Development of a Coherent Optical Particle Spectrometer for Industrial Applications: A Feasibility Investigation

摘要

The feasibility of developing a particle sizing instrument for in situ measurements in industrial environments, based on the method of optical heterodyne or coherent detection, was investigated. The instrument, a coherent optical particle spectrometer or COPS, is potentially capable of measuring several important particle parameters, such as particle size, number density, and speed, because of the versatility of the optical heterodyne method. Water droplets generated by an aerosol/particle generator were used to test the performance of the COPS. Study findings have shown that the optical setup of the COPS is extremely sensitive to even minute mechanical or acoustic vibrations. At the optimal setup, the COPS performs satisfactorily and has more than adequate signal-to-noise even with a 0.5 mW He-Ne laser.