Impact of humidity on quartz-enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy based detection of HCN

The architecture and operation of a trace hydrogen cyanide (HCN) gas sensor based on quartz-enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy and using a lambda =1.53 mu m telecommunication diode laser are described. The influence of humidity content in the analyzed gas on the sensor performance is investigated....

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Applied physics. B, Lasers and optics Lasers and optics, 2006-11, Vol.85 (2-3), p.295-300
Main Authors: Kosterev, A.A., Mosely, T.S., Tittel, F.K.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Collisions
Energy transfer
Humidity
Lasers
Mathematical models
Photoacoustic spectroscopy
Sensors
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Summary:The architecture and operation of a trace hydrogen cyanide (HCN) gas sensor based on quartz-enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy and using a lambda =1.53 mu m telecommunication diode laser are described. The influence of humidity content in the analyzed gas on the sensor performance is investigated. A kinetic model describing the vibrational to translational (V--T) energy transfer following the laser excitation of a HCN molecule is developed. Based on this model and the experimental data, the V--T relaxation time of HCN was found to be (1.91 plus or minus 0.07)10 super(-3) sTorr in collisions with N2 molecules and (2.1 plus or minus 0.2)10 super(-62 sTorr in collisions with H2O molecules. The noise-equivalent concentration of HCN in air at normal indoor conditions was determined to be at the 155-ppbv level with a 1-s sensor time constant.)
ISSN:0946-2171
1432-0649
DOI:10.1007/s00340-006-2355-2