Influence of Coal-Fired Fly Ash on Measurement Error of NO<sub>2</sub> Electrochemical Sensors

To overcome the limitations of NO<sub>2</sub> electrochemical sensors, including their inaccurate measurements and short working life, when used around coal-fired power plants, we investigated the influence of coal-fired fly ash deposition on the measurement error of NO<sub>2</s...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Wei Chen, Hui Zhou, Shijing Wu, Dongmei Liao
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: MDPI AG 2024-01-01
Series:Sensors
Subjects:
Online Access:https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/24/3/900
Description
Summary:To overcome the limitations of NO<sub>2</sub> electrochemical sensors, including their inaccurate measurements and short working life, when used around coal-fired power plants, we investigated the influence of coal-fired fly ash deposition on the measurement error of NO<sub>2</sub> electrochemical sensors through experimental tests. The morphological characteristics and pellet diameter distribution of coal-fired fly ash pellets were determined via scanning electron microscopy. The sedimentation velocity of coal-fired fly ash pellets in the air was determined through theoretical calculations of aerodynamics and hydrodynamics. Additionally, the effect of the deposition of coal-fired fly ash on the measurement error of NO<sub>2</sub> electrochemical sensors was determined through experimental tests. The test results show that the minimum and maximum measurement errors of the NO<sub>2</sub> electrochemical gas sensor were 8.015% and 30.35%, respectively, after a deposition duration of 30 days with 30 mg/m<sup>3</sup> coal-fired fly ash. This demonstrates that coal-fired fly ash deposition is the cause of the inaccurate measurements and short working life of these sensors. Coal-fired fly ash causes a decrease in the gas diffusion area of the sensor and the diffusion coefficient, thus increasing the sensor measurement error.
ISSN:1424-8220