Detection Limit of CO Concentration Measurement in LPG/Air Flame Flue Gas Using Tunable Diode Laser Absorption Spectroscopy

Hard-Target Reflection Laser Spectroscopy of Carbon Monoxide Gas Concentration for the Early Detection of Spontaneous Combustion of Coal

We report on the hard-target reflection spectroscopy of carbon monoxide (CO) gas based on the technique of infrared tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy aiming at developing a low-cost yet sensitive sensor for the early detection of spontaneous coal combustion. A narrow-band distributed feedback laser emitting around 2333.7 nm is used to monitor CO gas molecules contained in a 5 cm gas cell. The light diffusely backscattered from the surface of a lump of coal placed at the end of a 50 cm light path is detected with a photodiode in the coaxial transmitter/receiver setup. From the variation of the detected signal profile with the CO partial pressure in the cell, the detection limit of the current system is estimated to be about 30 parts per million per meter (ppm·m), which meets the sensitivity required for monitoring the self-heating of coal in mines, silos, or stockpiles.

Measurement of Temperature and H2O Concentration in Premixed CH4/Air Flame Using Two Partially Overlapped H2O Absorption Signals in the Near Infrared Region

It is important to monitor the temperature and H2O concentration in a large combustion environment in order to improve combustion (and thermal) efficiency and reduce harmful combustion emissions. However, it is difficult to simultaneously measure both internal temperature and gas concentration in a large combustion system because of the harsh environment with rapid flow. In regard, tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy, which has the advantages of non-intrusive, high-speed response, and in situ measurement, is highly attractive for measuring the concentration of a specific gas species in the combustion environment. In this study, two partially overlapped H2O absorption signals were used in the tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy (TDLAS) to measure the temperature and H2O concentration in a premixed CH4/air flame due to the wide selection of wavelengths with high temperature sensitivity and advantages where high frequency modulation can be applied. The wavelength regions of the two partially overlapped H2O absorptions were 1.3492 and 1.34927 μm. The measured signals separated the multi-peak Voigt fitting. As a result, the temperature measured by TDLAS based on multi-peak Voigt fitting in the premixed CH4/air flame was the highest at 1385.80 K for an equivalence ratio of 1.00. It also showed a similarity to those tendencies to the temperature measured by the corrected R-type T/C. In addition, the H2O concentrations measured by TDLAS based on the total integrated absorbance area for various equivalent ratios were consistent with those calculated by the chemical equilibrium simulation. Additionally, the H2O concentration measured at an equivalence ratio of 1.15 was the highest at 18.92%.