Low-Cost Hydrogen Sensor in the ppm Range with Purely Optical Readout

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Abstract
Due to the changing global climate the role of renewable energy sources is of increasing importance. Hydrogen can play an important role as an energy carrier in the transition from fossil fuels. However, to ensure safe operations a highly reliable and sensitive hydrogen sensor is required for leakage detection. We present a sensor design with purely optical read-out that reliably operates between 50 – 100,000 ppm. The building block of the sensor is a reactive sample that consists of a layered structure with palladium nanodisks as top layer and changes its optical properties depending on the external hydrogen partial pressure. We use a fiber coupled setup consisting of an LED, a sensor body containing the reactive sample and a photodiode to probe and read out the reflectance of the sample. This allows to separate the explosive detection area from the operating electronics and thus comes with an inherent protection against hydrogen ignition by electronic malfunction. Our results prove that this sensor design provides a large detection range, fast response times, and enhanced robustness against aging compared to conventional thin-film technologies. Especially the simplicity, feasibility, and scalability of the presented approach yields a holistic approach for industrial hydrogen monitoring.
Funding Information
  • Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (WasSens 13N8341)

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