Sensors & Transducers (Jan 2013)

Selective Detection of Hydrogen with Surface Acoustic Wave Devices Using Palladium Layer Properties

  • Meddy VANOTTI,
  • Virginie BLONDEAU-PATISSIER,
  • David RABUS,
  • Jean-Yves RAUCH,
  • Sylvain BALLANDRAS

Journal volume & issue
Vol. 18, no. Special Issue
pp. 84 – 91

Abstract

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For an increasing number of applications, hydrogen represents a solution of the future as it is the most common element in the Earth. However, due to its unstable properties in gas phase, a particular care must be dedicated to control possible gaseous leaks close to tanks and facilities using this resource. In this paper, surface acoustic wave sensors are proposed for detecting gaseous hydrogen in standard environmental conditions (atmospheric pressure and room temperature). The proposed Surface Acoustic Wave sensors consists in two Rayleigh-wave delay lines built on Quartz, one equipped with a palladium overlay and the other exhibiting a free path between the two interdigited transducers. A specific gas test cell has been developed to test various sensor configurations submitted to hydrogen-composed atmospheres. A particular care was paid to avoid hydrogen leakage in the working environment and to perform the regeneration of the gas absorbing layer. The developed device allows for identifying different concentrations of hydrogen (in the 1-4 % range) diluted in nitrogen and is also able to detect hydrogen in current atmosphere. Surface Acoustic Wave devices exploiting hydrogen absorption capabilities of palladium thin films have been here used to make the detection and the identification of hydrogen concentrations in the 1-4 % range and the influence of outer parameters such as temperature and relative humidity variations on the sensor operation are also reported.

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