Design and optimization of an integrated MEMS gas chamber with high transmissivity

Non-Dispersive InfraRed (NDIR) gas sensor is widely used for gas detection in collieries and the gas chemical industry, etc. The performance of the NDIR gas sensor depends on the volume, optical length and transmittance of the gas chamber. However, the existing gas sensor products have problems of large volume, high cost and incapable of integration, which need to develop towards the miniaturized sensor. This paper first presents the theoretical background of the NDIR gas sensor and the novel structure of a fully integrated infrared gas sensor and its micro-machined gas chamber structure. Then, the light structure and the gas flow of the gas chamber are optimized on Tracepro software and Ansys workbench, respectively, and the technological process for preparing the Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) gas chamber is designed. Finally, we produce a gas chamber with a small volume and good transmissivity, which would be the most important part of producing the miniaturized NDIR gas sensor.     

非分光红外(NDIR)技术测定反刍动物甲烷和二氧化碳研究

反刍动物体内甲烷通过嗳气排入大气,它的产生损失6%～15%的饲料能量。应用非分光红外(NDIR)探测技术,采用电调制红外光源探测器及单光束双波长技术,实现了对反刍动物CH₄和CO₂痕量气体排放的实时长期自动超灵敏的监测。10只体况良好,体重相近(25±5)kg的成年羯羊作为供试动物,在隧道体系中进行连续80天的监测。结果表明,甲烷和二氧化碳气体的平均回收率分别为(96.7±6.6)%和(96.2±9.9)%,每只绵羊24 h, CH₄和CO₂的平均排放量分别为15.6和184.7 g·d-1,其年排放总量约为6.8和71.1 kg,且测量的不确定性低于1%。因此该文用于反刍动物CH₄和CO₂排放的监测,实用可行、简单有效。     

Discrepancy in infrared measurement results of carbon monoxide in nitrogen mixtures due to variations of the 13C/12C isotope ratio

Significant errors in the non-dispersive infrared (NDIR) analyses of carbon monoxide (CO) can be made when the ¹³C/¹²C isotope ratio in the sample and the calibrant differ significantly. This paper shows that variations in the ¹³C/¹²C isotope ratio of 5×10⁻² mol/mol CO in nitrogen mixtures on three different NDIR CO analysers may lead to serious deviations in the instrument response, whereas the instrument response using GC-TCD is unaffected. The observed deviations in the assigned amount-of-substance fraction CO for a ¹³C depleted mixture vary from +2 to −5% relative to the gravimetric amount-of-substance fraction for different NDIR analysers. A GC-MS method has been developed to perform a pre-screening of the isotopic composition of CO in nitrogen mixtures. This method proved to be an adequate tool to measure differences in the ¹³C/¹²C ratio. Based on the GC-MS results a suitable measurement technique can be selected, or information about a possible error in NDIR analysis can be given to the producer or user of the calibration gas mixture. Presented at 3. International Gas Analysis Symposium, October 6–8, 2004, in Amsterdam     

Rapidly Modulated Wide-Spectrum Infrared Source Made of Super Aligned Carbon Nanotube Film for Greenhouse Gas Monitoring

Non-dispersive infrared (NDIR) gas monitoring has advantages of environment stability, convenient operation and maintenance, wide detection range, and multi-gas-detection capability. However, the conventional IR sources for NDIR gas monitoring, such as miniature lamps, microelectromechanical system (MEMS) light sources, and light-emitting diodes (LEDs), can only work at narrow modulation frequency and spectral range, or require complicated design and fabrication, because of the constraint of materials and work principle. These issues cause low data acquisition rate, poor anti-interference ability and limited gas compatibility to NDIR. Here, the super-aligned carbon nanotube (SACNT) film is developed as an IR source in NDIR gas monitoring system. It has a wide spectral range (0.2–334 µm), a facile fabrication method, and can work up to a high frequency ≈150 kHz. A mechanical-chopper-free and wide-concentration-range monitoring equipment for CO₂ and CH₄ greenhouse gases is demonstrated with SACNT film IR source. The concentration ranges for CO₂ and CH₄ investigated in this paper are 0.0195–20.10% (v/v) and 0.10–17.11% (v/v), respectively. It can be easily applied to monitor other kinds of gases as well.     

Measuring δ13C of atmospheric air with non-dispersive infrared spectroscopy

The potential use of non-dispersive infrared spectroscopy for measuring δ¹³C in air is demonstrated. This technique has already been successfully established for breath test analyses in medical diagnostics, where the CO₂ concentration ranges from 1 to 5 vol.% in the exhaled breath of vertebrates. For breath tests, the sensitivity and accuracy has been improved to reach a standard deviation of 0.2 ‰ (delta-value). Further adjustments were necessary to improve the sensitivity of the instrument at concentration levels typical of atmospheric air. The long-term stability is given by a standard deviation of 0.35 ‰ for CO₂ concentrations of about 400 ppm with signal averaging over 60 s.     

Pocket-Sized Nondispersive Infrared Methane Detection Device Using Two-Parameter Temperature Compensation

With the correction on Beer–Lambert law, a low-cost, low-power, and miniaturization methane detection device is reported by using a two-parameter temperature compensation method. The adopted methane sensor contains a midinfrared light source, an optical path, and a midinfrared dual-channel detector. Control and processing circuits are developed to extract gas concentration, and experiments are carried out to derive detection performances. Two characteristic parameters of the device are achieved through calibration, and their relations with temperature are obtained for accurate compensation. The device is powered by batteries with a total current less than 100 mA, and the power consumption is less than 0.6 W. Both the sensitivity and the minimum detection limit under low concentration range can reach to 50 parts per million. The device also reveals high stability owing to the compensation on temperature variation. Compared with the preexisting wall-mounted devices, this device does well meeting the requirement of detecting explosive gases in a more convenient handheld style.     

