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Glow discharge optical emission spectroscopy elemental mapping (GDOES EM), enabled by spectral imaging strategies, is an advantageous technique for direct multi-elemental analysis of solid samples in rapid timeframes. Here, a single-pixel, or point scan, spectral imaging system based on compressed sensing image sampling, is developed and optimized in terms of matrix density, compression factor, sparsifying basis, and reconstruction algorithm for coupling with GDOES EM. It is shown that a 512 matrix density at a compression factor of 30% provides the highest spatial fidelity in terms of the peak signal-to-noise ratio (PSNR) and complex wavelet structural similarity index measure (cw-SSIM) while maintaining fast measurement times. The background equivalent concentration (BEC) of Cu I at 510.5 nm is improved when implementing the discrete wavelet transform (DWT) sparsifying basis and Two-step Iterative Shrinking/Thresholding Algorithm for Linear Inverse Problems (TwIST) reconstruction algorithm. Utilizing these optimum conditions, a GDOES EM of a flexible, etched-copper circuit board was then successfully demonstrated with the compressed sensing single-pixel spectral imaging system (CSSPIS). The newly developed CSSPIS allows taking advantage of the significant cost-efficiency of point-scanning approaches (>10× vs. intensified array detector systems), while overcoming (up to several orders of magnitude) their inherent and substantial throughput limitations. Ultimately, itmore »
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Abstract We report on factors influencing the specific energy costs of producing NO
x from pin-to-pin DC glow discharges in air at atmospheric pressure. Discharge current, gap distance, gas flowrate, exterior tube wall temperature and the presence and position of activated Al2O3catalyst powder were examined. The presence of heated catalyst adjacent to the plasma zone improved energy efficiency by as much as 20% at low flows, but the most energy efficient conditions were found at the highest flowrates that allowed a stable discharge (about 10–15 l min−1). Under these conditions, the catalyst had no effect on efficiency in the present study. The lowest specific energy cost was observed to be between about 200–250 GJ/tN. The transport of active chemical species and energy are likely key factors controlling the specific energy costs of NOx production in the presence of a catalyst. Air plasma device design and operating conditions must ensure that plasma-generated active intermediate chemical species transport is optimally coupled with catalytically active surfaces.