Design and development of a versatile testing setup for volatile organic compound sensors under controlled operating...

Area of Science:

• Materials Science
• Electrical Engineering
• Environmental Science

Background:

• Gas sensors are crucial for industrial, medical, and environmental monitoring.
• Lack of dedicated testing setups hinders comprehensive gas sensor evaluation and development.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a cost-effective, multifunctional gas sensor testing setup.
• To enable precise characterization of gas sensors under controlled conditions.
• To validate the setup's reliability and accuracy.

Main Methods:

• Utilized an operational amplifier circuit, data acquisition card, syringe pump, and LabVIEW software.
• Calibrated the system using standard resistors and compared with a Keithley DMM 2700.
• Tested the setup with varying volatile organic compound (VOC) concentrations and controlled thermal conditions.

Main Results:

• The setup demonstrated accuracy and reliability through initial calibration.
• Evaluated p- and n-type semiconductor sensors, observing conductivity changes with VOC exposure.
• Characterized sensor thermal stability and time-dependent responses to different VOCs at various temperatures.

Conclusions:

• The developed setup provides a robust platform for comprehensive gas sensor characterization.
• Enables deeper insights into sensor behavior, facilitating the advancement of next-generation gas sensors.
• Supports precise evaluation of volatile organic compound (VOC) sensors under controlled conditions.