Dew point and relative humidity measurement using a quartz resonant sensor

A new dew point measurement device for humidity measurement in high temperature environment using a quartz crystal sensor was proposed. Combined with Peltier module and quartz crystal, active condensation occurs in the quartz surface to change the mass on the surface of quartz crystal, and use the shift of its resonant frequency identify the time of condensation. This quartz sensor does not require any absorbent material, and it is directly stuck on the Peltier element. The sensor system can also be achieved relative humidity measurement based on dew point and ambient-temperature measuring. It can operate in the range of dew point temperature from 50 to ?30 °C, and in the range of relative humidity from 1 to 90 % RH. The measured dew points values and relative humidity values showed very good agreement with reference values and were within ±0.3 °C, 1 % RH, respectively over the whole temperature range.     

Microscopic verification of sensitive circuits of a quartz resonator applied in dew point recognition

This paper is aimed to carry out experimental verification of sensitive circuits of a quartz resonator applied in dew point recognition and it is proven at a microscopic level to be feasible in dew point recognition with great reliability and accuracy by using the high speed video. The sensor based on the sensitive circuits of a quartz resonator is composed of a quartz crystal and a Peltier module. Proactive approach is taken to produce condensation on the surface of the quartz crystal. The electrical parameters of the quartz crystal is changed due to dew condensation and then the resonant circuit stops oscillating. Initially, it needs to analyze the oscillation circuit and electrical characteristics of the quartz crystal, and then take photos of the surface of quartz electrodes with the high speed camera and microscope. Gray statistics is made for images of dew formation in its whole process. When the statistical results are analyzed in comparison to oscillation of the circuit, it shows that the time of the circuit oscillation stopping is roughly consistent with the time when moisture condensation occurs on the surface of the quartz electrode. And the time error of the two phenomena is less than 0.5 s, which is much less than response time of the platinum resistance sensor to the temperature. Furthermore, the results provide a strong theoretical basis for further measurement of the dew point temperature by this recognition method.     

镜面杂质与水汽吸放对露点仪影响的实验研究

显微成像露点仪在研制和测试过程中发现镜面杂质和内腔材质吸放水汽等影响测量精度的问题。针对镜面杂质对显微成像露点仪测量的影响开展了镜面图像特征的实验研究，结果表明：镜面杂质点处露珠凝结具有优先性，且反复凝结消散后镜面出现杂质沉降现象。针对水汽吸放对显微成像露点仪的影响开展了水汽释放与吸附效应的实验研究，结果表明：当温度发生变化时，显微成像露点仪感应舱内壁氧化铝材质存在释放（或吸附）水汽现象，使得显微成像露点仪测量值偏大（或偏小）。研究结果为露点仪在功能设置及镜面与腔体材料选择方面提供了参考。     

Stability study of carbon graphite covered quartz crystal

This paper shows the properties and the possibilities of carbon graphite-covered quartz crystal as an organic gas-sensing device. The carbon graphite formed on a side of quartz plate was supported by Pt electrodes. The prepared quartz crystals were heat treated for the enhancement of stability in the temperature range from 100 to 450°C. Impedance analysis of the carbon graphite-covered quartz crystal showed a larger admittance value than that of a lipid coated quartz crystal, which was based on our previous method for detecting gas components. Using the adsorption and desorption responses, the reproducibility and sensitivity are presented for describing the merits of carbon graphite-covered quartz crystal in the detection of organic gas components. The comparison of sensitivity between commercially available alcohol sensor and carbon graphite-covered quartz crystal is provided for a ppm of ethanol injection. These results prove that the carbon graphite-covered quartz crystals are usable as an organic gas sensor and as an analytical device.     

Thin film characterization and vapor sensing properties of a novel perylenediimide material

A novel N,N′-(glycine tert-butylester)-3,4,9,10-perylenediimide was chosen for the study of Langmuir–Blodgett (LB) thin film characterization and the sensing properties against selected volatile organic vapors. Different number of LB film layer was deposited onto a glass and quartz crystal substrate. The thin film fabrication process was monitored with UV–vis and quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) measurement techniques. The results indicated that absorbance increased linearly with the number of the layers on film. A similar linear relationship between frequency shift and number of the layers was observed by the QCM measurement. It can be concluded that high quality and uniform LB films were produced by using this novel perylenediimide material. Chloroform, toluene, benzene, ethyl alcohol and isopropyl alcohol vapors were selected to test this material's applicability in room temperature as a vapor sensor. This novel material showed a fast, large and reproducible response to chloroform and isopropyl alcohol vapor.     

