Hydrogen Detection – Sensor Technology to Enable Improved Safety and More Reliable Hydrogen Applications.

The Insplorion sensor platform for hydrogen concentration measurements enables easy implementation and high reliability. The principle of operation is NanoPlasmonic Sensing (NPS), an optical, real-time, label free, surface sensitive sensor technology. The sensor chips consist of a Pd-based sensing element with optical read-out, which has been demonstrated to provide fast response with high selectivity for hydrogen.

Nano-sensing offers the capability to fine-tune the dynamics of gas interaction, which has demonstrated the possibility to sustain a response time less than a second. As time is of essence when it comes to hydrogen safety, seconds could prevent severe and costly accidents.

The sensing element does not require any particular background for operation, which means it can be used in air, inert atmosphere and even vacuum. Further, the pd-based sensor chip is inherently selective to hydrogen which means it is able to be used in environments involving other interfering gases. This enables robust and accurate monitoring for several new hydrogen application areas where current sensors on the market cannot function.

Currently, the sensor is in commercial prototype phase and Insplorion is proving technical features together with customers in pilot projects.