Carbon Monoxide Detection (CO)

Application areas of laser-based carbon monoxide detection

nanoplus lasers for carbon monoxide detection are used for various applications including:

Process Optimization: Combustion control
Environment: Emission control
Safety: Early fire detection
Health: Breath gas analysis
Health: Analysis of surgical smoke

Tunable diode laser spectroscopy allows measuring CO with up to ppb precision in real time and in situ. Providing long-term stability and requiring little maintenance, nanoplus lasers are suitable for operation in harsh environments.

Standard wavelengths for carbon monoxide detection

nanoplus offers various wavelengths to target the vibrational-rotational bands of carbon monoxide. Literature recommends the following wavelengths for carbon monoxide detection:

Select your wavelength for carbon monoxide detection

Above wavelengths as well as further customized wavelengths for carbon monoxide detection are available from nanoplus.

When you choose your wavelength, you have to consider your product set up, environment and nature of the measurement.

These factors influence the optimum wavelength for your application. Do have a look at the Hitran Database to further evaluate your choice of wavelengths. Our application experts are equally happy to discuss with you the most suitable wavelength for your application.

Let us know the wavelength you require with an accuracy of 0.1 nm!

Figure 1: Absorption features of carbon monoxide in the 0.76 µm to 6.0 µm range

Related information for laser-based carbon monoxide detection

Specifications & Mountings

Applications

Papers & Links

The following tables analyse the typical specifications of the standard wavelengths for CO detection.

electro-optical properties of 1568.0 nm DFB laser diode	symbol	unit	minimum	typical	maximum
standard wavelength	λ	nm		1568.0
absorption line strength	S	cm / mol		∼ 2 x 10^-23
output power	p_out	mW	5	7	10
threshold current	l_th	mA	10	20	30
current tuning coefficient	c_T	nm / mA	0.008	0.015	0.02
temperature tuning coefficient	c_I	nm / K	0.07	0.1	0.14
mode hop free tuning range	Δλ	nm	+/- 0.5	+/- 0.7	+/- 1

electro-optical properties of 2330.0 nm DFB laser diode	symbol	unit	minimum	typical	maximum
standard wavelength	λ	nm		2330.0
absorption line strength	S	cm / mol		∼ 3 x 10^-21
output power	p_out	mW		3
threshold current	l_th	mA	10	25	30
current tuning coefficient	c_T	nm / mA	0.01	0.02	0.05
temperature tuning coefficient	c_I	nm / K	0.18	0.22	0.25
mode hop free tuning range	Δλ	nm		+/- 0.5

electro-optical properties of 4610.0 nm DFB interband cascade laser	symbol	unit	minimum	typical	maximum
standard wavelength	λ	nm		4610.0
absorption line strength	S	cm / mol		∼5 x 10^-19
output power	p_out	mW		> 2
threshold current	l_th	mA	30	40	70
current tuning coefficient	c_T	nm / mA		0.14
temperature tuning coefficient	c_I	nm / K		0.48
mode hop free tuning range	Δλ	nm		+/- 0.5

mounting options / technical drawings	wavelength	TEC	cap with window	AR cap with AR window	fiber	heatsink	collimation
TO5.6	760 nm - 3000 nm	NA	✔	NA	NA	NA	NA
TO5	760 nm - 3000 nm	✔	NA	✔	NA	✔	✔
TO66	3000 nm - 6000 nm	✔	NA	✔	NA	✔	✔
c-mount	760 nm - 3000 nm	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA	NA
SM-BTF	760 nm - 2360 nm	✔	NA	NA	single mode	NA	NA
PM-BTF	1064 nm - 2050 nm	✔	NA	NA	polarization maintaining	NA	NA

Ask for further packages.

Please find below a number of application samples.

