Gas detection is a crucial safety measure in many industries, including chemical manufacturing, environmental monitoring, and oil and gas. Gas detection systems are implemented to accurately and quickly identify gas leaks, which is critical as many gas hazards can be hard to detect due to invisibility or lack of scent. One highly reliable method of identifying gas hazards is infrared gas detection, which utilizes infrared light to identify gases based on how they absorb specific wavelengths of light. In this blog post, we will explore how infrared gas detection works and the benefits of this method.

Infrared Gas Detection

Infrared gas detection systems are used in various commercial, industrial, and scientific applications as they offer long-term stability, high sensitivity, and accurate gas detection based on how gas molecules absorb infrared radiation (IR) at specific wavelengths.1

The components of an infrared gas detection system include a chamber with an emitter (such as an IR lamp) on one side and, on the other side, an optical filter and thermopile detector. Gases enter the chamber, and molecules within the gas will absorb some of the IR energy from the emitter. This process reduces the amount of energy or response at that specific wavelength, and based on the Beer-Lambert Law, the gas absorption is measured and analyzed to identify the concentration of gas present. If no gas is present, the thermopile will measure the energy received from the IR source and produce a proportional electrical signal.

Advantages of Infrared Gas Detection

There are numerous benefits to using infrared gas detectors, with two key points being their ability to detect gases that are transparent to visible light or those with low concentrations. They are also used to detect a wide range of gases at different temperatures, pressures, and visibilities. Other key benefits include the following:

• A highly reliable and accurate method of gas detection
• Easy to-use systems
• Fast response times
• High sensitivity and specificity
• Low maintenance due to factory calibration
• Minimal interference from environmental factors
• Minimizes risk of contamination or poisoning

Dexter Research Center

Dexter Research Center was founded in 1977 by Robert Toth, Sr., Ph.D. to bring low-cost, high-performance infrared sensing to customers around the world. Our products offer superior sensitivity, enhanced signal-to-noise ratios, and meet MIL-Spec reliability and durability testing standards.

We provide our customers with over 1,000 thermopile configurations and a range of encapsulating gas options to offer superior sensing needs for a range of applications and industries. Our thermopile detectors are used in systems for gas analysis, gas detection, and flame sensing, and we continue to develop these products to meet high-market demands.

Contact a member of Dexter Research Center today to learn more about infrared gas detection.

References and Further Reading

https://www.azosensors.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=675
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8838934/