LP1 - Tunable Laser Photoacoustic Gas Analyzer

The LP1 combines the high selectivity of tunable laser spectroscopy with the unmatched sensitivity and linearity of the patented cantilever enhanced photoacoustic technology. This zero-background technique gives high stability with re-calibration period of several months. These unique features make the LP1 an ideal choice for low-ppb level monitoring in demanding environments. Wide range of infrared active gases can be monitored with the LP1. It can be equipped with one or two laser sources.

The cell is operating in non-resonant mode, and therefore, the signal from two laser sources can be measured simultaneously using different modulation frequencies.The photoacoustic signal level is directly proportional to the target gas concentration in the photoacoustic cell.The wavelength modulation of the laser makes the measurement extremely selective also in difficult gas matrixes. With this technique the background signal is minimized resulting in low drifts and long calibration periods. For each application a suitable laser source can be selected.

Currently the LP1 can be equipped with near infrared tunable laser sources. The continuously increasing selection of lasers, e.g. quantum cascade lasers or infrared OPO lasers, will increase the range of measurable gases and also enhance the already high performance of the analyzer.

Example detection limits with NIR tunable DFB lasers

C2H2: 3 ppb
CO2: 3 ppb
CH4: 2 ppb
N2O: 20 ppb
HF: 0.4 ppb
HCN: 5 ppb
HCl: 20 ppb
NH3: 10 ppb
NO: 90 ppb
C2H4: 20 ppb
H2O2: 6 ppb
EtOH: 30 ppb
H2S: 20 ppb

(2xRMS, 60 second integration time)

Applications include

Gas impurities
Greenhouse gas monitoring
Air quality
Occupational safety
Process control
Automotive
Refrigerant leakage
Breath analysis
Safety and security
Natural gas and Syngas
Soil analysis

Features and specifications

Based on tunable laser photoacoustic spectroscopy with cantilever enhanced optical microphone
Configurable to several applications by selecting relevant laser sources
Response time user configurable from 5 seconds to several minutes
Simultaneous analysis of up to two gases
Low ppb detection limits
High selectivity
Low sample volume and wide dynamic range
Long re-calibration period
Built in 2-point sampling
User friendly calibration
Automatic compensation for temperature and pressure fluctuations
Versatile programming of analysis tasks
Built in high resolution graphical display with user friendly menus, no external computer required
Numerical and graphical presentation of the measurement results
No consumables & no moving parts