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In the great majority of cases, the design of resonant photoacoustic cells is based on the use of resonators excited at the frequencies of their main resonances. This work presents a solution in which the use of a multi-cavity structure with the appropriate selection of the mechanical parameters of the cavities and the interconnecting ducts allows for the shaping of the frequency response of the cell. Such solutions may be particularly useful when the purpose of the designed cells is operation at multiple frequencies, e.g., in applications with the simultaneous detection of multiple gaseous compounds. The concept is tested with cells made using 3D printing technology. The measured frequency responses of the tested cells show very good agreement with the simulation results. This allows for an approach in which the development of a cell with the desired frequency response can be initially based on modeling, without the need for the time-consuming and expensive process of manufacturing and measuring numerous modifications of the cell. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photoacoustic spectroscopy (PAS) can be utilized as an ultrasensitive gas detection method. The basic principles of gas detection using PAS are discussed in this paper. First, the basic instrumentation for a PAS gas detection system is introduced focusing on the photoacoustic cell. The discussion includes non-resonant photoacoustic cells and the different types of resonant photoacoustic cells, including the longitudinal photoacoustic cell, the Helmholtz photoacoustic cell, the T-type photoacoustic cell, and the high-frequency resonant photoacoustic cell. The basic working principles of each of these, cells as well as the advantages and disadvantages of photoacoustic cells are discussed, and the development of newer types of photoacoustic cells in recent years is outlined in detail. This review provides detailed reference information and guidance for interested researchers who would like to design and build advanced photoacoustic cells for gas detection. Graphical abstract This is a visual representation of the abstract. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atmospheric aerosols play a pivotal role in the earth-atmospheric system. Analyzing their optical properties, specifically absorption and scattering coefficients, is essential for comprehending the impact of aerosols on climate. When different optical properties of aerosols are individually measured using multiple devices, cumulative errors in the detection results inevitably occur. To address this challenge, based on photoacoustic spectroscopy (PAS) and integrating sphere (IS) scattering enhancement, a compact gas cell (PASIS-Cell) was developed. The PASIS-Cell comprises a dual-T-type photoacoustic cell (DTPAC) and an IS. IS is coupled with DTPAC through a transparent quartz tube, thereby enhancing the scattering signal without compromising the acoustic characteristics of DTPAC. Concurrently, DTPAC can realize high-performance photoacoustic detection of absorption signal. Experimental results demonstrate that PASIS-Cell can simultaneously invert atmospheric aerosol absorption and scattering coefficients, with a minimum detection limit of less than 1 Mm−1, showcasing its potential in the analysis of aerosol optical properties.

In this paper, we propose and experimentally demonstrate a symmetric multi-resonant cavity photoacoustic cell (MR-PAC) with dual microphones detection, based on multi-resonator photoacoustic spectroscopy (MR-PAS). The designed photoacoustic cell contains three interconnected acoustic resonators to facilitate simultaneous control of three lasers for multi-gas sensing. Two microphones are symmetrically located at both sides of photoacoustic cell to implement two-point detection. The length of acoustic resonator is about 50 mm to minimize the photoacoustic cell, and the resonant frequency is around 3000 Hz. Feasibility and performance of the MR-PAC was demonstrated by simultaneous detection of C2H2, NO and CF4 using a near infrared diode laser and two mid infrared quantum cascade lasers. The minimum detection limits (MDLs) of C2H2, NO and CF4 are 480 ppb, 260 ppb and 0.57 ppb respectively with a 1 s integration time at normal atmospheric pressure. This minimized MR-PAS system is promising for the portable multi-gas sensing.

