(24c) Low-Power Detection of Hydrogen Leakage Using a Self-Powered Wireless Hydrogen Sensor Node

Within the ongoing interdisciplinary hydrogen research at the University of Florida, a self?powered wireless hydrogen sensor node has been designed and developed from a system level approach. By using multi-source energy harvesting circuitry designed and developed at the University of Florida, scavenged or ?reclaimed? energy from light emitting and vibrational sources serve as the source of power for commercial low power microcontrollers, amplifiers, and RF transmitters. After system power up, our sensor node is capable of conditioning and deciphering the output of hydrogen sensitive ZnO nano-rods sensors also developed at the University of Florida. Upon the detection of a discernible amount of hydrogen, our system will ?wake' from an idle state to create a wireless data communication link to relay the detection of hydrogen to a central monitoring station. Two modes of operation were considered and designed for the use of hydrogen detection. The first mode would sense for the presence of hydrogen above a set threshold, and alert a central monitoring station of the detection of significant levels of hydrogen. In the second mode of operation, actual hydrogen concentrations starting as low as 10 PPM are relayed to the receiver to track the amount of hydrogen present.

The paper will discuss the performance of our Self-Powered Wireless Hydrogen Sensor Node, and also focus on the design and optimization of the detection circuitry, digital processing considerations, and modulation scheme to maintain an accurate and reliable system while expending a minimal amount of energy scavenged from ambient light or vibration, for long lifetime operation with minimal maintenance.