Gas Sampling Using Convection and Humidity Stabilization to Improve Point Gas Sensor Responses

179 Pages·2016·22.3 MB·English

by  Hammes, Emily Ann

Gas Sampling Using Convection and Humidity Stabilization
to Improve Point Gas Sensor Responses
THÈSE NO 7029 (2016)
PRÉSENTÉE LE 7 JUILLET 2016
À LA FACULTÉ DES SCIENCES ET TECHNIQUES DE L'INGÉNIEUR
LABORATOIRE DE PRODUCTION MICROTECHNIQUE
PROGRAMME DOCTORAL EN MANUFACTURING
ÉCOLE POLYTECHNIQUE FÉDÉRALE DE LAUSANNE
POUR L'OBTENTION DU GRADE DE DOCTEUR ÈS SCIENCES
PAR
Emily Ann HAMMES
acceptée sur proposition du jury:
Prof. Y. Perriard, président du jury
Prof. P. Ryser, Dr H. Knapp, directeurs de thèse
Dr M. Zimmermann, rapporteur
Prof. G. García Mandayo, rapporteuse
Prof. J.-L. Scartezzini, rapporteur
Suisse
2016

"Idon’twantadvice."
"Nobodydoes.It’sagiver’spresent.Gothroughthemotions,Adam."
"Whatmotions?"
"Actoutbeingalive,likeaplay.Andafterawhile,alongwhile,itwillbetrue."
"WhyshouldI?"Adamasked.
Samuelwaslookingatthetwins."You’regoingtopasssomethingdownnomatterwhatyoudo
orifyoudonothing.Evenifyouletyourselfgofallow,theweedswillgrowandthebrambles.
Somethingwillgrow."
—JohnSteinbeck,EastofEden
TothosewhogavemeadviceevenwhenIdidnotwanttohearit: withouttheirunyielding
faithandlove,Iwouldhaveneverlearnedtoact,nothinggoodwouldhavegrowninmeand
theselfthatIlovemayhaveneverbeentrue.AndtothosewhogavemetheopportunitiesI
neededtofindmywaybacktomyselfandaccomplishmyambitions.

