Nitrous oxide (N 2 O) and carbon monoxide (CO) are important drivers in global warming. However, there are many difficulties in reliable monitoring, especially for N 2 O, as the concentration of N 2 O in atmospheric is only a few hundred parts per billion. However, the compatibility precision recommended by World Meteorological Organization (WMO)is much lower. Therefore, a solution that can offer more precise monitoring is needed.
Recently, a research team led by Professor GAO Xiaoming of Anhui Institute of Optics and Fine Mechanics, Hefei Institutes of Physical Science (HFIPS) developed a dual gas sensor with high precision and low drift to measure atmospheric N 2 O and CO. Related findings were published in Sensors and Actuators B: Chemical
In this research, researchers designed an improved White Cell to obtain long optical path length (76 m) at a short base length (34.5 cm). The radio frequency noise was equipped to low optical fringes. Combined with an Interband Cascade Laser (ICL), they got a high precision spectrometer for atmospheric greenhouse gases N 2 O and CO.
With this spectrometer, researchers can test micro-daily-drift (less than 1.5 part per trillion). The precisions of N 2 O and CO reached 0.065 part per billion and 0.133 part per billion, respectively, which successfully met the requirement of WMO.
This work provides a potentially valuable laser spectrometer for highly precise measurement of greenhouse gases, which is of great significance to the monitoring and suppression of global warming.
Sensors and Actuators B Chemical
29-Oct-2021