Wangbao Yin

Quartz enhanced photoacoustic H2S gas sensor based on a fiber-amplifier source and a custom tuning fork with large prong spacing

A quartz enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy (QEPAS) sensor, employing an erbium-doped fiber amplified laser source and a custom quartz tuning fork (QTF) with its two prongs spaced ∼800 μm apart, is reported. The sensor employs an acoustic micro-resonator (AmR) which is assembled in an “on-beam” QEPAS configuration. Both length and vertical position of the AmR are optimized in terms of signal-to-noise ratio, significantly improving the QEPAS detection sensitivity by a factor of ∼40, compared to the case of a sensor using a bare custom QTF. The fiber-amplifier-enhanced QEPAS sensor is applied to H2S trace gas detection, reaching a sensitivity of ∼890 ppb at 1 s integration time, similar to those obtained with a power-enhanced QEPAS sensor equipped with a standard QTF, but with the advantages of easy optical alignment, simple installation, and long-term stability.

Design of a Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy System for On-Line Quality Analysis of Pulverized Coal in Power Plants

It is vitally important for a power plant to determine the chemical composition of coal prior to combustion in order to obtain optimal boiler control. In this work, a fully software-controlled laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) system comprising a LIBS apparatus and sampling equipment has been designed for possible application to power plants for on-line quality analysis of pulverized coal. Special attention was given to the LIBS system, the data processing methods (especially the normalization with Bode Rule/DC Level) and the specific settings (the software-controlled triggering source, high-pressure gas cleaning device, sample-preparation module, sampling module, etc.), which gave the best direct measurement for C, H, Si, Na, Mg, Fe, Al, and Ti with measurement errors less than 10% for pulverized coal. Therefore, the apparatus is accurate enough to be applied to industries for on-line monitoring of pulverized coal. The method of proximate analysis was also introduced and the experimental error of Aad (Ash, ‘ad’ is an abbreviation for ‘air dried’) was shown in the range of 2.29 to 13.47%. The programmable logic controller (PLC) controlled on-line coal sampling equipment, which is designed based upon aerodynamics, and is capable of performing multipoint sampling and sample-preparation operation.

Double acoustic microresonator quartz-enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy

Quartz-enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy (QEPAS) based on double acoustic microresonators (AmRs) is developed and experimentally investigated. The double AmR spectrophone configuration exhibits a strong acoustic coupling between the AmR and the quartz tuning fork, which results in a ∼5  ms fast response time. Moreover, the double AmRs provide two independent detection channels that allow optical signal addition or cancellation from different optical wavelengths and facilitate rapid multigas sensing measurements, thereby avoiding laser beam combination.

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy for determination of the organic oxygen content in anthracite coal under atmospheric conditions

Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy has been used to measure the organic oxygen content in pulverized anthracite coal under atmospheric conditions. Special spectral processing including the optimal O(I) emission-line selection by comparing the spectral correlation coefficients with the N(I) line, internal normalization with the N(I) line, and temperature correction are proposed and employed to satisfy the multiline analysis method and yield the most accurate quantitative results. The calibration method for determining the organic oxygen content of coal is presented, with an accuracy of 1.15–1.37% and an average relative error of 19.39% being evaluated through an experiment performed on six anthracite coal samples. The relative measurement error distribution has also been studied.

Single-tube on-beam quartz-enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy

Quartz-enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy (QEPAS) with a single-tube acoustic microresonator (AmR) inserted between the prongs of a custom quartz tuning fork (QTF) was developed, investigated, and optimized experimentally. Due to the high acoustic coupling efficiency between the AmR and the QTF, the single-tube on-beam QEPAS spectrophone configuration improves the detection sensitivity by 2 orders of magnitude compared to a bare QTF. This approach significantly reduces the spectrophone size with respect to the traditional on-beam spectrophone configuration, thereby facilitating the laser beam alignment. A 1σ normalized noise equivalent absorption coefficient of 1.21×10(-8) cm(-1)·W/√Hz was obtained for dry CO2 detection at normal atmospheric pressure.

Development of an apparatus for on-line analysis of unburned carbon in fly ash using laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS).