Acknowledgements
Iwouldliketothankmydoctoralresearchadvisers,Dr.HelmutKnappandProf.PeterRyser,
fortheirsupportandadviceovertheyears. IfHelmuthadnotdonesuchafantasticjobof
writingthegrantandestablishingCSEM’sobjectivesintheIntasenseproject,Iwouldnot
havebeensosuccessful.Additionally,IwouldliketothankPeterforadvisingmeaboutwhich
sensorstouseintheinitialprototypeandsuggestingthatIselectsensorswhichcamewith
electronicsandsoftwaresothatIwouldnotneedtowaitformycollaboratorstodevelopthe
Intasenseelectronicsplatformandsoftware.Thisadviceexpeditedandsimplifiedthefluidic
platformdevelopmentandtesting.
Iwouldliketothankmycolleagues,collaborators,labmatesandfellowresearchersfortheir
assistance on my thesis work. I would like to thank my colleagues at CSEM, particularly
StephanBitterliforteachingmehowtodesignaPCB;GuidoSpinola,TormodVolden,Ivar
KjelbergandChristianBeyerfordiscussionsaboutComsol;StefanBerchtoldforlasercutting
gaskets,maintainingthechemistryroomandteachingmehowtousethemill,andJanko
Auerswaldforteachingmehowtolasercutlargegaskets.IwouldalsoliketorecognizeSigiGraf
formaintainingthemillandErwinSchallerforconnectingmewithresearchersatSiemens
BuildingTechnologiessothatIwouldhavealocalplacetoconducttheexperimentsforthis
thesiswork. IwouldalsoliketothankoursecretariesYolandaEberhardandAliceWaser-
Hurshlerfororganizingpaperworkforme,JörgPiererformaintainingthecomputernetwork
andRenéImbodenformaintainingvariousequipmentatCSEM.Additionally,Iwouldalso
liketothankSandraGiudice,whowasalsoaPh.D.studentatEPFLandCSEM,forguidingme
throughthePh.D.process.AtOsmotex,acompanywhoshareslabspacewithCSEM,Iwould
liketothankStephanieSayliangfatandTronHeldalfortheirhelpinthechemistrylab.
Additionally, I would like to thank my lab mates at EPFL, particularly Karine Genoud for
organizingpaperworkandconferenceflightsforme,CarolineJacqandThomasMaederfor
maintaininglabequipmentandshowingmehowtouseit.Additionally,Iwouldliketothank
GaëlFarineandConorSlaterforhelpingmearoundthelabandshowingmehowgasmixing
equipmentissetupandPierre-HenriMorinformaintainingsoftwareinthelaboratory.Also,
becausethisresearchwasconductedinbothLausanneandAlpnach,Ifrequentlyneededto
travelbetweenthetwo.IwouldliketothankMarius,MarcelaandGenzoforgivingmeaplace
tostay.
i
Acknowledgements
IwouldalsoliketothankcollaboratorsoutsideofCSEMorEPFLfortheircontributiontothe
successofthisproject.Specifically,IwouldliketothankDr.ZimmermannandProfessorGarcia
Mandayoforgrantingmeaccesstotheirgaschemistrylabs. Iwouldhaveneverbeenable
conductmydoctoralresearchwithoutit.IwouldliketothankJurgiGonzalezdeChavarrifor
showingmehowtosetupequipmentatCEIT,andhisadviceaboutmeasurementsusingmetal
oxidesensors.IwouldliketothankThomasGeilingattheTechnicalUniversityofIllminau
forhisadviceonmicrofluidics,TonHauzeratUCTechnologiesforsharinghisknowledge
ofcommercialgasandparticlesensors,JoséJdelasHerasfordesigningandbuildingthe
commercialelectronicsandsoftwarewhichrunsthefinaldemonstrator.Iwouldalsoliketo
thankJennyMarsdenfororganizingthewholeconsortiumandtakingminutesforalmost
allofourmeetings.Herabilitytoorganizethethoughtsofsomanyscientistsandengineers
amazesme.IwouldalsoliketothankRobBellfororganizingtheboothattheBuildingTest
Exposition,LiamHenwood-Moroneyfordesigningthepackagingandintegratingthefinal
demonstratorandHannahNewtonfortestingit.
Additionally, as this is the capstone to and summation of my formal education, I feel the
needtoformallyrecognizethethepeoplewhotirelesslyworkedwithmetoovercomemy
disabilitiestoanextentthatuntrainedpeoplerarelyidentifythem.TogettothepointwhereI
couldevenattemptadoctoralthesis,Ineededhelptodevelopcompensatorymechanisms
todealwithbothattentiondeficitdisorderanddyslexia.Learningtocommunicatethrough
readingandwriting,forme,wasagreatestchallengeofmyeducation:thegreatestchallenge
ofmylife.Itisfarmorechallengingthananythingpresentedinthiswork,butunlikescientific
research,itisnotoptionalinoursociety.Ifmyparentsandeducators,fromprimaryschool
until my application to EPFL had not fought for accommodation in compliance with the
AmericanswithDisabilitiesAct,Iwouldhaveneverbeenabletoliveuptomypotential.Like
mygrandfather,Imayhavespentmylifestrugglingtoputthelettersinmyownnameinthe
rightorder.Ifeelthedeepestgratitudetowardtheseindividualsandeducators.
Iwouldliketothankmymotherforteachingmethatitisthoughtprocesses,notconclusions,
whichmatterinlifeandmyfatherforteachingmethateverylittlegirlneedsapropertoolbox
andpowertools–eveniftheyfillitwithMyLittlePonies.Iwouldliketothankmysisters,Libby
andKatherine,forchallengingmeandlovingmeunconditionally.Iwouldliketoacknowledge
Simon, who encourages me to learn something new every day and reminds me to never
attributetomalicewhatcanbeexplainedbythoughtlessness.
I would like to thank the teachers who impacted my life for the better: Linda Hahn for
organizing special education in the Shawnee Mission School district and exposing me to
culturesoutsideofmyown,SusanneSchweikerforencouragingmycreativewriting,telling
me"Alwayswrite,dearEmily,theworldneedsyoureyesandyoursoultoguideit,"Rosie
forlettingmedulleverybladeinthewoodshop, resharpeningthemandlettingmedoit
alloveragain,Parisforsupportingmewhenotherteacherstriedtogetmeremovedfrom
theirclassroomsbecauseIhavedifficultieswritinginnon-mirrorimageduringtimedexams,
DebarthformakingmestudyLeonardoDaVincisothatIwouldknowthatpeoplewithmy
ii
Acknowledgements
cognitiveabilitiesanddisabilitiescandoamazingthings,Ms.Skatesforhelpingmeovercome
my fear of reading aloud in front of my peers and Mr. Royer for his positive attitude and
teachingmemathematicalmodeling.
IwouldalsoliketothankProfessorPapavasiliouandProfessorMenhartforteachingmeto
loveresearchandencouragingmetoapplytotopuniversitiesformydoctorate.Iwouldlike
to acknowledge Professor Hall, for teaching me technical writing and using my essays as
examplesinhercourses. IwouldliketothankProfessorTokuhiro,forbeingbraveenough
toleta16yearoldEmily,touchthecontrolsonanuclearreactor.Iwouldalsoliketothank
thelateRobertPritzkerforfinancingthemajorityofmybachelorsandmastersdegrees,and
takingthetimetoteachmeabouthisbusinessphilosophiesandencouragingmetobecome
aprofessoroneday. IwouldalsoliketothankProfessorOgunnaikeandProfessorAkayfor
encouragingmeinatimewhenIfeltasifmyworldwasfallingapartaroundme.Additionally,
IwouldliketothankProfessorJean-MarieFuerbringerforteachingmeaboutgreco-latin
squaresandbeingsupportiveduringmycandidacyexam.
Lastly,Iwouldliketoacknowledgethepeoplewhohavehelpedmeeditthistext:Professor
Peter Ryser, Dr. Helmut Knapp, Simon Schubert, Virginia Hammes, Katherine Hammes,
ProfessorGemmaGarciaMandayo,ProfessorYvesPerriard,Dr. MartinZimmermann,and
ProfessorJean-LouisScartezzini.
Hergiswil,17April2016 E.A.H.
iii

