PHOTOACOUSTIC GAS SENSOR DEVICES

• Main Authors: BÜRGI, Lukas, HUNZIKER, Werner, UEHLINGER, Thomas
• Format: Patent
• Language: English; French; German
• Published: 25.01.2023
• Subjects: INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIRCHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES; MEASURING; PHYSICS; TESTING

A photoacoustic gas sensor device for determining a value indicative of a presence or a concentration of a component in a gas comprises a measurement cell (2) enclosing a measurement volume (3) and a gas permeable area (4) in the measurement cell (2) for a gas to enter the measurement volume (3). An electromagnetic radiation source (7) is arranged to emit electromagnetic radiation (8) into the measurement volume (3), and a pressure transducer (6) is arranged to measure a sound wave (9) generated by the component in response to an absorption of electromagnetic radiation (8) by the component in the measurement volume (3). In one aspect, the gas permeable area (4) is represented by a porous gas permeable membrane (5) with an average pore size of the porous gas permeable membrane (5) between 10 nm and 1 µm. In another aspect the gas permeable area (4) is represented by an area of the measurement cell (2) containing holes (211) reaching through an otherwise gas tight material of the measurement cell (2), with a diameter of the holes (211) between 100 nm and 10 µm.