基于非色散红外CO2浓度测量的温度补偿研究

非色散红外(Non-dispersed Infrared,NDIR)CO2气体传感器测量CO2浓度时,外部温度是个重要的影响因素.利用Levenberg-Marquardt算法收敛速度快的优点,建立改进型BP神经网络模型,消除环境温度对CO2浓度在线监测的非线性影响,提高了系统测量精度.     

单组分双分析通道红外气体检测方法研究

基于单分析通道非分散红外(non-dispersive infrared, NDIR)气体分析技术, 提出一种单组分双分析通道气体检测方法. 根据SO₂的红外吸收特征, 采用逐线积分气体吸收模型和方法, 选择洛伦兹展宽线型并考虑温度和气压对积分线强、线型的影响, 确定了两个分析通道的滤波参数.使用7.32 μm和4 μm波段分别反演小于等于 280 ppm与大于280 ppm的SO₂浓度;使用最小二乘法, 以三阶多项式为拟合模型, 获得了两个分析通道的定标曲线.对系统的测量线性度、检测限和测量准确度进行了分析. 两个分析通道的联合可以实现约几ppm至10000 ppm的宽动态范围的SO₂测量, 且系统测量线性度大于0.99, 测量误差小于5%.既克服了NDIR气体分析技术检测灵敏度和宽动态测量范围不能同时兼顾的缺陷, 良好的系统测量线性度还为多组分气体分析的干扰修正提供了非常必要的前提条件.     

Effect of variation in argon content of calibration gases on determination of atmospheric carbon dioxide

Carbon dioxide (CO₂) is a greenhouse gas that makes by far the largest contribution to the global warming of the Earth's atmosphere. For the measurements of atmospheric CO₂ a non-dispersive infrared analyzer (NDIR) and gas chromatography are conventionally being used. We explored whether and to what degree argon content can influence the determination of atmospheric CO₂ using the comparison of CO₂ concentrations between the sample gas mixtures with varying Ar amounts at 0 and 18.6 mmol mol⁻¹ and the calibration gas mixtures with Ar at 8.4, 9.1, and 9.3 mmol mol⁻¹. We newly discovered that variation of Ar content in calibration gas mixtures could undermine accuracy for precise and accurate determination of atmospheric CO₂ in background air. The differences in CO₂ concentration due to the variation of Ar content in the calibration gas mixtures were negligible (<±0.03 μmol mol⁻¹) for NDIR systems whereas they noticeably increased (<±1.09 μmol mol⁻¹) especially for the modified GC systems to enhance instrumental sensitivity. We found that the thermal mass flow controller is the main source of the differences although such differences appeared only in the presence of a flow restrictor in GC systems. For reliable monitoring of real atmospheric CO₂ samples, one should use calibration gas mixtures that contain Ar content close to the level (9.332 mmol mol⁻¹) in the ambient air as possible. Practical guidelines were highlighted relating to selection of appropriate analytical approaches for the accurate and precise measurements of atmospheric CO₂. In addition, theoretical implications from the findings were addressed.     

新型环保绝缘气体反式-1,1,1,4,4,4-六氟-2-丁烯的红外吸收特性及检测技术研究

六氟化硫气体在电力领域的广泛应用带来日益严峻的环保压力,寻求可替代的新型环保绝缘气体已成为化学及电气学科领域研究的热点。反式-1,1,1,4,4,4-六氟-2-丁烯[HFO-1336mzz(E)]气体因其优良的环保特性及高介电强度受到国内外的广泛关注。开展光谱吸收特性及检测技术的研究对深化电气性能的研究意义重大。采用自组装压强、温度可调控多次反射长光程池,组合傅里叶变换红外分光光度计（FTIR）及真空泵等搭建实验测试系统,通过FTIR实验及仿真模拟首先研究了HFO-1336mzz(E)气体在常温常压、1 100~1 350 cm-1波段的红外吸收特性;并对测试背景中可能存在的CO₂和H₂O进行谱线交叉干扰分析;重点研究了压强、温度对HFO-1336mzz(E)气体在1 100~1 350 cm-1波段红外光谱吸收特性的影响;同时基于非分散红外（NDIR）技术对HFO-1336mzz(E)气体低浓度泄漏及高浓度混合比传感器进行了仿真测试。结果表明：HFO-1336mzz(E)的三个强吸收峰的中心波数分别为1 152,1 267及1 333 cm-1,模拟仿真红外光谱与气体实测结果吻合较好;1 333 cm-1处干燥空气背景中CO₂吸收强度数量级低至10-6,在150 nm滤波带宽内水分子峰面积积分影响因子约为1.44×10-3,谱线交叉干扰均可忽略不计,而痕量泄漏检测时需要湿度补偿;选择HFO-1336mzz(E)气体在1 333及1 267 cm-1位置分别作为NDIR技术实现低浓度泄漏及高浓度混合比检测的吸收谱线切实可行;光谱吸收系数及谱线展宽随着压强升高而增大,1 333及1 267 cm-1位置吸收系数随压强的变化率分别为0.273和0.118 cm-1·kPa-1;随温度的升高峰值吸收系数减小,谱线展宽变窄,但不同位置吸收系数变化差异较大,1 333及1 267 cm-1位置吸收系数随温度的变化率分别为-0.105 6和-0.035 cm-1·K-1。传感器仿真测试结果显示1 333 cm-1处5 cm光程可实现0~1 800 μL·L-1低浓度痕量泄漏测试,1 267 cm-1位置2 mm光程可实现0~10%高浓度混合比测试。该研究为基于红外光谱吸收原理的光学气体传感器的研制提供实验与理论依据。