Multi-spectral back-scattering spectrometer for total suspended solids measurement

摘要

The conventional method used to measure the total suspended solids (TSS) in seawater is by collecting samples and analysing them in the lab. This methods is not efficient and cannot provide a real-time result, whereas, digital image processing and remote sensing techniques have been widely used in estimating and mapping the concentration of the TSS in vast areas. Various algorithms have been developed and used for the measurement of TSS concentration. In this work, an algorithm developed for remote sensing techniques is used. The technique employed involves radiating the samples with a laser and then correlating the back-scattering with the concentration of the total suspended solids in the water sample. A laser emitting multiple wavelengths are radiated into the water sample and back-scattering radiations for every wavelength are analysed and correlated with the total suspended solids concentration. The back-scattering radiation is then analysed and the proposed water quality algorithm is calibrated for measuring the total suspended solids level in the water. In this work the total suspended solids concentration is correlated with the ratio of back scattering radiation of wavelengths 780nm and 633nm. The linear correlation coefficient square (R~2) between the spectrometer reading and the laboratory analysis produced in this work is 0.98.