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Development of a high-concentration hydrogen sensor and a gas sensor test bench

University of British Columbia

Resistive hydrogen gas sensors based on palladium-hydrogen (Pd-H2) interactions were fabricated and tested. This thesis presents expected resistance characteristics for these sensors, and describes their fabrication process. Test results and analysis identified the H2 sensing mechanisms in these sensors. In particular, linearity between sensor resistance and the approximate atomic hydrogen content in the Pd was established, and the estimated proportionality constant obtained is 2.7± 0.9 (a.u.). A low flow rate sensor test bench featuring a line-switching mechanism was designed and built also. A description of the test bench and its operation principles are discussed. Response times obtained from initial tests of the un-optimized system is 16s ± 9s, comparable to the system response time of a commercial gas sensor test station presently available. Recommendations for future work to optimize this test bench are discussed, as are recommendations for future sensor design and development.

Text

2011-03-15

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http://hdl.handle.net/2429/32466

Engineering Physics

University of British Columbia

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