Ethylene gas sensing using non-dispersive infrared spectroscopy

A novel robust low cost sensor for measuring the concentration of ethylene in air is tested. Ethylene levels are important for agriculture, but traditional measurement methods, are unsuitable for measurements in the field. The proposed measurement system is based on a non-dispersive infrared sensing element that measures the characteristic IR absorption peak of ethylene at 10.54μm. A compact hollow waveguide and custom electronics are used to reach the required sensitivity. Our results show that ethylene gas can be reliably detected down to a concentration of 20ppm.