Detection of dissolved gases in oceans is critically needed for global carbon cycle investigation. However, most in situ optical detection techniques, as far as we know, have restricted measurement efficiency due to large gas consumption. Herein, we develop a sub-mL photoacoustic gas sensor with a simple configuration. A single-mode fiber directly guides the incident laser into the photoacoustic cell without any other free-space optics. Thus, a reduced inner size of 12 mm × 6 mm × 4 mm enables the effective detection of limited dissolved gas. We employ methane (CH4) as an example to demonstrate its sensing performance. The sensor achieves a good linear response with an R-square value of 0.9989 and a minimum detection limit of 1.1 ppmv, corresponding to a normalized noise equivalent absorption coefficient of 7.75 × 10−8 W·cm−1·Hz−1/2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SO2F2 and SOF2 are the main components from the decomposition of insulation gas SF6. Photoacoustic spectroscopy (PAS) has been acknowledged as an accurate sensing technique. Polar material adsorption for SO2F2 and SOF2 in the photoacoustic gas cell of PAS may affect detection efficiency. In this paper, the optical gas-cell dynamic adsorptions of four different materials and the detection effects on SO2F2 and SOF2 are theoretically analyzed and experimentally demonstrated. The materials, including grade 304 stainless steel (SUS304), grade 6061 aluminum alloy (Al6061), polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDC), and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), were applied inside the optical gas cell. The results show that, compared with metallic SUS304 and Al6061, plastic PVDC and PTFE would reduce the gas adsorption of SO2F2 and SOF2 by 10 to 20% and shorten the response time during gas exchange. The complete gas defusing period in the experiment was about 30 s. The maximum variations of the 90% rising time between the different adsorption materials were approximately 3 s for SO2F2 and 6 s for SOF2, while the generated photoacoustic magnitudes were identical. This paper explored the material selection for PAS-based gas sensing in practical applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In photoacoustic spectroscopy, the signal is inversely proportional to the resonant cell volume. Photoacoustic spectroscopy (PAS) is an absorption spectroscopy technique that is suitable for detecting gases at low concentrations. This desirable feature has created a growing interest in miniaturizing PA cells in recent years. In this paper, a simulation of a miniaturized H-type photoacoustic cell consisting of two buffer holes and a resonator was performed in order to detect CO, NH3, NO, and CH4 pollutants. These gases are the main components of the air pollutants that are produced by the automotive industry. The linear forms of the continuity, Navier–Stokes equations, and the energy equation were solved using the finite element method in a gaseous medium. The generated pressure could be measured by a MEMS sensor. Photoacoustic spectroscopy has proven to be a sensitive method for detecting pollutant gases. The objectives of the measurements were: determining the proper position of the pressure gauge sensor; measuring the frequency response; measuring the frequency response changes at different temperatures; studying the local velocity at the resonant frequency; and calculating the quality factor. The acoustic quality coefficient, acoustic response (pressure), local velocity, frequency response, and the effect of different temperatures on the frequency response were investigated. A frequency response measurement represents the fact that different gases have different resonance frequencies, for which CO and NO gases had values of 23.131 kHz and 23.329 kHz, respectively. The difference between these gases was 200 Hz. NH3 and CH4 gases with values of 21.206 kHz and 21.106 kHz were separable with a difference of 100 Hz. In addition, CO and NO gases had a difference of 2000 Hz compared to NH3 and CH4, which indicates the characteristic fingerprint of the designed cell in the detection of different gases. Better access to high-frequency acoustic signals was the goal of the presented model in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In photoacoustic spectroscopy, the photoacoustic cell plays the role of amplifying the photoacoustic signal, and the optimization of its parameters affects the sensitivity and dimensions of the whole system. However, none of the current optimization studies of photoacoustic cells have considered in depth the influence of beam waist radius, which limits the reduction of the size of photoacoustic cells. In this paper, based on the theory of photoacoustic spectroscopy, considering the inhomogeneity of the spatial distribution of the Gaussian beam energy and neglecting the loss of the beam in the acoustic resonator, a theoretical model of the effect of the beam waist radius on the cell constant of the first-order longitudinal resonant frequency is established. Six photoacoustic cells with different resonator radii were designed and measured for acetylene at five different beam waist radii. The relationship among beam waist radius, radius of acoustic resonator and cell constants shows that choosing a radius of resonator that matches the waist radius results in a more sensitive and smaller photoacoustic cell. The study provides a reference for the design of miniaturized photoacoustic cells with high sensitivity, thus promising to further improve the miniaturization of photoacoustic spectroscopy systems for more application scenarios. • A model of the effect of waist radius on the cell constant is established. • Choose a radius of resonator that matches the waist radius. • Considering the waist radius makes the photoacoustic cell smaller and more sensitive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Detection of dissolved gases in oceans is critically needed for global carbon cycle investigation. However, most in situ optical detection techniques, as far as we know, have restricted measurement efficiency due to large gas consumption. Herein, we develop a sub-mL photoacoustic gas sensor with a simple configuration. A single-mode fiber directly guides the incident laser into the photoacoustic cell without any other free-space optics. Thus, a reduced inner size of 12 mm × 6 mm × 4 mm enables the effective detection of limited dissolved gas. We employ methane (CH4) as an example to demonstrate its sensing performance. The sensor achieves a good linear response with an R-square value of 0.9989 and a minimum detection limit of 1.1 ppmv, corresponding to a normalized noise equivalent absorption coefficient of 7.75 × 10−8 W·cm−1·Hz−1/2.

