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Measurements of liquid film thickness, concentration, and temperature of aqueous urea solution by NIR absorption spectroscopy

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Abstract

A multi-wavelength near-infrared (NIR) diode laser absorption sensor has been developed and demonstrated for real-time monitoring of the thickness, solute concentration, and temperature of thin films of urea–water solutions. The sensor monitors the transmittance of three near-infrared diode lasers through the thin liquid film. Film thickness, urea mass fraction, and liquid temperature were determined from measured transmittance ratios of suitable combinations of lasers. Available laser wavelengths were selected depending on the variation of the NIR absorption spectrum of the solution with temperature and solute concentration. The spectral database was measured by a Fourier transform infrared spectrometer in the range 5500–8000 cm−1 for urea solutions between 5 and 40 wt% and temperatures between 298 and 338 K. A prototype sensor was constructed, and the sensor concept was first validated with measurements using a calibration cell providing liquid layers of variable thickness (200–1500 µm), urea mass fraction (5–40 wt%) and temperature (298–318 K). Temporal variations of film thickness and urea concentration were captured during the constant-temperature evaporation of a liquid film deposited on an optically polished heated quartz flat.

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Acknowledgments

This work was supported by the German Research Foundation (DFG) under Grant SCHU 1369/16-1.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Combustion and Gas Dynamics – Reactive Fluids, University of Duisburg-Essen, Carl-Benz-Str. 199, 47057, Duisburg, Germany

    R. Pan, T. Dreier & C. Schulz

  2. High Temperature Gasdynamics Laboratory, Stanford University, Stanford, CA, USA

    J. B. Jeffries

Authors
  1. R. Pan
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  2. J. B. Jeffries
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  3. T. Dreier
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  4. C. Schulz
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Correspondence to R. Pan.

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Pan, R., Jeffries, J.B., Dreier, T. et al. Measurements of liquid film thickness, concentration, and temperature of aqueous urea solution by NIR absorption spectroscopy. Appl. Phys. B 122, 4 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00340-015-6290-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00340-015-6290-y

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