恒定低温法在低湿区露点检测中的应用

在低湿区环境下的露点检测中,电容式露点传感器测量的频率与露点值呈现非线性,且受环境温度影响很大,此外,湿度越低,测量的分辨力也越低。采用了一种恒定低温方法来检测低湿区露点,即传感器的环境温度恒定保持在0℃以下,可大大提高低湿区的测量分辨力,再根据露点值与频率值间具有的确定的非线性关系,将采集的频率经牛顿插值计算后就可得到露点值。采用该方法大大提高了电容式露点仪在低湿区露点检测的分辨力,扩展了其测量范围。     

Polyaniline–TiO2 nano-composite-based trimethylamine QCM sensor and its thermal behavior studies

Inorganic/organic composites are very attractive due to synergetic behavior and a wide range of potential use. A polyaniline–TiO₂ nano-composite, obtained by combination of chemical polymerization and a sol–gel method, was deposited on the electrode of quartz crystal to implement a quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) chemical sensor. The morphology of the composite film was studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) measurements. The coated quartz crystal and a non-coated quartz crystal were mounted in a sealed chamber, and their frequency difference was monitored. When analyte vapor was injected into the chamber, gas absorption decreased the frequency of the coated quartz crystal and thereby caused an increase of the frequency difference between the two crystals. The frequency difference change response towards trimethylamine was evident and could be recovered by N₂ purgation easily. The calibration curve towards trimethylamine, its long-term stability and selectivity were investigated. The thermal behavior of the sensing characteristics was compared with that of a polyaniline QCM sensor. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra of polyaniline and polyaniline–TiO₂ nano-composite and QCM data under various conditions were used to study the effect of thermal treatment.     

采用聚吡咯修饰的QCM型三甲胺气体传感器

三甲胺是评估肉类食品新鲜度的重要指标之一,并且临床上也比较值得关注,因而三甲胺的检测具有十分重要的意义,为此,我们采用乳聚法制备了聚吡咯材料,并将其涂敷在晶振电极表面后制得敏感石英晶体微天平(QCM).根据敏感QCM和参比QCM间的频率差变化来实现气体的检测.在室温条件下,该气体传感器对三甲胺气体具有较明显的响应.实验从灵敏度、重现性、选择性和稳定性等方面出发,对该传感器的的性能进行了评价.结果表明,虽然传感器的制备方法简单,但它的性能优异.     

基于单片机的石英晶片镀膜测控系统设计

本文阐述了石英晶片真空蒸发镀膜测控的基本原理和镀膜过程中石英晶片谐振频率变化与镀膜厚度之间的关系。主要研究了以W77E516单片机为核心,配合其它相关芯片完成石英晶片真空蒸发镀膜过程测控系统的工作原理和实现方案,重点阐述了该系统的硬件设计和软件设计方法。     

Optical parameters of calix[4]arene films and their response to volatile organic vapors

The Langmuir-Blodgett (LB) technique was employed to produce thin LB films using an amphiphilic calix-4-resorcinarene onto different substrates such as quartz, gold coated glass and quartz crystals. The characteristics of the calix LB films are assessed by UV-visible, quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) and surface plasmon resonance (SPR) measurements. UV-vis and QCM measurements indicated that this material deposited very well onto the solid substrates with a transfer ratio of >0.95. Using SPR data, the thickness and refractive index of this LB film are determined to be 1.14 nm/deposited layer and 1.6 respectively. The sensing application of calixarene LB films towards volatile organic vapors such as chloroform, benzene, toluene and ethanol vapors is studied by the SPR technique. The response of this LB film to saturated chloroform vapor is much larger than for the other vapors. The response is fast and fully recoverable. It can be proposed that this sensing material deposited onto gold coated glass substrates has a good sensitivity and selectivity for chloroform vapor. This material may also find potential applications in the development of room temperature organic vapor sensing devices.     