Photoacoustic spectroscopy (PAS) is a sensitive spectroscopic technique for trace gas sensing. As a key component of a PA sensor system, the cell constant of the cylindrical PA cell has been simulated for optimizing geometric design, and the acoustic pressure distribution and frequency response of the first longitudinal and radial modes are analyzed by using a self‐established algorithm model. According to the theoretical simulation, a resonant PAS sensor system was finally designed and evaluated at the first longitudinal mode for trace water vapor detection. Highly sensitive wavelength modulation spectroscopy and second harmonic detection technique was combined with PAS detection method for enhancing sensitivity. Allan deviation analysis indicates that a detection limit of 2 ppm for H2O could be achieved at an optimal integration time of 200 s, corresponding to a normalized noise equivalent absorption coefficient of 2.59×10−9W⋅cm−1Hz−1/2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SO2F2 and SOF2 are the main components from the decomposition of insulation gas SF6. Photoacoustic spectroscopy (PAS) has been acknowledged as an accurate sensing technique. Polar material adsorption for SO2F2 and SOF2 in the photoacoustic gas cell of PAS may affect detection efficiency. In this paper, the optical gas-cell dynamic adsorptions of four different materials and the detection effects on SO2F2 and SOF2 are theoretically analyzed and experimentally demonstrated. The materials, including grade 304 stainless steel (SUS304), grade 6061 aluminum alloy (Al6061), polyvinylidene difluoride (PVDC), and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE), were applied inside the optical gas cell. The results show that, compared with metallic SUS304 and Al6061, plastic PVDC and PTFE would reduce the gas adsorption of SO2F2 and SOF2 by 10 to 20% and shorten the response time during gas exchange. The complete gas defusing period in the experiment was about 30 s. The maximum variations of the 90% rising time between the different adsorption materials were approximately 3 s for SO2F2 and 6 s for SOF2, while the generated photoacoustic magnitudes were identical. This paper explored the material selection for PAS-based gas sensing in practical applications.

The existence of a signal baseline due to a variety of reasons in a photoacoustic (PA) gas measurement system is a common phenomenon. One major component is the absorption of optical windows in an enclosed PA cell. This work explores the relation between the background signal and the thermoelastic effect inside the windows by modelling the pressure and elastic wave field by means of a Green-function based method. The influence of laser incidence location, angle and radius is discussed based on a rigorous three-dimensional solid-to-fluid coupling model. The effects were theoretically demonstrated culminating in the determination of best (minimum background signal) performance using a collimated and expanded incident laser beam. The results were also validated through experiments.

