and are based on practical systems that could be constructed using current technology.The most promising systems, with typical detection limits indicated either as parts per million, billion or trillion by volume, are for CO(5ppb), NO₂(<1ppb), OH(0.2ppt) and O(50–200ppt). The fluorescence sensitivities for Cl(0.5–1 ppt), H₂(0.2 ppm at 10 torr sample pressure) and SO₂(1–10 ppb) are marginally insufficient at present for such a stratospheric application. Likewise HCHO(10 ppb) and NO(100 ppb) fluorescence detection may be of interest in other applications where sensitivity demands are not as severe. There are no promising analytical possibilities using direct fluorescence techniques for Cl₂, ClO₂, HCl, HNO₂, HNO₃, H₂S, NH₃ or N₂O. ClO fluorescence has not yet been characterized.It has been noted, for various reasons, that i.r. fluorescence techniques in general cannot be exploited in the development of sensitive analyzers. However, by far the most surprising outcome of this study has been the recognition of the analytical potential of vacuum u.v. fluorescence. For some species, under certain conditions, extremely high sensitivities are possible even with samples in air at atmospheric pressure.     

Flame structure studies of rich ethylene-oxygen-argon mixtures doped with CO2, or with NH3, or with H2O

Structures of several premixed ethylene-oxygen-argon rich flat flames burning at 50 mbar have been established by using molecular beam mass spectrometry in order to investigate the effect of CO₂, or NH₃, or H₂O addition on species concentration profiles. The aim of this study is to examine the eventual changes of profiles of detected hydrocarbon intermediates which could be considered as soot precursors (C₂H₂, C₄H₂, C₅H₄, C₅H₆, C₆H₂, C₆H₄, C₆H₆, C₇H₈, C₆H₆O, C₈H₆, C₈H₈, C₉H₈ and C₁₀H₈). The comparative study has been achieved on four flames with an equivalence ratio (f) of 2.50: one without any additive (F2.50), one with 15% of CO₂ replacing the same quantity of argon (F2.50C), one with 3.3% of NH₃ in partial replacement of argon (F2.50N) and one with 13% of H₂O in replacement of the same quantity of argon (F2.50H). The four flat flames have similar final flame temperatures (1800 K).CO₂, or NH₃, or H₂O addition to the fresh gas inlet causes a shift downstream of the flame front and thus flame inhibition. Endothermic processes CO₂ + H = CO + OH and H₂O + H = H₂ + OH are responsible of the reduction of the hydrocarbon intermediates in the CO₂ and H₂O added flames through the supplementary formation of hydroxyl radicals. It has been demonstrated that such processes begin to play at the end of the flame front and becomes more efficient in the burnt gases region.The replacement of some Ar by NH₃ is responsible only for a slight decrease of the maximum mole fraction of C₂H₂, but NH₃ becomes much more efficient for C₄H₂ and C₅ to C₁₀ species. Moreover, the efficiency of NH₃ as a reducing agent of C₅ to C₁₀ intermediates is larger than that of CO₂ and H₂O for equal quantities added.     

Multi-hydrogenated compounds monitoring in optical fibre manufacturing process by photoacoustic spectroscopy

Sub-ppm hydrogen chloride (HCl) and water vapour (H₂O) monitoring using photoacoustic spectroscopy in optical fibre manufacturing is reported. The development and performance of a sensor based on an acoustic resonant configuration is described, and on-site measurements are presented. Two DFB lasers emitting in the 1370 nm and 1740 nm range were used for the detection of H₂O and HCl, respectively. A detection limit (defined for a SNR=3) of 60 ppb for HCl and 40 ppb for H₂O was achieved. Contamination sources of the carrier gas used for the fibre preform manufacturing are identified and discussed. PACS 42.62.Fi; 43.35.Ud     

