Design, characterization and control of heat generation of an online Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) sorting process analyzer

激光诱导击穿光谱（LIBS）仪器设计用于测定

Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy (LIBS) instruments are designed to determine the composition of samples of any sort of materials (e.g. gas, liquid or solid) with a very high accuracy. Fundamentally, LIBS systems use a high-power pulsed laser beam that interacts with the matter and generates a plasma. The analyses of its scattered light, via a complex optical arrangement, permit the identification of almost all elements of the periodic table to be achieved. This technology has recently shown a great success with NASA's application in the Curiosity Mars Rover, where the fingerprints collected from a soil sample has enabled to fully characterize the mineral content of the planet. Recently, our industrial partner has developed a LIBS system that will be used in the metal manufacturing industry. To this aim, such instrument must be able to operate stably for long periods of time under very harsh environmental conditions (i.e. temperature variations from -10 C to 50 degree Celsius, mechanical vibrations, dust, etc.) In particular, this LIBS system must be able to maintain its temperature within a very small range. Currently, in the industry similar instruments are cooled using water flows through heat exchangers, where a minor leak can bring about intolerable optical drifts. Therefore, the purpose of the present Engage is to develop an appropriate technique that will permit the system to maintain its temperature by eliminating the use of coolants, which may provoke potential risks. Once the proposed solutions will be fully operational, it is expected that our results will help the company to manufacture a commercial unit and consequently contribute towards the development of Canada's high technology instrumentation industry.