Chip-on-Board Gas Sensor Eliminates Etalons
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current gas absorption spectroscopy systems face challenges such as measurement uncertainty due to environmental factors, spatial averaging, direct and indirect cross-interference, and optical interference, which affect the accuracy of detecting gas species like O2, NO, NO2, CO, CO2, and hydrocarbons, especially in in-situ measurements where conditions are not controlled.
Innovation Solution
The use of Chip-on-Board (COB) components for both the source and detector of electromagnetic radiation, which reduces packaging material, minimizes etalons, and provides tighter temperature control, thereby enhancing optical transmission and reducing heating and cooling power requirements, while also eliminating dead volumes and optimizing optical coupling.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If traditional packaged sources and detectors are used, then ease of manufacture is improved, but optical transmission is reduced due to packaging material and etalons
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts the source and detector from their traditional packaged forms and mounts them directly as chip-on-board components onto the circuit board, eliminating packaging material that causes optical interference and etalons, thereby improving optical transmission while maintaining ease of manufacture through direct mounting
2Ease of manufacture
If traditional packaged sources and detectors are used, then ease of manufacture is improved, but device complexity increases due to dead volumes and optical coupling requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The patent merges the source and detector mounting directly onto the circuit board as chip-on-board components, eliminating separate packaging and reducing dead volumes, thereby simplifying the overall device structure and reducing optical coupling complexity while maintaining ease of manufacture
3Illumination intensity
If COB components are used, then optical transmission is improved, but thermal control requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies local quality by providing dedicated thermal management structures (heat sinks, thermal vias) specifically at the COB component locations on the circuit board, enabling precise local thermal control where needed while maintaining overall system simplicity
4Device complexity
If COB components are used, then device complexity is reduced, but manufacturing precision requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent incorporates thermal management features and mounting structures directly into the circuit board design before component assembly, pre-establishing precise thermal and optical pathways that simplify subsequent assembly while ensuring manufacturing precision is built into the board structure itself
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This approach results in more accurate and reliable gas species detection with reduced measurement uncertainty, improved thermal control, and a more compact design, addressing the limitations of traditional systems by minimizing optical interference and enhancing sensitivity.
Implementation Method 1
absorption spectroscopy measurements using one or more TDLs
Implementation Method 2
convert observed changes in electromagnetic radiation intensities to useful physical parameters, such as concentrations and temperatures
Implementation Method 3
provides tighter temperature control, thereby enhancing optical transmission and reducing heating and cooling power requirements
Implementation Method 4
enhancing optical transmission and reducing heating and cooling power requirements
Data Source
AI summary
An apparatus for use in absorption spectroscopy, comprising: at least one source of electromagnetic radiation for transmitting electromagnetic radiation along an optical path that passes through a gas measurement volume, towards at least one detector; at least one detector to detect the transmitted electromagnetic radiation after passing through the gas measurement volume and to provide an output signal indicative of the detected electromagnetic radiation; and an analyser connected to the at least one detector to receive the output signal and analyse the effects of absorption by at least one gas species within the gas measurement volume for at least one wavelength range of the transmitted electromagnetic radiation, thereby to detect or measure a parameter of the at least one gas species; wherein at least one source or detector comprises a Chip-on-Board (COB) component comprising a solid-state source and/or detector of electromagnetic radiation mounted onto a substrate in a COB configuration.