Abstract
Manydiseasesincludingsickbuildingsyndrome,respiratoryproblemsandcancerscanbe
causedbyexposuretohighconcentrationsoftoxinscommonlyusedinmodernbuilding
materials,paints,gluesandfurniture.Tominimizeexposuretothesetoxins,itisimportantto
haveairexchangewiththeoutsideenvironment.However,thisisusuallynotenergyefficient
becausetheairmustbeheatedorcooled.
ThepurposeoftheIntasenseprojectwastoresolvethisproblembycreatinganairquality
monitorwhichcoulddeterminethecurrentqualityofairwithinthebuilding.Thisinformation
wouldthenbeusedtocontroltheventilationsystemwithinanenergyefficientbuilding.The
purpose of this Ph.D. thesis was both to build a system which could be used to test and
calibratesensorsusedintheairqualitymonitoraswellastobuilditsfinalfluidicplatform.
Duringthisthesis,threefluidicplatformswhichincludeahumiditybufferingsystemwere
designed, tested and constructed. The first platform was used to test an electrochemical
sensorormetaloxidesensorinthelaboratory. Thesecondandthirdplatformsheldthree
electrochemicalormetaloxidesensors,respectively.Theyareabletodeliverequalquantities
ofgastothesensorssimultaneously.Todate,themultisensormetaloxideplatformhasbeen
usedtocreatetwoversionsoftheIntasenseDemonstratorandusedtocalibratenoveland
commercialgassensors.
Inbothoftheseapplicationssimultaneousdeliveryofequalquantitiesofthesamplegasare
requiredforoptimalgassensorsignalprocessing: equalquantitiesarerequiredsothatthe
amountofanalyteincontactwitheachsensoristhesameandsimultaneousdeliveryallowsall
threesensorstorespondconcurrently.Thiswasachievedbycreatingacomputationalmodel
ofgasflowthroughthesystem,conductingaparametersweepandthenselectingtheoptimal
set.Toconfirmthatthemodelandmachineerrorwerenotsignificant,aGreco-Latinsquare
designwasusedtotesttheplatform.Thistestshowedthatgasdeliverytoeachchannelwas
equalwithinstatisticalboundaries.
Anothermajorchallengewasbufferinghumidityfluctuationswithoutlossofanalytegas.This
wasnecessarybecausemetaloxidegassensorsarealsosensitivetohumidityfluctuations.
Topreventafalsepositivecausedbyarapidhumidityincrease,areversibleadsorbentwas
placedupstreamofthegassensors. However, therewasconcernthattheadsorbentmay
v
Abstract
remove analyte gasses. To optimize the tradeoff between humidity buffering and loss or
delayofanalytesignal,acomputationalmodelofadsorptionanddesorptionofgasseswithin
the filtration system was developed. It was experimentally tested using benzene, carbon
monoxide,formaldehydeandnitrogendioxide.
TodatetenplatformshavebeendeliveredtolaboratoriesthroughoutEurope.Threearebeing
usedtotestandcalibrategassensors.Theresthavebeenusedtocreatedemonstratorsofthe
IntasenseAirQualityMonitor.
Keywords: AirQualityMonitoring,ComputationalFluidDynamics,AdsorptionModeling,
DesignofExperiments,ProductIntegration
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