石英晶体温度传感器的应用

介绍了石英晶体温度传感器的主要性能指标。分析了石英温度传感器非线性、频率不确定度、过热效应等因素对温度测量的影响。成功地研制了采用Y +5°切的石英晶体温度传感器的温度计 ,其温度分辨力达到 10 -4 ℃。     

A Micromachined Quartz Resonator Array for Biosensing Applications

An 8-pixel micromachined quartz crystal resonator array with a fundamental resonance frequency of 66 MHz has been designed, fabricated, and tested. A compact impedance-spectrum-analyzer electronic interface has been developed and combined with the quartz resonator array to form the biosensing system. The sensor array was calibrated using water–glycerol solutions, and the performance was found to be exactly as expected. Measurement of the crosstalk between the sensor pixels showed an isolation of $sim$ 30 dB. Selective functionalization of the pixels was achieved through the use of aqueous 3, 3 $^{prime}$-Dithiobis (sulfosuccinimidylpropionate) (DTSSP) molecules. The adsorption of avidin on DTSSP gave a frequency signal of 60 kHz in comparison to unfunctionalized pixels. The specific adsorption of avidin on functionalized pixels was confirmed through fluorescence microscopy. Comparing the performance of the micromachined quartz crystal microbalance (QCM) with a commercial 5-MHz device, we found that the micromachined QCM has a 4.25 times higher signal-to-noise ratio. Based on the measurement of the noise and using three times the frequency noise as the limit for the detection of avidin molecules, we expect to resolve a minimum of $sim$1/960 of a monolayer of avidin corresponding to an aerial mass density resolution of 0.7 $hbox{ng/cm}^{2}$ .$hfill$[2008-0196]      

Ionic liquids used as QCM coating materials for the detection of alcohols

Six imidazolium-based ionic liquids (ILs) were synthesized and employed as sensing materials coated on quartz crystal microbalance for the detection of organic vapors. Acetone, ethanol, dichloromethane, benzene, toluene and hexane were selected as representatives for common environmental pollutants, and good linear responses from 0 to 100% of concentrations were observed. The halogen-anion-containing imidazolium ILs-coated sensors showed fast response, excellent reversibility, and considerable sensitivity and selectivity towards alcohols, and the selective factors were up to 30 times for ethanol versus other VOCs. The existence of water vapor reduced the frequency response of the sensor, but a good linear relationship remained.     

一种基于多孔硅微腔光学特性的气体传感器的研究

当有机物分子吸附到多孔硅表面时,由于有机物分子在多孔硅的孔内的毛细冷凝作用,将引起多孔硅层有效折射率的变化,从而导致多孔硅微腔反射谱吸收峰峰位的变化.本文主要利用Bruggeman介电常数近似理论与传输矩阵的方法,建立了多孔硅微腔的传感模型.使用多孔硅微腔的反射谱实验装置对多孔硅微腔进行了传感实验,结果证明多孔硅微腔传感元件可以实现对有机物蒸汽的检测,且分辨率较高,响应时间和恢复时间短,可重复性好.     

一种差动输出石英谐振式力传感器研制

介绍了一种具有差动输出石英力传感器,该传感器由轮辐式弹性结构和2只石英力敏谐振器组成。利用分别位于正负应力区2只力敏元件感知作用力的大小,进而进行差动输出,以实现零点温漂与时漂自补偿。分析了弹性梁的结构特性;介绍了双端音叉石英力敏谐振器的结构、力学特性及力传感器的制作过程。对传感器进行了静态测试,结果表明:传感器测量范围为0～300N,静态精度为0.05%。     

涂敷脲醛树脂的石英晶体微天平湿度传感器

在碱性条件下预先合成脲醛树脂单体,然后在酸性条件下于石英晶体的电极上原位合成脲醛树脂高分子薄膜,制备了石英晶体微天平湿度传感器。同时考察敏感膜厚度对检测灵敏度的影响以及传感器的响应特性、重复性和稳定性。试验结果表明:涂敷脲醛树脂薄膜的传感器频率随测试的相对湿度变化明显,传感器具有良好的重复性和稳定性。制作的湿度传感器可应用于实际的生产、生活中。     

