Download or read book Detection of Carbon Using Microwave Excited Photoacoustic Spectroscopy written by Andrew Allen Suby and published by . This book was released on 1998 with total page 122 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Knowledge of the carbon content of fly ash is important for determining combustion efficiency in coal fired boilers. However, current methods of measuring fly ash carbon content are tedious, time consuming, and often inaccurate. The focus of this study was to evaluate the performance of a microwave excited photoacoustic device that incorporated stripline technology in its design. The basis for this design was the photoacoustic effect, which is capable of detecting very weak absorptions, making it ideal for detecting small amounts of carbon. Utilizing microwaves as an excitation source allowed measurements to be made with non-homogenous particle diameter due to the avoidance of Mie scattering. The device was able to detect carbon concentrations effectively from 1 to 43% carbon in various fly ashes.