Optical emission line monitor with background observation and cancellation
A fiber optics based optical emission line monitoring system is provided in which selected spectral emission lines, such as the sodium D-line emission in coal combustion, may be detected in the presence of interferring background or blackbody radiation with emissions much greater in intensity than that of the emission line being detected. A bifurcated fiber optic light guide is adapted at the end of one branch to view the combustion light which is guided to a first bandpass filter, adapted to the common trunk end of the fiber. A portion of the light is reflected back through the common trunk portion of the fiber to a second bandpass filter adapted to the end of the other branch of the fiber. The first filter bandpass is centered at a wavelength corresponding to the emission line to be detected with a bandwidth of about three nanometers (nm). The second filter is centered at the same wavelength but having a width of about 10 nm. First and second light detectors are located to view the light passing through the first and second filters respectively. Thus, the second detector is blind to the light corresponding to the emission line of interest detected by the first detector and the difference between the two detector outputs is uniquely indicative of the intensity of only the combustion flame emission of interest. This instrument can reduce the effects of interfering blackbody radiation by greater than 20 dB.
- Research Organization:
- USDOE Morgantown Energy Technology Center (METC), WV (United States)
- Assignee:
- Dept. of Energy
- Application Number:
- ON: DE85017745
- OSTI ID:
- 5412546
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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Related Subjects
ORGANIC
PHYSICAL AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
COMBUSTION
EMISSION SPECTROSCOPY
OPTICAL SYSTEMS
COAL
FIBER OPTICS
LASER SPECTROSCOPY
CARBONACEOUS MATERIALS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
ENERGY SOURCES
FOSSIL FUELS
FUELS
MATERIALS
OXIDATION
SPECTROSCOPY
THERMOCHEMICAL PROCESSES
400800* - Combustion
Pyrolysis
& High-Temperature Chemistry
400104 - Spectral Procedures- (-1987)