Gas sensor for ammonia, carbon dioxide and water

US6787776B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University · US

Inventors

• Michael Webber · Austin, US
• Ronald Hanson · Cupertino, US
• Jay B. Jeffries · Palo Alto, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Aug 14, 2002
• Grant date: Sep 7, 2004
• Expiry date: Oct 31, 2022

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01N21/3504
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A system and method utilizing a radiation source with a wavelength near 2 &mgr;m (preferably 1993 nm) to measure the presence of ammonia, carbon dioxide and water vapor using spectroscopic techniques and a reduced measurement pressure is provided. Using radiation substantially near 2 &mgr;m enables one to interrogate the PP3(3)s ammonia transition at a frequency of 5016.977 cm−1, which is isolated from water and carbon dioxide interference; the P(32) carbon dioxide transition at 5017.030 cm−1, which is isolated from both ammonia and water interference, and a water transition at 5017.100 cm−1. Moreover, a tunable radiation source that can sweep over the aforementioned ammonia and carbon dioxide and water features can measure the concentrations of all three species simultaneously. Using a sub-atmospheric pressure substantially near 100 Torr decreases the pressure broadening of different spectroscopic transitions, thereby isolating different absorption features, enabling species-specific measurements without interference, yet retaining sufficient peak absorption.