As part of the GREAT H2 final conference on 22nd November 2023, the CiS Research Institute will present sensor developments for the industrial application of green hydrogen. In his pitch at the Comcenter Brühl tomorrow, Dr. Klaus Ettrich, Head of the MEMS business unit at the CiS Research Institute, will explain sensor solutions for safe use along the entire value chain from production to storage and distribution of “green hydrogen” in various industries. Demonstrators from corresponding research projects will be on display at the trade exhibition:
Sensors for pressure and concentration
The CiS Research Institute, Materion GmbH and Union Instruments GmbH have developed special MEMS sensor chips with electronics based on a measurement concept from Materion, which detect the concentration of hydrogen using palladium layers. The advantages lie in the wide concentration range and high selectivity. Palladium has the highest absorption capacity of all elements for hydrogen and can bind 900 times its own volume at room temperature. This forms the basis for a basic sensory element. If a palladium layer is connected to a passive material, the increase in volume results in considerable mechanical stresses, the size of which is a measure of the hydrogen content in the palladium. These special MEMS sensors (microelectromechanical sensors) are manufactured using microsystems technology methods (Si technology, microelectronics) and have great potential for further miniaturization, cost-effective production and reduced energy consumption.
A joint development with UST Umweltsensortechnik GmbH shows a new type of hydrogen-stable pressure sensor. The focus here was on the investigation of long-term stable joints. The sensor is hydrogen-resistant, part of a multi-sensor and records not only pressure but also temperature, hydrogen concentration and residual gases. The sensor system is suitable for safety-relevant applications, for example in electrolyzers or for leakage detection in storage systems.
Both solutions are project results within the HYPOS consortium, the “Zwanzig20 – Partnership for Innovation” funding initiative launched by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. The respective partners are further developing the ideas of the previously successfully completed HYPROS project.
Moisture sensors for the optimization of PEM electrolyzers
Water electrolysis systems are used to produce green hydrogen. They produce gaseous hydrogen and oxygen directly from water. To avoid operating conditions that lead to corrosion or destruction, humidity sensors are a component of the electrolyser control system. They allow continuous condition monitoring and thus identify unfavourable operating conditions, counteract them and thereby optimize the operating parameters.
We cordially invite you to come and talk to Dr. Klaus Ettrich.