Background: NO2 detection is necessary because NO2 is an air pollutant causing photochemical smog and acid rain. In addition, respiratory diseases are caused by high levels of NO2 in the inhaled air. Aim: The purpose of this study was to detect NO2 using PAS utilizing Arduino Uno, an easy, simple, and low-cost research. Methods: The detection of Nitrogen Dioxide (NO2) gas with a Photoacoustic Spectrometer (PAS) using an Arduino Uno microcontroller has been carried out. The PAS system uses a blue diode laser with a wavelength of 450 nm as the radiation source because this wavelength is suitable for NO2 gas. The intensity of the laser beam is modulated using a modulation system with an on-off scheme using the Arduino Uno. The modulation frequency has been varied to get the maximum detection frequency. The photoacoustic cell used was a single resonator photoacoustic cell with type H. Sound sensor and photodiode were used in this measurement. The amplification of the signal was done by utilizing the Lock-in amplifier, and the constant time of Lock-in amplifier was also determined to optimize the PAS. Nitrogen gas was used to detect background signal. Results and Discussion: From the photoacoustic spectrometer optimization, the results obtained were a laser diode frequency of 1,000 Hz with a duty cycle of 50% and a Lock-in amplifier amplification of 10,000 times with a constant time of 3.3 ms. The maximum concentration reached in this measurement was 6 ppm. The background signal achieved in this measurement was 0.00002 V/W. The lowest detection limit achieved in this measurement was 0.0064 ppm. Conclusion: The gas sample containers containing NO2 with larger sizes tend to have a greater concentration. Sometimes, the NO2 concentration of the large sample gas container was overtaken by the small sample container. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In photoacoustic spectroscopy, the signal is inversely proportional to the resonant cell volume. Photoacoustic spectroscopy (PAS) is an absorption spectroscopy technique that is suitable for detecting gases at low concentrations. This desirable feature has created a growing interest in miniaturizing PA cells in recent years. In this paper, a simulation of a miniaturized H-type photoacoustic cell consisting of two buffer holes and a resonator was performed in order to detect CO, NH3, NO, and CH4 pollutants. These gases are the main components of the air pollutants that are produced by the automotive industry. The linear forms of the continuity, Navier–Stokes equations, and the energy equation were solved using the finite element method in a gaseous medium. The generated pressure could be measured by a MEMS sensor. Photoacoustic spectroscopy has proven to be a sensitive method for detecting pollutant gases. The objectives of the measurements were: determining the proper position of the pressure gauge sensor; measuring the frequency response; measuring the frequency response changes at different temperatures; studying the local velocity at the resonant frequency; and calculating the quality factor. The acoustic quality coefficient, acoustic response (pressure), local velocity, frequency response, and the effect of different temperatures on the frequency response were investigated. A frequency response measurement represents the fact that different gases have different resonance frequencies, for which CO and NO gases had values of 23.131 kHz and 23.329 kHz, respectively. The difference between these gases was 200 Hz. NH3 and CH4 gases with values of 21.206 kHz and 21.106 kHz were separable with a difference of 100 Hz. In addition, CO and NO gases had a difference of 2000 Hz compared to NH3 and CH4, which indicates the characteristic fingerprint of the designed cell in the detection of different gases. Better access to high-frequency acoustic signals was the goal of the presented model in this paper.

An alternative photoacoustic cell configuration for the determination of the thermal diffusivity (α), at room temperature, for solid materials is presented. The method is based on the use of two identical photoacoustic chambers, inside both of them, a metallic foil thermally thin is used to transform the light energy to heat energy. A Reference material placed parallel to a study material allows to relate the thermal properties of the materials used as support in the photoacoustic chambers of the experimental arrangement presented here. The ratio between experimental and theoretical photoacoustic amplitudes is realized to validate a proposed mathematical model.

The concentration of trace gases in the atmospheric environment is extremely low, but it has a great impact on the living environment of organisms. Photoacoustic spectroscopy has attracted extensive attention in the field of trace gas detection because of its high sensitivity, good selectivity, and fast response. As the core of a photoacoustic detection setup, the photoacoustic cell has a significant impact on detection performance. To improve detection sensitivity, a sphere-tube coupled photoacoustic cell (STPAC) was developed, which was mainly composed of a diffuse-reflective sphere and an acoustic resonance tube. Modulated light was reflected multiple times in the sphere to increase optical path, and photoacoustic (PA) signals were further amplified by the tube. Based on STPAC, a PA gas detection setup was built with a laser diode (LD) at 450 nm as the light source. The experimental results showed that the minimum detection limit (noise equivalent concentration, NEC) of NO2 was ~0.7 parts per billion (ppb). Compared with the T-type PA cell (TPAC) in which the modulated light passed through the sphere, the signal-to-noise ratio of STPAC was increased by an order of magnitude at the same concentration of the NO2 sample.

