survey of commercial sensors and emerging miniaturized

Survey of commercial sensors and

emerging miniaturized technologies

for safety applications in hydrogen

vehicles

Issam Kerroum, Ph.D. Student, M.A.Sc, Eng. Supervised by: Frédéric Domingue, Ph.D.

• Introduction

• Hydrogen Sensor Challenges and Proposed Solutions

• Review of Commercial Hydrogen Sensors

• Proposed Alternative Technologies

• Conclusion and Perspectives

Outline of the Presentation

2 Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières

• Impact of automotive industry on carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere

• Development of Hydrogen-based industry: 0% emission of greenhouse gases during use

• hydrogen characteristics – Colorless

– Odorless

– Light (diffuses rapidly from the source of leakage)

– Great flammable range 4% - 75%

• Need to use detection devices to ensure the safety of the user

Introduction


Need for alternative clean and renewable energy

http://www.notreplanete.info/actualites/actu_1438_records_concentration_CO2.php

http://www.temoignages.re/les-voitures-electriques-un-moyen,30672.html

Challenges

• Minimize the response time

• Expand measuring range

• Improved the stability in temperature and humidity

• Improved sensor robustness

Objectives

• Make reliable, low cost and passive hydrogen sensor for automotive applications

• Make a hydrogen sensor network operating at radio frequencies


Challenges and objectives

Hydrogen Sensor Challenges and Proposed

Solutions Different locations

Different performance requirements

Hydrogen sensor locations

• CAT: Catalytic technology

• EC: Electrochemical technology

• TCD: Thermal conductivity

• MOX: Semiconductive technology

• MOS: Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor

Review of Commercial Hydrogen Sensors


Sensor studied

Criteria T (C°) RH (%) M (%) T90 (s) T10 (s) Pc (mW)

MIN -40 0 0

3

3

650 MAX 125 100 4

Technology Nbr of models

Nbr of companies

CAT 11 7

EC 34 9

TCD 9 5

MOX 11 6

MOS 8 7

Total 73 34

Summary of performance criteria for automotive industry

Number of sensor and manufacturer for each technology

• Five technologies identified with various principle of detection

• Sensor weaknesses are different between various identified technologies


Existing technologies


Catalytic technology Thermal

conductivity technology

Electrochemical technology

MOX technology MOS technology

• Improve temperature stability and extend temperature range

• Improve response time

• Extend measuring range

• Extend relative humidity range


Performance analysis


TR: Temperature range RH: Relative humidity MR: Measuring range (0 to 4% of hydrogen) T10: Recovery time T90: Response time

Legend

Catalytic technology Thermal

conductivity technology

MOX technology Electrochemical

technology MOS technology

Several optimisations are necessary to make a reliable sensor which response to hydrogen based automotive industry requirements.

• Improving temperature stability

• Extension of temperature range

• Minimize both response and recovery times

• Extension of measuring range to reach 100% of hydrogen

• Extension of relative humidity range until 100%



Proposed Alternative Technologies (Acoustic)

9

Advantages

• Low-cost

• Wide detection range

• Absence of electronic

• Low power consumption

• Testing new materials for hydrogen detection

• Proposed devices based on different propagation modes

• New proposed solutions

Methodology

Acoustic Sensor

• Demonstrate sensor reliability

• Improve sensor stability on temperature and humidity

• Integration of sensor in wireless system

Perspectives

Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières

Proposed Alternative Technologies (Acoustic)

10

Advantages and weaknesses of different wave propagation modes

Wave type Denomination Polarization Typical application

Advantages & Weaknesses

Bulk waves BAW: Bulk Acoustic Waves

Transverse horizontal

In gas and liquid

Resistance to harsh environments Temperature stability

Low sensitivity

Surface waves SAW: Surface Acoustic Waves

Quasi Elliptic Gas Very sensitive to surface changing

Poor performance in liquid medium

Bleustein-Gulyaev (SH-SAW)


Liquid Adapting in medium liquid

Limited sensitivity (low surface confinement)

Plate waves FPW: Flexural Plate Mode (Lamb wave)

Quasi Elliptic Liquid Adapting to bio-detection

SH-APM: Shear-Horizontal Acoustic Plate Mode


Liquid and biosensors

Good performance in liquid medium)

Low sensitivity to mass effect

Waves in an inhomogeneous

medium

LOVE Transverse horizontal

Liquid and biosensors

Very good performance in liquid medium

Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières

MEMS technology

• High QF (in order of 10e-3)

• Improve robustness and sensitivity based on vibration mode

• Micro-electronic integration which minimize the cost

NEMS technology

• Improve H2 sensitivity using sensor network and nano composites

• High QF (minimum energy loss)

• Low power operation

• Improving material geometry based on first results

Proposed Alternative Technologies (MEMS &

NEMS)


Technologies advantages

Vibration modes

Nanomechanical hydrogen sensing. App phys lett 86 2005

Conclusion

• New alternative clean and renewable based hydrogen energy

• Need to alternative technology for hydrogen detection

• Used of acoustic, MEMS and NEMS technologies depending on intended application

Perspectives

• Making hydrogen sensor reliable and low-cost for automotive application

• Improved sensor temperature stability

• Improved sensor humidity stability

• Validation of sensor reliability in a wireless environment


Conclusion and perspectives

Hydrogen sensor locations

Necessity of emerging technologies

survey of commercial sensors and emerging miniaturized

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