Punjan DOHARE, Sudeshna BAGCHI, Amol P BHONDEKAR

Performance optimisation of a sensing chamber using fluid dynamics simulation for electronic nose applications

The sensor chamber plays a significant role in order to improve the performance of an electronic nose in terms of stability, repeatability, reproducibility, and sensitivity. Fluid dynamics simulations of six different configurations of 3D sensing chambers are presented to facilitate the efficient design of an electronic nose system comprising 64 sensor arrays. Numerical simulations were carried out to investigate the gas (zero air) flow behaviour inside these chambers under steady-state conditions for velocities ranging from 0.1 to 2 m/s using ANSYS software. Design optimisation was performed in terms of area coverage, velocity, and mass fraction. The results show that the area coverage and mass fraction distribution increase with flow velocity. The sensor chambers achieved more than 70% flow coverage over the sensors at a velocity beyond 0.7 m/s. In further chamber designs, four baffles were introduced at different positions in a two inlet and one outlet chamber model to enhance the performance of the chamber. The effect of baffle positions in the flow distribution was investigated through numerical simulations. Chamber designs with the introduction of baffles achieved a maximum mass fraction. Thus, the insertion of baffles improved the area coverage and mass fraction. In addition, to show the real-time applicability further simulations were performed in the optimised sensor chamber.

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