Volatile organic compound sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10041908-B2
Application number	US-201615263909-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 13, 2016
Priority date	Sep 14, 2015
Publication date	Aug 7, 2018
Grant date	Aug 7, 2018

Abstract

A VOC detection sensor includes: a photoemission acceleration unit including a first electrode and a second electrode spaced apart from each other to face each other and a power source unit forming an electric field between the first electrode and the second electrode, photoemission means disposed within a space formed by the first electrode and second electrode of the photoemission acceleration unit and emitting photoelectrons, a light source supplying light energy by which the photoemission means emits photoelectrons, and an ammeter measuring the amount of charges flowing between the first electrode and the second electrode, wherein VOCs in the space between the first electrode and the second electrode are ionized through a collision against photoelectrons accelerated by the photoemission acceleration unit, and the ammeter detects a concentration of the VOCs by measuring the amount of charges formed by the ionized VOCs between the first electrode and the second electrode.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A volatile organic compound (VOC) detection sensor, comprising:
a photoemission acceleration unit comprising:
a first electrode and a second electrode spaced apart from each other in such a way as to face each other, and
a power source unit generating an electric field between the first electrode and the second electrode;

photoemission material made of metal for emitting photoelectrons;
a light source supplying light energy by which the photoemission material emits the photoelectrons; and
an ammeter measuring an amount of electric charges flowing between the first electrode and the second electrode,
wherein the photoemission material is disposed within a spaced formed by the first and second electrodes of the photoemission acceleration unit, or the second electrode is made of the photoemission material,
wherein VOCs accommodated in the space between the first electrode and the second electrode are ionized through collision against the photoelectrons which are emitted from the photoemission material by the light source and accelerated by the photoemission acceleration unit,
wherein the ammeter detects a concentration of the VOCs by measuring an amount of electric charges generated by the ionized VOCs between the first electrode and the second electrode, and
wherein the light source provides light of a wavelength by which the photoelectrons are emitted from the photoemission material while the VOCs are not directly ionized.

2. The VOC detection sensor of claim 1 , wherein the second electrode is connected to a cathode of the power source unit.

3. The VOC detection sensor of claim 1 , wherein the photoemission acceleration unit generates the electric field for accelerating the photoelectrons so that the electric field has an energy range in which the VOCs are ionized while nitrogen and oxygen contained in air are not ionized.

4. The VOC detection sensor of claim 3 , wherein the photoemission acceleration unit generates the electric field so that the photoelectrons have an energy of 9.3 to 12 eV.

5. A volatile organic compound (VOC) detection sensor, comprising:
a light source;
a first electrode and a second electrode generating an electric field, the second electrode being provided as a second migration channel of light generated from the light source;
an insulating structure separating the first electrode and the second electrode from each other so that the first electrode and the second electrode are insulated;
photoemission material made of metal for emitting photoelectrons to ionize VOCs by the light; and
a substrate disposed between the second electrode and the light source, provided as a first migration channel of the light, and having the light source installed or formed thereon,
wherein the photoemission material is disposed within a spaced formed by the first and second electrodes, or the second electrode is made of the photoemission material, and
wherein the light source provides light of a wavelength by which the photoelectrons are emitted from the photoemission material while the VOCs are not directly ionized.

6. The VOC detection sensor of claim 5 , wherein the light source comprises a light-emitting diode (LED grown and formed over the substrate.

7. The VOC detection sensor of claim 5 , wherein the insulating structure is made of a glass material.

8. The VOC detection sensor of claim 5 , wherein a VOC migration channel is formed between the first electrode and the second electrode by the insulating structure.

9. The VOC detection sensor of claim 5 , wherein the second electrode and the substrate are made of a transparent material.

10. The VOC detection sensor of claim 5 , wherein the light source provides light of a wavelength of 230 nm to 260 nm.

11. The VOC detection sensor of claim 5 , further comprising a power source unit having an anode and a cathode connected to the first electrode and the second electrode, respectively.

12. The VOC detection sensor of claim 11 , further comprising an ammeter measuring an amount of electrical charges flowing between the first electrode and the second electrode.

13. The VOC detection sensor of claim 5 , further comprising an ammeter measuring an amount of electrical charges flowing between the first electrode and the second electrode.

14. A volatile organic compound (VOC) detection sensor, comprising:
a transparent substrate;
a light-emitting diode (LED) lamp installed or formed on a first side of the transparent substrate;
a transparent electrode disposed on a second side of the transparent substrate;
a metal electrode disposed to face the transparent electrode and spaced apart from the transparent electrode; and
photoemission material disposed on a top surface of the transparent electrode or between the transparent electrode and the metal electrode, and receiving light radiated by the LED lamp and emitting photoelectrons,
wherein the LED lamp provides light of a wavelength by which the photoelectrons are emitted from the photoemission material while the VOCs are not directly ionized.

Assignees

• Univ Yonsei Iacf

Inventors

• Kim Jong Baeg
• Lee Kyounghoon
• Kang Yunsung

Classifications

• G01N27/66 Primary

  and measuring current or voltage · CPC title

• G01N33/0047

  Organic compounds · CPC title