Combustion control in high temperature processes: CO
CO is a major element in high temperature processes. Optimizing CO concentration in flue gas increases combustion efficiency. Simultaneously, it reduces greenhouse gas emissions. CO detection at long wavelengths like 2.8 µm and 4.3 µm uses stronger vibrational absorption features than the shorter wavelength ranges. This effect increases the sensitivity of the detector and allows using measurement set ups with short path lengths. [3, 12, 35, 48, 111, 125]

Combustion control in high temperature processes: O₂ and CO
Oxygen control enhances process and cost efficiency of incinerators. Oxidation requires excess air. But too much air cools down the combustion and increases the amount of CO in the flue gas. Real-time and in situ monitoring helps to optimize the oxygen content in combustion processes. [3]

Early fire detection: CO
Early fire detection technologies rely on highly sensitive detection of carbon monoxide. Coal-fired power plants, steel mills or biomass deposits use these smoke detectors to increase process and workers safety.

Monitoring of breath gas: CO
The relatively new research field of breath analysis defines CO concentration in exhaled breath as a biomarker for e. g. respiratory infections and asthma. [63].

Please find below a selection of related papers from our literature list.

Let us know if you published a paper with our lasers. We will be happy to include it in our literature list.

#3 Gas monitoring in the process industry using diode laser spectroscopy;
I. Linnerud, P.Kaspersen, T. Jaeger, Appl. Phys. B 67, 1998, pp. 297-305.

#32 Single-frequency Sb-based distributed-feedback lasers emitting at 2.3 µm above room temperature for application in tunable diode laser absorption spectroscopy;
A. Salhi, D. Barat, D. Romanini, Y. Rouillard, A. Ouvrard, R. Werner, J. Seufert, J. Koeth, A. Vicet, A. Garnache, Appl. Opt., 45, 20., pp. 4957-4965.

#35 TDLAS-based sensors for in situ measurement of syngas composition in a pressurized, oxygen-blown, entrained flow coal gasifier;
R. Sur, K. Sun, J.B. Jeffries, R.K. Hanson, R.J. Pummill, T. Waind, D.R. Wagner, K.J. Whitty, Appl. Phys. B, 116, 1, 2014, pp. 33-42.

#43 Chemical analysis of surgical smoke by infrared laser spectroscopy;
Michele Gianella, Markus W. Sigrist, Appl. Phys. B, 109, 3, Nov. 2012, pp. 485-496.

#48 Absolute, spatially resolved, in situ CO profiles in atmospheric laminar counter-flow diffusion flames using 2.3 µm TDLAS;
S. Wagner, M. Klein, T. Kathrotia, U. Riedel, T. Kissel, A. Dreizler, V. Ebert, Appl. Phys. B, 109, 3, Nov. 2012, pp. 533-540.

#50 Mid-IR difference frequency laser-based sensors for ambient CH₄, CO, and N₂O monitoring;
J. J. Scherer, J. B. Paul, H. J. Jost, Marc L. Fischer, Appl. Phys. B, 109, 3, Nov. 2012, pp. 271-277.

#63 Breath Analysis Using Laser Spectroscopic Techniques: Breath Biomarkers, Spectral Fingerprints, and Detection Limits;
C. Wang and P. Sahay, Sensors 2009, 9, 8230-8262.

#93 Interband cascade laser-based optical transfer standard for atmospheric carbon monoxide measurements;
J. A. Nwaboh, Z. Qu, O. Werhahn and V. Ebert, App. Optics, Vol. 56, No. 11, April 10, 2017, pp. E84-E93.

# 107 Recent progress in laser‑based trace gas instruments:
performance and noise analysis;
J. B. McManus, M. S. Zahniser, D. D. Nelson et. al., Appl. Phys. B, 2015, 119: 203.

#111 Optical fiber tip‑based quartz‑enhanced photoacoustic sensor for trace gas detection;
Z. Li, Z. Wang, C. Wang, W. Ren, Appl. Phys. B, 2016, 122:147.

#119 Metrological quantification of CO in biogas using laser absorption spectroscopy and gas chromatography;
J. A. Nwaboh, S. Persijn, K. Arrhenius, H. Bohlén, O. Werhahn, V. Ebert, Meas. Sci. Technol., Vol. 29, No. 9, 2018.

# 125 Tomographic laser absorption imaging ofcombustion species and temperature in the mid-wave infrared;
C. Wei, D. I. Pineda, C. S. Goldenstein, R. M. Spearrin, Opt. Exp., Vol. 26, Iss. 16, 2018, pp. 20944 - 20951.

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