Thermal Decomposition Behavior of a Heterocyclic Aramid Fiber

Heterocyclic aramid fibers are one of the high-performance fibers with excellent mechanical and thermal properties. In this article, the thermal decomposition behaviors of a type of the fibers were studied in nitrogen and air by pyrolysis/gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (Py/GC-MS), thermal gravimetric analysis–differential thermal analysis/Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (TGA-DTA/FTIR), and thermal gravimetric analysis–differential thermal analysis/mass spectrometry (TGA-DTA/MS). The results showed that under nitrogen atmosphere, the thermal decomposition mainly happened between 520°C and 580°C, the temperature of the maximum weight loss rate was 550°C, and the weight remaining at 800°C was 58%. HCN, NH₃, NO₂, NO, CO₂, CO, H₂O, and some other compounds containing benzene rings were detected by the TGA-DTA/FTIR. Among these released chemicals, the intensity of the absorption peak assigned to CO₂ was the strongest. These chemicals were also identified by the TGA-DTA/MS. The Py-GC/MS analysis revealed that the number of chromatographic peaks increased with the increase of temperature. Most of the pyrolysis products were produced between 550°C and 600°C, which represented the major pyrolysis process. Moreover, the detection of benzene ring containing compound fragments reflected the process of the molecular chain scission. In air atmosphere, the thermal decomposition mainly happened between 500°C and 680°C. The maximum weight loss rate was observed at 600°C, and almost 100% weight was lost at 900°C. NH₃, NO₂, CO₂, and H₂O were detected by the TGA-DTA/MS, and the ion current intensity of CO₂ was again the strongest with a strong oxidation reaction at around 670°C. It was speculated that the thermal decomposition began with the breaking of the bonds between PPTA (poly-p-phenylene terephthalamide) blocks and heterocyclic blocks at high temperature. Then, with the increase of temperature, the chemical bonds inside the PPTA blocks and heterocyclic blocks were broken. In this process, free radicals that led to restructuring and new breakages to produce micromolecular products were introduced.     

Cavity ring down spectroscopy: detection of trace amounts of substance

We describe several applications of cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS) for trace matter detection. NO₂ sensor was constructed in our team using this technique and blue-violet lasers (395–440 nm). Its sensitivity is better than single ppb. CRDS at 627 nm was used for detection of NO₃. Successful monitoring of N₂O in air requires high precision mid-infrared spectroscopy. These sensors might be used for atmospheric purity monitoring as well as for explosives detection. Here, the spectroscopy on sharp vibronic molecular resonances is performed. Therefore the single mode lasers which can be tuned to selected molecular lines are used. Similarly, the spectroscopy at 936 nm was used for sensitive water vapour detection. The opportunity of construction of H₂O sensor reaching the sensitivity about 10 ppb is also discussed.     

Optoacoustic gas analyzer based on a13C16O2 laser for multicomponent pollution of air

A computer-aided optoacoustic gas analyzer based on a continuous¹³C¹⁶C₂ laser for multicomponent pollution of atmospheric air is described. The analyzer has the ability to detect absorption of radiation by detected substances at the level of ∼1·10⁻⁹ cm⁻¹ at a time resolution of 30 sec. Results of an experiment on simultaneous detection of H₂O, CO₂, NO₂, NH₃, HNO₃, OCS, and C₂H₄ in the atmospheric air using 40 laser lines are presented. B. I. Stepanov Institute of Physics, National Academy of Sciences of Belarus, 68, F. Skorina Ave., Minsk, 220072, Belarus. Translated from Zhurnal Prikladnoi Spektroskopii, Vol. 66, No. 3, pp. 345–350, May–June, 1999.     

Nitrogen release during reaction of coal char with O2, CO2, and H2O

The chemistry of char-N release and conversion to nitrogen-containing products has been probed by studying its release and reactions with O₂, CO₂, and H₂O. The experiments were performed in a fixed bed flow reactor at pressures of up to 1.0 MPa. The results show that the major nitrogen-containing products observed depend on the reactant gas; with O₂, NO, and N₂ being the major species observed. Char-N reaction with CO₂ produces N₂ with very high selectivity over a broad range of pressures and CO₂ concentrations, and reaction with H₂O gives rise to HCN, NH₃, and N₂. Observed distributions of nitrogen-containing products are little affected by pressure when O₂ and CO₂ are the reactant gases, but increasing pressures in the reaction with H₂O results in the formation of increasing proportions of NH₃. Formation of NH₃ is also promoted by increasing concentrations of H₂O in the feed gas. The results suggest that NO and HCN are primary products when O₂ and H₂O, respectively, are used as the reactant gases, and that the other observed products arise from interactions of these primary products with the char surface.     