In this paper, photoacoustic spectroscopy method is used for hydrogen gas detection. In order to improve the performance of the sensor, we have used a miniaturized dumbbell-shaped cell containing two buffer volumes and a resonator. The coupled photoacoustic equations have been solved in gaseous environment using finite-element-method and by corresponding validation. The impacts of various effective parameters such as frequency response, quality factor, acoustic pressure and heat have been analyzed. Frequency analysis in the hydrogen gas medium leads to the first natural frequency of the sensor at 88.563 kHz which has 65 kHz difference with the second natural frequency. By studying the behavior of the resonance frequencies of the proposed system, the optimum location for the sensor positioning of the designed system has been investigated for different gases and the results show that the designed photoacoustic sensor has the fingerprint feature for detecting hydrogen gas. Moreover, the results of the cell filled by hydrogen gas have been compared to those obtained from other gases such as propane, nitrogen and carbon dioxide. The performance of the system is also evaluated for volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen dioxide (NO 2). The analysis of the proposed miniature system shows a significant improvement in the quality factor as well as the reduction in system losses. • A Photoacoustic spectroscopy method is studied in order to detect hydrogen gas. • The equations for a miniaturized dumbbell-shaped cell are solved using FEM. • The natural frequencies of the system are studied. • The optimum position for the pressure sensor is investigated. • Results show that the system has fingerprint feature for detection of H 2 at 80 kHz. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photoacoustic (PA) spectroscopy techniques enable the detection of trace substances. However, lower threshold detection requirements are increasingly common in practical applications. Thus, we propose a systematic geometry topology optimization approach on a PA cell to enhance the intensity of its detection signal. The model of topology optimization and pressure acoustics in the finite element method was exploited to construct a PA cell and then acquire the optimal structure. In the assessment, a thermo-acoustic model was constructed to properly simulate the frequency response over the range of 0–70 kHz and the temperature field distribution. The simulation results revealed that the acoustic gain of the optimized cell was 2.7 and 1.3 times higher than conventional cells near 25 and 52 kHz, respectively. Moreover, the optimized PA cell achieved a lower threshold detection over a wide frequency range. Ultimately, this study paves a new way for designing and optimizing the geometry of multifarious high-sensitivity PA sensors.

Atmospheric aerosols play a pivotal role in the earth-atmospheric system. Analyzing their optical properties, specifically absorption and scattering coefficients, is essential for comprehending the impact of aerosols on climate. When different optical properties of aerosols are individually measured using multiple devices, cumulative errors in the detection results inevitably occur. To address this challenge, based on photoacoustic spectroscopy (PAS) and integrating sphere (IS) scattering enhancement, a compact gas cell (PASIS-Cell) was developed. The PASIS-Cell comprises a dual-T-type photoacoustic cell (DTPAC) and an IS. IS is coupled with DTPAC through a transparent quartz tube, thereby enhancing the scattering signal without compromising the acoustic characteristics of DTPAC. Concurrently, DTPAC can realize high-performance photoacoustic detection of absorption signal. Experimental results demonstrate that PASIS-Cell can simultaneously invert atmospheric aerosol absorption and scattering coefficients, with a minimum detection limit of less than 1 Mm -1 , showcasing its potential in the analysis of aerosol optical properties., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (© 2024 The Authors.)