The level of unburned carbon in fly ash is an important criteria for evaluating the combustion efficiencies of boilers, as well as the commercial value of the produced fly ash. In this work, an automated prototype laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) apparatus comprising an isokinetic sampler, a sample preparation module, and a LIBS module has been developed for possible application to power plants for on-line analysis of unburned carbon in fly ash without being affected by the type of coal burned. Emphasis is placed on the structure and operation of the LIBS apparatus, the optimum suction capacity selection, the analytical methods for estimation of the exact C line intensity, and the proper calibration model established for minimizing the matrix effects, which enable the minimization of matrix effects and obtaining more accurate compositional measurements. Good agreement has been found between the laboratory measurement results from the LIBS method and those from the traditional method. The measurement accuracy presented here for unburned carbon analysis is estimated to be 0.26%, while the average relative error is 3.81%.

Beat frequency quartz-enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy for fast and calibration-free continuous trace-gas monitoring

Quartz-enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy (QEPAS) is a sensitive gas detection technique which requires frequent calibration and has a long response time. Here we report beat frequency (BF) QEPAS that can be used for ultra-sensitive calibration-free trace-gas detection and fast spectral scan applications. The resonance frequency and Q-factor of the quartz tuning fork (QTF) as well as the trace-gas concentration can be obtained simultaneously by detecting the beat frequency signal generated when the transient response signal of the QTF is demodulated at its non-resonance frequency. Hence, BF-QEPAS avoids a calibration process and permits continuous monitoring of a targeted trace gas. Three semiconductor lasers were selected as the excitation source to verify the performance of the BF-QEPAS technique. The BF-QEPAS method is capable of measuring lower trace-gas concentration levels with shorter averaging times as compared to conventional PAS and QEPAS techniques and determines the electrical QTF parameters precisely.

Overtone resonance enhanced single-tube on-beam quartz enhanced photoacoustic spectrophone

A single-tube on-beam quartz enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy (SO-QEPAS) spectrophone, which employs a custom-made quartz tuning fork (QTF) having a prong spacing of 700 μm and operating at the 1st overtone flexural mode, is reported. The design of QTF prong geometry allows the bare QTF to possess twice higher Q-factor values for the 1st overtone resonance mode falling at ∼17.7 kHz than in the fundamental resonance mode at ∼2.8 kHz, resulting in an 8 times higher QEPAS signal amplitude when operating in the 1st overtone resonance mode. Both the vertical position and length of the single-tube acoustic micro-resonator (AmR) were optimized to attain optimal spectrophone performance. Benefiting from the high overtone resonance frequency and the quasi 1st harmonic acoustic standing waves generated in the SO-QEPAS configuration, the AmR length is reduced to 14.5 mm. This allows the realization of compact spectrophone and facilitates the laser beam alignment through the QTF + AmR system. The signal enhancemen...

Impact of Humidity on Quartz-Enhanced Photoacoustic Spectroscopy Based CO Detection Using a Near-IR Telecommunication Diode Laser

A near-IR CO trace gas sensor based on quartz-enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy (QEPAS) is evaluated using humidified nitrogen samples. Relaxation processes in the CO-N2-H2O system are investigated. A simple kinetic model is used to predict the sensor performance at different gas pressures. The results show that CO has a ~3 and ~5 times slower relaxation time constant than CH4 and HCN, respectively, under dry conditions. However, with the presence of water, its relaxation time constant can be improved by three orders of magnitude. The experimentally determined normalized detection sensitivity for CO in humid gas is 1.556×10−8 W⋅cm−1/Hz1/2.

Experimental measurement of absorption and dispersion in V-type cesium atom

Electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) is observed in a three-level V-type system in cesium vapor at room temperature. The absorption and dispersion properties are measured under the condition that the coupling frequency is exactly resonance with transition 6S1=2 ðF ¼ 4Þ to 6P3=2 ðF 0 ¼ 3Þ while the probe frequency is scanned across the transitions from the 6S1=2 ðF ¼ 4Þ to all structures of the 6P3=2. The effects of detuning of the coupling beam are studied. The results of the experiment agree with the simple theoretical analysis. 2002 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. PACS: 32.80.Ys; 32.70.)n