Spectral properties of gaseous biomarkers and choice of the optimal analytical line at interference of the spectra of detected gases

A method for comparative investigation of the absorption line properties at interference of vibration-rotation bands of the detected and interfering gases is proposed. This method is intended for highly sensitive analysis of complex gas mixtures when measurement of absorption in a weak analytical line is hindered by a stronger, closely located interfering line. Disappearance of the analytical line extrema in the spectrum studied is proposed as an assessment criterion. The concentration ratio of the analytical and interfering gases under this condition could be used for quantitative analysis and comparison of the properties. This criterion can be applied to the first and second derivatives of the absorption spectra. To demonstrate the potential of the approach proposed, it was applied to the NO and NH₃ lines that are promising for monitoring the contents of these compounds in atmospheric and exhaled air. The interference of the absorption bands of H₂O, CO₂, and several gaseous biomarkers was analyzed in the near-IR spectral region using the HITRAN2000 database. It was demonstrated that the problem of the vibration-rotation band interference for detected and interfering gases is aggravated in this spectral region. This aggravation is caused not only by the decrease in the absolute band intensity for overtones and combination bands of the molecular vibrations but also by the relative increase in the absorption in H₂O lines and high density of CO₂ lines in the near-IR spectral region.     

Water vapour and carbon dioxide interference in the high sensitivity detection of NH3 with semiconductor diode lasers at 1.5 μm

H₂O and CO₂ interferences with NH₃ absorption lines in the combination band at 1.5 μm are investigated by means of diode laser spectroscopy, in conjunction with a high sensitivity two-tone frequency modulation technique. Two different spectral regions 6685–6700 cm⁻¹ and 6475–6494 cm⁻¹, respectively are analyzed, and the strongest interference free ammonia lines are identified as possible candidates for high sensitivity detection of ammonia traces in air. Detection limits of 4.5 ppm m at 6482.69 cm⁻¹ and 4 ppm m at 6689.56 cm⁻¹ for ammonia in air at atmospheric pressure are demonstrated. In addition, self and air broadening parameters are measured for some of the investigated lines.     

Photoacoustic measurements of Lorentz broadening in CO2 between 25° C and 450° C

A variable temperature photoacoustic cell has been constructed and tested by studying the interplay of CO₂, H₂O, and NH₃ in synthetic smoke. Saturation effects for CO₂ and NH₃ have been modeled and compared with experiments, and results are obtained for the vibrational relaxation rate associated with NH₃-H₂O collisions. The cell has been used for studying the temperature dependence of self-broadening and N₂ broadening of CO₂ lines. The temperature dependence of the scattering rate is well described by a T ^–n law with n=0.77 in both cases. This result agrees with previous results obtained by tunable diode laser spectroscopy, but disagrees with results obtained by indirect methods.Supported by the Danish Science Research Council under grant no. 11-7777, and by FLS-airloq A/S     

Comparison of infrared sources for a differential photoacoustic gas detection system

A prototype of the differential photoacoustic measurement system with an optical cantilever microphone has been developed. The system is based on gas filter correlation method. The proposed system allows real-time measurement of various IR-absorbing gases from the flowing sample or in the open air. Three setups with different kind of infrared sources were carried out to study selectivity and sensitivity of the prototype and applicability of the source types with differential method. The sources were a mechanically chopped blackbody radiator, electrically chopped blackbody radiator and mechanically chopped CO₂-laser. A detection limit for C₂H₄ was estimated with all three infrared sources. Cross sensitivity and detection limits of gases CH₄, C₂H₄ and CO₂ were measured with the mechanically chopped blackbody radiator. This crossinterference matrix was also modeled using HITRAN database and completed with CO and H₂O. The measurements indicate that at least ppb-level detection of ethylene using CO₂-laser, sub-ppm level with mechanically chopped blackbody and ppm-level with electrically modulated blackbody is possible with a proposed differential system.     

