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Sicherheit im Fährverkehr
(2012)
The choice of suitable semiconducting metal oxide (MOX) gas sensors for the detection of a specific gas or gas mixture is time-consuming since the sensor’s sensitivity needs to be characterized at multiple temperatures to find its optimal operating conditions. To obtain reliable measurement results, it is very important that the power for the sensor’s integrated heater is stable, regulated and error-free (or error-tolerant). Especially the error-free requirement can be only be achieved if the power supply implements failure-avoiding and failure-detection methods. The biggest challenge is deriving multiple different voltages from a common supply in an efficient way while keeping the system as small and lightweight as possible. This work presents a reliable, compact, embedded system that addresses the power supply requirements for fully automated simultaneous sensor characterization for up to 16 sensors at multiple temperatures. The system implements efficient (avg. 83.3% efficiency) voltage conversion with low ripple output (<32 mV) and supports static or temperature-cycled heating modes. Voltage and current of each channel are constantly monitored and regulated to guarantee reliable operation. To evaluate the proposed design, 16 sensors were screened. The results are shown in the experimental part of this work.
With the increasing demand for ultrapure water in the pharmaceutical and semiconductor industry, the need for precise measuring instruments for those applications is also growing. One critical parameter of water quality is the amount of total organic carbon (TOC). This work presents a system that uses the advantage of the increased oxidation power achieved with UV/O3 advanced oxidation process (AOP) for TOC measurement in combination with a significant miniaturization compared to the state of the art. The miniaturization is achieved by using polymer-electrolyte membrane (PEM) electrolysis cells for ozone generation in combination with UV-LEDs for irradiation of the measuring solution, as both components are significantly smaller than standard equipment. Conductivity measurement after oxidation is the measuring principle and measurements were carried out in the TOC range between 10 and 1000 ppb TOC. The suitability of the system for TOC measurement is demonstrated using the oxidation by ozonation combined with UV irradiation of defined concentrations of isopropyl alcohol (IPA).
In this work, the surface reactions of the homemade explosive triacetone triperoxide on tungsten oxide (WO3) sensor surfaces are studied to obtain detailed information about the chemical reactions taking place. Semiconductor gas sensors based on WO3 nanopowders are therefore produced and characterized by scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction, and Raman spectroscopy. To analyze the reaction mechanisms at the sensor surface, the sensor is monitored online under operation conditions using Raman spectroscopy, which allows to identify the temperature-dependent sensor reactions. By combining information from the Raman spectra with data on the changing resistivity of the underlying semiconductor, it is possible to establish a correlation between the adsorbed gas species and the physical properties of the WO3 layer. In the results, it is indicated that a Lewis acid–base reaction is the most likely mechanism for the increase in resistance observed at temperatures below 150 °C. In the results, at higher temperatures, the assumption of a radical mechanism that causes a decrease in resistance is supported.
The following work presents algorithms for semi-automatic validation, feature extraction and ranking of time series measurements acquired from MOX gas sensors. Semi-automatic measurement validation is accomplished by extending established curve similarity algorithms with a slope-based signature calculation. Furthermore, a feature-based ranking metric is introduced. It allows for individual prioritization of each feature and can be used to find the best performing sensors regarding multiple research questions. Finally, the functionality of the algorithms, as well as the developed software suite, are demonstrated with an exemplary scenario, illustrating how to find the most power-efficient MOX gas sensor in a data set collected during an extensive screening consisting of 16,320 measurements, all taken with different sensors at various temperatures and analytes.
Detection of triacetone triperoxide using temperature cycled metal-oxide semiconductor gas sensors
(2015)
Unkonventionelle Spreng- und Brandvorrichtungen sind Bedrohungen in den weltweiten Konfliktherden und werden bei terroristischen Aktivitäten verwendet. Der Schutz von Menschen und Material erfordert daher effektive Gegenmaßnahmen. Dazu gehört auch die Anforderung an Sicherheitskräfte oder militärisches Personal, unbekannte Substanzfunde mit geringem zeitlichem und logistischem Aufwand vor Ort als gefährdend oder unkritisch einzustufen. Um Explosivstoffe von nicht-explosiven Materialien zu unterscheiden, kann die bei Explosivstoffen initiierbare, stark exotherme Reaktion genutzt werden. Diese resultiert in Strahlungsemissionen sowie in lokaler Druck- und Temperaturerhöhung. Die Messung dieser Reaktionseffekte und die Anforderung an eine mobile, einfach zu bedienende und robuste Analytik werden durch ein System ermöglicht, das Proben im einstelligen mg-Bereich durch schnelles Erhitzen auf mikrostrukturierten Heizern zum chemischen Umsatz anregt. Die emittierte Strahlung wird mit Photodioden im Bereich des sichtbaren und nah-infraroten Lichts aufgenommen, ein Sensor registriert die Druckerhöhung in einer geschlossenen Versuchskammer. In einem zweiten Aufbau werden die gasförmigen Reaktionsprodukte über ein Sensorarray von vier kommerziellen Gassensoren geleitet und die Signalantworten der Halbleitergassensoren mittels Hauptkomponentenanalyse ausgewertet. Die Ergebnisse zeigen, dass die schnelle thermische Aktivierung für die untersuchten primären Explosivstoffe, Treibladungspulver, sowie Trinitrotoluol (TNT) reproduzierbar erfolgt. Nicht-Explosivstoffe werden dabei im untersuchten Umfang sicher als unkritisch erkannt. Die Auswertung der Gassensorsignale liefert eine Unterscheidung von Nitrat- und Peroxid-basierten Sprengstoffen sowie von nicht-explosiven Substanzen.
The simultaneous operation of multiple different semiconducting metal oxide (MOX) gas sensors is demanding for the readout circuitry. The challenge results from the strongly varying signal intensities of the various sensor types to the target gas. While some sensors change their resistance only slightly, other types can react with a resistive change over a range of several decades. Therefore, a suitable readout circuit has to be able to capture all these resistive variations, requiring it to have a very large dynamic range. This work presents a compact embedded system that provides a full, high range input interface (readout and heater management) for MOX sensor operation. The system is modular and consists of a central mainboard that holds up to eight sensor-modules, each capable of supporting up to two MOX sensors, therefore supporting a total maximum of 16 different sensors. Its wide input range is archived using the resistance-to-time measurement method. The system is solely built with commercial off-the-shelf components and tested over a range spanning from 100Ω to 5 GΩ (9.7 decades) with an average measurement error of 0.27% and a maximum error of 2.11%. The heater management uses a well-tested power-circuit and supports multiple modes of operation, hence enabling the system to be used in highly automated measurement applications. The experimental part of this work presents the results of an exemplary screening of 16 sensors, which was performed to evaluate the system’s performance.