• A H-type resonance-enhanced multi-pass PA cell with low power loss was designed. • Optical length extension and acoustic resonance were used to enhance the PA signal. • CO 2 and CH 4 dual-gas detection was realized using time division multiplexing. • The developed sensor was used for on-line analysis of coal mine gas. A dual-gas sensor system was developed using a H-type resonance-enhanced multi-pass photoacoustic (PA) cell. The sensitivity was improved by the double enhancement of optical path length extension and acoustic resonance. Two silver-coated concave mirrors with a reflectivity of > 95% were fabricated to form a multi-pass PA cell. The laser beam was reflected 24 times to obtain an optical path length of ∼ 3.6 m. The sensor performance was evaluated using a 1572.34 nm laser for CO 2 measurement and a 1653.73 nm laser for CH 4 measurement. The PA signal amplitude is enhanced by a factor of > 10. The limits of detection of CO 2 and CH 4 are respectively 20.83 parts per million by volume (ppmv) and 0.43 ppmv. The normalized noise equivalent absorption (NNEA) coefficients are 3.02 × 10−9 cm−1‧W‧Hz−1/2 for CO 2 and 9.75 × 10−9 cm−1‧W‧Hz−1/2 for CH 4. Online in-situ gas analysis in a coal mine verifies the practicability of the sensor system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we propose and experimentally demonstrate a symmetric multi-resonant cavity photoacoustic cell (MR-PAC) with dual microphones detection, based on multi-resonator photoacoustic spectroscopy (MR-PAS). The designed photoacoustic cell contains three interconnected acoustic resonators to facilitate simultaneous control of three lasers for multi-gas sensing. Two microphones are symmetrically located at both sides of photoacoustic cell to implement two-point detection. The length of acoustic resonator is about 50 mm to minimize the photoacoustic cell, and the resonant frequency is around 3000 Hz. Feasibility and performance of the MR-PAC was demonstrated by simultaneous detection of C 2 H 2 , NO and CF 4 using a near infrared diode laser and two mid infrared quantum cascade lasers. The minimum detection limits (MDLs) of C 2 H 2 , NO and CF 4 are 480 ppb, 260 ppb and 0.57 ppb respectively with a 1 s integration time at normal atmospheric pressure. This minimized MR-PAS system is promising for the portable multi-gas sensing., Competing Interests: The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: CHAOTAN SIMA reports financial support was provided by National Natural Science Foundation of China. PING LU reports financial support was provided by National Natural Science Foundation of China. PING LU reports financial support was provided by Science Fund for Creative Research Groups of the Nature Science Foundation of Hubei., (© 2023 The Authors.)

The aim of this study was to correlate the apparent diffusion coefficients with the morphological changes that take place in pericarp through the evaluation of cooking stage of corn grains, in order to set the process conditions, where the diffusion rate is faster to reduce time in nixtamalization process. In order to set the process conditions where the diffusion rate is greater to reduce the nixtamalización process time. The diffusion of calcium was studied at three temperatures (70, 80 and 90 °C). The cooking of the corn was conducted in a differential photoacoustic cell (DPC). Additionally, diffusion process was simulated in a modulated temperature differential scanning calorimeter (MDSC). After cooking, the residual calcium content in the pericarp was determined by atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS). These data were used to solve the mathematical modeling. The diffusion model employed was developed using Fick's law in order to explain the transport of mass into the corn. The diffusion phenomenon was related to the morphological changes experienced by pericarp using the low-vacuum scanning electron microscopy technique (LV-SEM). The final apparent diffusion coefficients were 0.9265, 1.2101 and 1.4533m²/s x 10-8 at 70, 80 and 90 °C respectively; then, the best process conditions recommended for cooking stage of QPM corn grains are 90 °C during 50 min. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concentration of trace gases in the atmospheric environment is extremely low, but it has a great impact on the living environment of organisms. Photoacoustic spectroscopy has attracted extensive attention in the field of trace gas detection because of its high sensitivity, good selectivity, and fast response. As the core of a photoacoustic detection setup, the photoacoustic cell has a significant impact on detection performance. To improve detection sensitivity, a sphere-tube coupled photoacoustic cell (STPAC) was developed, which was mainly composed of a diffuse-reflective sphere and an acoustic resonance tube. Modulated light was reflected multiple times in the sphere to increase optical path, and photoacoustic (PA) signals were further amplified by the tube. Based on STPAC, a PA gas detection setup was built with a laser diode (LD) at 450 nm as the light source. The experimental results showed that the minimum detection limit (noise equivalent concentration, NEC) of NO2 was ~0.7 parts per billion (ppb). Compared with the T-type PA cell (TPAC) in which the modulated light passed through the sphere, the signal-to-noise ratio of STPAC was increased by an order of magnitude at the same concentration of the NO2 sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]