Resonant Photoacoustic Gas Monitoring of Combustion Emissions

Mahmoud El-Safoury,Miguel Dufner,Katrin Schmitt,Christian Weber,Jürgen Wöllenstein,Bert Willing,Hans-Fridtjof Pernau

doi:10.3390/proceedings2130962

Mahmoud El-Safoury, Miguel Dufner + Show 5 more

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https://doi.org/10.3390/proceedings2130962

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Abstract

Since the entrance into the industrial era and the increasing demand for energy due to global economic growth and development, the amount of energy-related emissions have continuously grown every year to significantly high levels. Greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, nitrous oxide or methane cause an increase in the earth’s temperature. Toxic gases like nitrous oxides, Sulphur dioxide and carbon monoxide are extremely detrimental to the health of all living beings. Over the past few years, global organizations are imposing tighter limits by international laws for flue-gas emissions from fossil-fuel combustion. Emission-limiting techniques like filter and scrubber systems have to be installed for waste gas treatment in the exhaust gas streams. In addition, exhaust gas measuring technologies detect the actual emission values of the respective target gases. We present the development of a low-cost and highly sensitive photoacoustic gas detector for the monitoring of emitted combustion gases. First tests were carried out with the toxic Sulphur dioxide (SO2) in secure lab conditions, where a sensitivity below 1 part per million (ppm) was achieved during continuous flow of the gas.

Highlights

Combustion analysis is of high necessity to reduce undesirable and toxic exhaust emissions
We present the development of a low-cost, resonant photoacoustic gas-monitoring device
The molecules start to oscillate in the excited state, which induces a heating of the gas volume in the measurement cell

Summary

Introduction

Combustion analysis is of high necessity to reduce undesirable and toxic exhaust emissions. A number of air pollutants are released from industrial facilities and transportation with fuel-driven engines, harming human health and the environment [1,2,3,4]. Worldwide federal and state laws govern the permitted emission rates of the toxic compounds and are controlled by the federal Environmental. Combustion analysis is performed to monitor toxic and acid rain forming emissions in order to meet these strict federal, state and local regulations [4]. A low-cost combustion gas emission monitoring system with a sensitivity below 1 ppm at continuous gas flow and in harsh environments is still not available. We present the development of a low-cost, resonant photoacoustic gas-monitoring device

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