Technical Jumpstart
© 2015 Picarro Inc., Confidential
Overview
• How to set up the Picarro analyzer?
• How to operate the analyzer?
• Looking at the data
• Calibration
• Theoretical background
• What’s inside the analyzer?
• Preventive maintenance
• How to shut down the Picarro analyzer?
training related questions. If you encounter tech issues with the analyzer,
please email
[email protected] or call +1 408-962-3991 (USA).
© 2015 Picarro Inc., Confidential
Setting and starting up the analyzer
• Always make sure the external vacuum pump is connected to the Picarro
analyzer and is turned on, before switching on the Picarro.
© 2015 Picarro Inc., Confidential
Setting up the pump
© 2015 Picarro Inc., Confidential
Setting up the pump
© 2015 Picarro Inc., Confidential
Setting and starting up the analyzer
© 2015 Picarro Inc., Confidential
Setting and starting up the analyzer
• Once pump is connected, and analyzer is switched on, the CRDS software
starts loading.
© 2015 Picarro Inc., Confidential
Setting and starting up the analyzer
• Quick GUI: the Graphical User Interface opens once CRDS software finishes
loading.
• Cavity P: 148 Torr; Cavity T: 45o C
© 2015 Picarro Inc., Confidential
Setting and starting up the analyzer
• Measuring starts.
© 2015 Picarro Inc., Confidential
GUI functions
Data windows
Alarm • Left click, and drag
panel to zoom in.
• Right click to zoom
out.
• Control+left click to
scroll up and down
and sideways within
a graph.
• Double click to
return to regular
position.
Data log, file
name, path Data keys
© 2015 Picarro Inc., Confidential
GUI functions
• Lock time axis: to zoom
into all three graphs at
the same time.
• View statistics: shows
the mean, stdev of the
data across the time
range being shown on
GUI graphs.
© 2015 Picarro Inc., Confidential
GUI functions
• Change Alarm
threshold if needed.
© 2015 Picarro Inc., Confidential
GUI functions
• Reset buffers
To clear the GUI graph.
© 2015 Picarro Inc., Confidential
GUI functions
• Restart User
Log
To create new
data log file.
© 2015 Picarro Inc., Confidential
Data look up
• Data can be easily copied onto an external drive.
© 2015 Picarro Inc., Confidential
Data look up
• How to look at historic data?
DatViewer
1. File > Convert/Batch Convert DAT to H5
© 2015 Picarro Inc., Confidential
Data look up
• How to look at historic data?
DatViewer
2. Concatenate H5
© 2015 Picarro Inc., Confidential
Data look up
• How to look at historic data?
DatViewer
3. Time series plot
© 2015 Picarro Inc., Confidential
Calibration
You will need to enter password:
picarro
• Refer to the Calibration section in the manual for detailed steps.
• Please reach out to application scientist for guidance on calibration gases.
© 2015 Picarro Inc., Confidential
Calibration
• Automated calibration using Data Recal from Picarro Utilities folder on the desktop.
If you see large offset, it is recommended you check with a Picarro representative
before applying new offset values.
© 2015 Picarro Inc., Confidential
Preventive maintenance
Inlet Particulate Filter: 2-3 years
Fan assemblies: 2-3 years
A2000 Vacuum Pump Diaphragm: 15,000 hours (1.7 years continuously), though it is a
good option to rebuild the pump at the same time as replacing the fan assembles and inlet
particulate filter, so once every 2-3 years is also appropriate.
Pump’s fuse replacement-refer to manual.
Follow the link for various video tutorials available on our website:
https://mktg.picarro.com/acton/media/39674/picarro-video-gallery
Spec sheet:
https://www.picarro.com/support/library/documents/g2204_analyzer_datasheet
Tips: Ambient moisture (H2O) is utilized by Picarro’s technology to maintain drift-free
spectroscopic measurements. Therefore, it is not ideal to leave analyzers on dry gas tanks
for days.
© 2015 Picarro Inc., Confidential
Stop instrument
• To stop instrument, but keep computer running
© 2015 Picarro Inc., Confidential
Shutting down the analyzer
• Before shutting down, make sure H2O concentration is < 0.2% or 2000 ppm. This can be
achieved using a drierite column (Picarro product info: C0360) or connecting dry gas tank.
• Moisture left in cavity on Picarro analyzers not being used for some time, can cause
condensation on mirrors and deteriorate data quality.
© 2015 Picarro Inc., Confidential
Shutting down the analyzer
• Hit shutdown on Quick GUI.
• Wait until analyzer’s green button on the front is off; then safely turn off rocker switch at the rear
side.
• Pump should be turned off only after the analyzer is entirely shut down.
© 2015 Picarro Inc., Confidential
Cavity Ring-Down Spectroscopy
© 2015 Picarro Inc., Confidential
What is Cavity Ringdown Spectroscopy?
A tunable laser diode absorption spectroscopy technique for measuring trace
gas concentrations and isotopes, which tunes a small cavity to be resonant with
respect to a given wavelength to substantially elongate the pathlength to
increase sensitivity.