High precision determinations of NH3 concentration by means of diode laser spectrometry at 2.005 μm

This paper reports on the development of a compact analyzer for ammonia monitoring in air, based on a distributed feedback diode laser at 2.005 μm. A dual-beam long-path technique was combined with wavelength modulation detection of absorption in order to reach a detection limit of about 25 ppb, with a 0.2-Hz equivalent noise bandwidth. Retrieval of NH₃ concentration was accomplished through a careful spectra analysis procedure based on the formalism of Fourier expansion of the 2nd harmonic signals, also taking into account residual-amplitude-modulation effects. The system was tested on certified gas-mixtures and revealed a good performance in terms of accuracy and reproducibility. Particularly, the short-term precision was found to be about 1 ‰, for NH₃ mixing ratios of 10 ppm. Finally, the possibility to make use of the analyzer for measurements of ammonia fluxes from soils is discussed. PACS 42.55.Px; 42.62.Fi; 82.80.Gk     

Spectroscopic detection of biological NO with a quantum cascade laser

Two configurations of a continuous wave quantum cascade distributed feedback laser-based gas sensor for the detection of NO at a parts per billion (ppb) concentration level, typical of biomedical applications, have been investigated. The laser was operated at liquid nitrogen temperature near λ=5.2 μm. In the first configuration, a 100 m optical path length multi-pass cell was employed to enhance the NO absorption. In the second configuration, a technique based on cavity-enhanced spectroscopy (CES) was utilized, with an effective path length of 670 m. Both sensors enabled simultaneous analysis of NO and CO₂ concentrations in exhaled air. The minimum detectable NO concentration was found to be 3 ppb with a multi-pass cell and 16 ppb when using CES. The two techniques are compared, and potential future developments are discussed. Received: 1 November 2000 / Revised version: 19 January 2001 / Published online: 20 April 2001     

Ethylene monitoring by differential absorption with a CO2 waveguide laser

In this paper we report on a differential absorption technique using a CO₂ waveguide laser. The method is based on the measurement of the differential absorption between two different frequencies of the same selected CO₂ laser line. The sensitivity of the technique depends strongly on the total pressure and has been estimated to be about a few tens of ppb or better over a 1 km path length in C₂H₄ diluted with air to a total pressure of a few tens of torrs. Its relative simplicity and high sensitivity at low total pressure enable this technique to be applied to gas detection either at high altitude or to local monitoring of a low pressure sample.     

合肥上空大气二氧化碳Raman激光雷达探测研究

Raman激光雷达是用于大气成分探测与特性研究的有效工具.介绍了中科院安徽光学精密机械研究所自行研制的一台用于测量低对流层大气CO₂时空分布的Raman激光雷达系统,并进行了一系列观测实验和对比分析.系统选用波长355 nm的紫外激光作为光源,利用光子计数卡双通道采集大气中N₂和CO₂的Raman后向散射信号与Li-7500型H₂O/CO₂分析仪进行对比标定,通过反演获得了大气CO₂水平与垂直方向时空分布廓线,并且获得了合肥地区大气边界层CO₂的夜变化趋势.结果表明,大气CO₂在空间的分布相对均匀,Raman激光雷达与CO₂分析仪变化趋势一致性较好,能够对大气CO₂时空分布进行有效、连续的观测.     

Diode-laser absorption measurements of CO2, H2O, N2O, and NH3 near 2.0 μm

2 , H₂O, N₂O, and NH₃ concentrations in various flowfields using absorption spectroscopy and extractive sampling techniques. An external-cavity diode laser with a tuning range of 1.953–2.057 μm was used to record absorption lineshapes from measured transitions in the CO₂ 4ν₂ ⁰+ν₃, ν₁+2ν₂ ⁰+ν₃, and 2ν₁+ν₃ bands, H₂O ν₂+ν₃and ν₁+ν₂ bands, N₂O 2ν₁+4ν₂ ⁰, ν₂ ¹+2ν₃, 3ν₁+2ν₂ ⁰, and 4ν₁ bands, and NH₃ν₁+ν₄ and ν₃+ν₄ bands. Measured CO₂, H₂O, and N₂O survey spectra were compared to calculations to verify the HITRAN96 database and used to determine optimum transitions for species detection. Individual lineshape measurements were used to determine fundamental spectroscopic parameters including the line strength, line-center frequency, and self-broadening coefficient of the probed transition. The results represent the first measurements of CO₂, H₂O, N₂O, and NH₃ absorption near 2.0 μm using room-temperature near-IR diode lasers. Received: 12 March 1998/Revised version: 7 May 1998