[ instrumentation ]
Small is the new big : the sensors require little space . All images © Archigas
Combination of TCD and MEMS technologies : the silver bullet in hydrogen measurement
To be able to use hydrogen safely and on a large scale , high-quality and quantitative production is required on the one hand , and reliable monitoring of the combustion processes on the other . This in turn urgently requires gas measurement systems based on sensors that are particularly sensitive , stable , compact and – since they are required in large quantities – as cost-effective as possible . New , innovative combination solutions from TCD and MEMS technologies meet these requirements exactly .
By Illya Kaufman and Wladimir Barskyi , Archigas
The well-known science-fiction author and visionary Jules Verne called water the ‘ coal of the future ’ 150 years ago and talked about the decomposition of water by electric current . Now , the time has ( finally !) come . If we look at the entire hydrogen value chain ( production , distribution , storage , and combustion ), it becomes clear that sensors are needed at all stations in this chain . Thus , the measurement of hydrogen concentration plays a decisive role in the process control of many technologies handling hydrogen . Precise measurement of concentration is also essential for adding hydrogen as an energy carrier to existing gas networks . Last but not least , precise and reliable sensor systems are needed for safety engineering when using explosive gas mixtures with hydrogen content . In short , complete and always reliable transparency is needed for the safe and effective production and use of hydrogen . What sounds banal at first turns out to be a complex task when it comes to implementation .
No lack of challenges
This is because , upon closer inspection , claims and reality are still – more or less – far apart . Currently , there are the following possibilities for detecting hydrogen :
30 Hydrogen Tech World | Issue 11 | August 2023