A gas sensing device based on a thermal wave resonator cavity is outlined. It is experimentally tested by monitoring the presence of several hydrocarbon vapors in air via the measurement of the thermal diffusivity. It is also shown that its time-dependent response may be used to follow the vapor diffusion. It is shown that its characteristic response time is linearly correlated to the thermal diffusivity value of the mixture. The steps toward the development of a practical sensing device are further discussed.
A gas analyzer device based on thermal wave interference in a cavity is presented. The thermal diffusivity of CO2:air mixtures as a function of the relative concentration is measured. It is demonstrated that different concentrations of CO2 in air can be detected with accuracy using the described experimental device. The results presented here open the possibility to perform routine measurements of thermal diffusivity of binary gas mixtures and using this parameter to monitor the relative gas concentration.
Thermal and transport properties of some polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs), poly-3-hydroxybutyrate and poly-3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate copolymers at different concentrations (8, 14, and 22%), were studied by using photoacoustic and photothermal techniques. Mass diffusion coefficients were obtained for carbon dioxide and oxygen by using a gas analyzer. Specific heat capacity measurements were performed by monitoring temperature of the samples under white light illumination against time. Thermal diffusivities were determined by using the open photoacoustic cell configuration. The results were discussed considering the incorporation of hydroxyvalerate units in the poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) unit cell and were correlated with atomic force microscopy images of the upper surface of membranes. New information on transport properties of PHAs is provided.
A discussion on the use of the thermal wave interference (TWI) for the monitoring of the transient of hydrocarbon in air is presented. The thermal wave signal was modeled using the logarithm-mixing model for the thermal diffusivity of a two-phase gas system in which the hydrocarbon vapor concentration in the air-filled TWI cell is a varying function of time. The time varying hydrocarbon vapor concentration was described assuming the simple Fick’s model for mass diffusion of the hydrocarbon vapor in the stagnant air column of the TWI cell. The transient TWI signal amplitude data fitting yielded two parameters, namely, the saturation concentration and the characteristic diffusion time. From the corresponding values of the diffusion time the hydrocarbon mass diffusivities were straightforwardly obtained.
A discussion on the use of thermal wave interference ͑TWI͒ for the monitoring of the transients of hydrocarbon in air is presented. The thermal wave signal was modeled using the logarithm-mixing model for the thermal diffusivity of a two-phase gas system in which the hydrocarbon vapor concentration in the air-filled TWI cell is a varying function of time. The time varying hydrocarbon vapor concentration was described assuming the simple Fick's model for mass diffusion of the hydrocarbon vapor in the stagnant air column of the TWI cell. The transient TWI signal amplitude data fitting yielded two parameters, namely, the saturation concentration and the characteristic diffusion time. From the corresponding values of the diffusion time the hydrocarbon mass diffusivities were straightforwardly obtained. The obtained values for the hydrocarbon mass diffusivities were found to be in good agreement with the ones reported in the literature.
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