© 2015 Picarro Inc., Confidential
Optical spectroscopy – molecules in motion
Symmetrical Anti-symmetrical Scissoring
stretching stretching
Rocking Wagging Twisting
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RESONANT OPTICAL SPECTROSCOPY
Light absorbed by molecule
H2O Optical Spectrum
12C16O
H2O 2
12C18O
2
12C16O
2
optical frequency
Each type of molecule has a unique optical absorption
1. Molecules absorb at optical frequencies where they resonate mechanically
2. A spectrum is measured by changing the frequency of light passing through a sample and measuring the amount
of light absorbed
3. A spectrum of a given species of molecule usually consists of a number of absorption features
4. By measuring an isolated absorption feature of a species, its concentration can be determined
© 2015 Picarro Inc., Confidential
Beer-Lambert Law for Optical Absorption
Absorption per unit
length a
Optical
Power in Optical
Pin Power out
Pout
Length (z)
𝑃𝑜𝑢𝑡 = 𝑃𝑖𝑛 𝑒 − 𝛼𝑚𝑜𝑙𝑒𝑐𝑢𝑙𝑒 +𝛼𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑒𝑙𝑠𝑒 𝑧
• Maximize amolecule: Pick l where the target molecule absorbs strongly
• Minimize aeverything else: Pick l where all the other molecules don’t absorb, and take care so that
there is no loss of signal in your optics
• Maximize z: Get the longest path length you possibly can
© 2015 Picarro Inc., Confidential
CRDS: time, not absorbance
• CRDS utilizes the unique infrared absorption spectrum of gas-phase
molecules to quantify the concentration of (and sometimes isotopes of) H2O,
CO2, CH4, N2O, CH2O, NH3, etc.
• Measure decay rate, rather than absolute absorbance
• Small 3-mirrored cavity ~ 35 cc
• Long effective path-length (> 10 km)
• Time-based measurement
• Laser is switched on and off, and
scanned across wavelengths
© 2015 Picarro Inc., Confidential
Cavity Ring-Down Spectroscopy – Hardware
Laser light at a wavelength that the molecule does absorb light
Wavelength Inlet Outlet
Control
Cavity, 35 scc
Light Loss
Photo Intensity
α
Detector
Concentration
Time (ms)
Wavelength
© 2015 Picarro Inc., Confidential
CRDS: Principle of Operation
L ≠ Nl L = Nl
laser
l mon. D D D D
tune laser cavity not cavity laser OFF for Ring Down
to target l resonant resonant measurement
detector signal
time (microseconds) → repeat process every 3 msec
© 2015 Picarro Inc., Confidential
How Does Cavity Ring Down Work?
photodetector
out in
No gas
molecules in
cavity
T P wavelength l
monitor
laser
photodetector
out in
Gas molecules
in cavity
T P wavelength l
monitor
laser
Time-based measurement means very high accuracy and stability
© 2015 Picarro Inc., Confidential
What is inside the box?
© 2015 Picarro Inc., Confidential
Cavity: Nuts and Bolts
Piezoelectric photodetector
Transducer
vibration isolation
mirror
mirror
laser light enters microbench
through fiber optics
25 cm
© 2015 Picarro Inc., Confidential
Flow Control
Flow
Diagrams Critical Orifice Particle Filter #2
Particle Filter #1
GROUND Sample
Inlet Valve
INSTRUMENT Inlet
(outlet-valve
controlled)
Cavity (~35 cc)
Outlet Valve
Cavity Pressure Sensor
A2000
Vacuum Pump
(Vacuubrand MD1)
E.g. G2508, G2401, G2108 and most other instruments; Cavity
pressure is controlled by vacuum pump in conjunction with feedback
between outlet valve and cavity pressure sensor. Flow is set by critical
orifice to a relatively constant rate IF a 2:1 pressure drop exists across
the orifice. For a 140 torr cavity to be controlled properly, critical
orifice must have >280 torr pressure on upstream side. Otherwise, P in
cavity drops.
© 2015 Picarro Inc., Confidential
Critical or choked flow
When a gas is flowing through an orifice, the gas velocity in the orifice is a function of the inlet and outlet
pressures.
As the outlet pressure continues to lower, perhaps by a valve opening downstream, the gas velocity in the
orifice continues to increase. If the outlet pressure continues to decrease, the velocity of the gas in the
orifice will reach the speed of sound or sonic velocity.
This occurs for air flow when the absolute pressure ratio is .528, i.e., when the downstream absolute
pressure is 52.8% of the upstream absolute pressure or less.
In simple orifices, upon reaching sonic velocity, the gas cannot accelerate any further — the gas has
reached a maximum velocity. In other words, for a fixed inlet pressure and an outlet pressure that
produces sonic velocity in the orifice, a limit is achieved that cannot be exceeded. –O’Keefe Orifices
© 2015 Picarro Inc., Confidential
Questions?
photodetector • Fiber-coupled distributed feedback laser (10-
out i 20 mW) at 1.2 – 1.8 microns
n
• custom wavelength monitor
• Small volume: 35 cc
• traveling wave cavity (3 mirrors)
T P wavelength l
monitor • Reflectivity = 99.999%
laser
• Long effective path-length (> 10 km)
© 2015 Picarro Inc., Confidential
