A simulation model study of the coupled field in the IMS drift tube

The performance of the IMS was influenced by many parameters, like temperature, gas flow rate, etc. in the drift tube. An exact and comprehensive simulation model was very useful for the IMS design and optimization. A combined simulation model was build up for the parameters simulation in the drift tube. Based on this simulation model, the heat transfer, velocity distribution, humidity and ion transportation inside the drift tube in bidirectional flow stream was simulated, and the impact on the IMS was studied. And the simulation was also validated using an IMS constructed in our laboratory. The experiment showed that the RIP intensity weakened as the humidity increasing, but the signal intensity of NO was enhanced first, and then decreased with the humidity increasing sequentially. This can be explained from the simulation results. The simulation results showed that the distribution of the velocity and temperature was not uniformed in the drift tube. And this phenomenon was more clearly when the gas flow velocity increased. It can be seen from the simulation that the humidity in the drift tube region was smaller than the sample moisture, and the resolution of the ion mobility spectrometry will be reduced by the humidity. But in the region rich in water molecules, ultraviolet photons re-acting with acetone would be obviously decreased and fewer re-agent ions were produced owing to the strong absorption of photons by water neutrals. The results showed that the coupled field simulation model can be used to study parameters effects on the IMS.