基于PQCR-PSL的桥梁振动无线监测系统

基于压电式石英晶体谐振器与平面螺旋电感串联结构(PQCR-PSL),结合现场可编程门阵列(FPGA)、无线传感器网络(WSNs)和C#等技术,将一种结构简单、以频率为输出的数字化石英晶体电感传感器应用到桥梁振动等低频测量中,并以此为传感器探头搭建了整套无线监测系统.系统主要由传感器探头、FPGA系统、ZigBee网络、C#位机4部分组成,具有结构简单、稳定性好、数字化输出等特点,实现了对低频振动信号的非接触式无线实时监测.     

Micromachined Acoustic Resonant Mass Sensor

This paper describes a highly sensitive, film bulk acoustic resonator (FBAR) mass sensor (built on a micromachined silicon-nitride diaphragm with a piezoelectric thin film and Al electrodes) that can operate in vapor and liquid. The sensitivity of the device to mass change on its surface has been investigated by having various thicknesses of silicon-nitride support layer and also of Al layer. The sensor is measured to have a mass sensitivity of 726 cm$^2$/g, which is about 50 times that of a typical quartz crystal microbalance (QCM). In vapor, the sensor (operating at around 1 GHz and having a relatively high quality (Q) factor of 200–300) shows a minimum detectable frequency shift of about 400 Hz, which corresponds to a mass change of$10^-9$g/cm$^2$on the sensor surface, comparable with that detectable by a QCM. In liquid, though the Q usually drops more than an order of magnitude, we obtain a Q of 40 at 2 GHz by using a second harmonic resonance of the resonator. And with the Q, a minimum 5 ppm resonant frequency shift can be detected, which corresponds to$10^- 8$g/cm$^2$change on the sensor surface.hfillhbox[1374]     

Vapor recognition with an integrated array of polymer-coated flexural plate wave sensors

Preliminary testing of a prototype instrument employing an integrated array of six polymer-coated flexural plate wave (FPW) sensors and an adsorbent preconcentrator is described. Responses to thermally desorbed samples of individual organic solvent vapors and binary and ternary vapor mixtures are linear with concentration, and mixture responses are equivalent to the sums of the responses of the component vapors, which co-elute from the preconcentrator in most cases. Limits of detection as low as 0.3 ppm are achieved from a 60-s (34 cm³) air sample and peak widths at half-maximum range from 1 to 4 s. Tests at different flow rates suggest that the kinetics of vapor sorption in the sensor coating films may limit responses at higher flow rates, however, low data acquisition rates may also be contributory. Assessments of array performance using independent test data and Monte Carlo simulations with pattern recognition indicate that individual vapors and certain binary and ternary mixtures can be recognized/discriminated with very low error. More complex mixtures, and those containing homologous vapors, are problematic. This is the first report demonstrating multi-vapor analysis with an integrated FPW sensor array.     

Flexible humidity sensor in a sandwich configuration with a hydrophilic porous membrane

We constructed a wearable and flexible humidity sensor (thickness: 80 μm) in a sandwich configuration, with a hydrophilic poly-tetrafluoroethylene membrane placed between two gold deposited layers, using soft-MEMS techniques. The device was used to measure humidity level, via its electrical conductivity, using a multi-frequency LCR-meter at frequencies ranging from 100 Hz to 100 kHz. The device was calibrated at 100 Hz against moist air over the range of 30–85% RH, which includes normal humidity levels in the atmosphere and physiological air such as breath and evaporating sweat. The response sensitivity of the humidity device was extremely high, even for recovery to dry air; for example response time was less than 1 s for a conductivity shift between humid air of 80% RH and dry air of −60 °C dew point. The sensor performance was reproducible over multiple measurements, with a coefficient of variation of 1.77% (n = 5). The sensor was appropriate for physiological applications, and was successfully used in two non-invasive approaches: to monitor breath air at the mouth, and to measure sweat moisture from the nostrils.