
Section 3
3-2 Theory of Operation
The sample cells are gold-plated to enhance IR reflection and resist
tarnishing over time. One set of sample cells is used for both H2O and CO2
measurements by using a dichroic beam splitter to provide radiation to two
separate detectors.
A 150 nm bandpass optical filter is used to tune the CO2detector to the 4.26
micron absorption band for CO2, and a 50 nm bandpass optical filter tunes
the H2O detector to the 2.59 micron absorption band. Both filters provide
excellent rejection of IR radiation outside the desired band, allowing the
analyzer to reject the response of other IR absorbing gases. The filters are
mounted directly on the detectors for thermal stability.
Each detector is a lead selenide solid state device that is insensitive to
vibration. The detectors are cooled and regulated to -5 °C by thermo-
electric coolers, and electronic circuits continuously monitor and maintain a
constant detector sensitivity. The result of this detector circuitry is a detector
system that is very stable.
Infrared radiation from the source is focused through the gas cells and onto
the detector by a lens at each end of the optical bench. Focusing the
radiation maximizes the amount of radiation that reaches the detector in
order to provide maximum signal sensitivity.
All of these features provide a CO2noise level that is typically 0.3 ppm
peak-to-peak (at 350 ppm) when using 1 second signal averaging, and 1 ppm
peak-to-peak with 0.1 second signal averaging; the H2O noise level is
approximately 0.002 kPa at 2.0 kPa when using 1 second signal averaging,
and 0.006 kPa when using 0.1 second signal averaging. Signal averaging
times are selectable (in software) between 1 and 30 seconds and are used to
achieve even lower noise levels. For example, with 4 seconds of signal
averaging, the noise levels typically decrease 50%.
3.2 Calculating Gas Concentration - General
LI-COR gas analyzers use a lead selenide detector that operates
approximately as a linear quantum counter; that is, over much of its range
the detector signal output νis proportional to the number of photons
reaching the detector. The output voltage V that is used to compute CO2
mole fraction is proportional to the difference between the signals generated
by the detector when it sees the sample cell (νs) and when it sees the
reference cell (νr).