Design and acoustic performance of a photoacoustic cell for use in an air pollution monitoring system in Metro Cebu

Abstract

We report on the current progress regarding the effort to put up an air pollution monitoring system for Metro Cebu using the laser-based photoacoustic spectroscopy. Our report focuses on the sample cell, which was recently constructed in the Machine Shop of USC. The design is described and motivated and the preliminary results of a test of its acoustic performance are given. The cylindrical cell (100 mm long with a diameter of 9 mm) is found to be resonant at 1700 Hz. The quality factor is found to be 17 which results in a cell constant of 1007 Pa cm/W. The results encourage us to continue with this relatively simple design in the development of the air pollution monitoring system.