Hydrogen Gas Sensor

H2 Gas Sensor for Oil & Gas, Pipelines, Petrochemical Industry, and Hydrogen Economy

 According to the EPA, the majority contributor to U.S. greenhouse emissions is the transportation industry. H2 gas is a sustainable alternative to fossil fuels. Intelligent Material Solutions Inc., in partnership with a large oil and gas company, developed an ultra-sensitive and stable stand-alone optical sensor system to maintain the integrity of the H2 supply chain.

ADVANTAGES

  • In-line, ppb levels of detection of H2 impurities to be installed at H2 refilling stations worldwide

  • 1 ppb CO & 1 ppm H2O from single laser/detector assembly

  • Operating temperature of -40°C to 50°C

  • Sealed reference gas detector enables continuous & autonomous operation for at least 2 years before calibration

  • System lifetime ~10 years

  • ATEX Certified (Class I, Div. 2)/Non-Incendiary Device

HOW IT WORKS

The Hydrogen gas is isolated from the laser/detector module with welded sapphire windows. The laser and detector temperature are controlled by four independent thermoelectric coolers. Current is driven through the laser and detector to produce desired parameters.

Heat map of sensor with continuous operation demonstrating stability of sensor

Absorption of H2O and CO in the mid infrared region

The laser scans across the mid infrared region at 100 times per second. If water or carbon monoxide enter the beam path, the detector’s signal will slightly change. Based on the change in the signal, the sensor can detect CO at 1 ppb with 10 ppt resolution and water at 0.1 ppm with 0.1 ppm resolution in Hydrogen.