Research and Development of Non-Spectroscopic MEMS-Based Sensor Arrays for Targeted Gas Detection

Technical Report · Mon Oct 24 00:00:00 EDT 2011

DOI:https://doi.org/10.2172/1035279· OSTI ID:1035279

Loui, A. ^[1]; McCall, S. K. ^[1]

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1. Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)

The ability to monitor the integrity of gas volumes is of interest to the stockpile surveillance community. Specifically, the leak detection of noble gases, at relevant concentration ranges and distinguished from other chemical species that may be simultaneously present, is particularly challenging. Aside from the laboratory-based method of gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), where samples may be collected by solid-phase microextraction (SPME) or cryofocusing, the other major approaches for gas-phase detection employ lasers typically operating in the mid-infrared wavelength region. While mass spectrometry can readily detect noble gases - the helium leak detector is an obvious example - laser-based methods such as infrared (IR) or Raman spectroscopy are completely insensitive to them as their monatomic nature precludes a non-zero dipole moment or changes in polarizability upon excitation.

• Research Organization: Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 1035279
• Report Number(s): LLNL-TR--509016
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION
71 CLASSICAL AND QUANTUM MECHANICS
GENERAL PHYSICS
DETECTION
ELECTROMECHANICS
LEAK DETECTORS
MICROELECTRONICS
MONITORING
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
RARE GASES
RESONANCE
SENSORS
STOCKPILES
THERMAL CONDUCTIVITY
VOLUME