SBIR Phase I: A Reversible, Colorimetric Hydrogen Safety Sensor Using Tailored Xerogels

这个小型企业创新研究（SBIR）第一阶段项目是为了证明全光学氢传感器系统的可行性。安全仍然是首要任务，因为在生产、储存、转移或分配过程中氢气在空气中泄漏会在很大的浓度范围内产生爆炸性环境。氢经济基础设施是新的和快速增长的；公众对氢燃料的接受将需要集成可靠的氢安全传感器。该传感方法的可行性将通过开发一种溶胶-凝胶-钛基传感器来证明。任务已被设计表征动态范围，响应时间，可逆性，精度，分辨率和缺乏湿度的干扰。确定了四个标准来确定第一阶段的成功。它们是：(1)对0.05%氢的敏感性；(2)在0%和10%氢气20组之间循环时，信号返回到同一基线；(3)恢复时间保持在响应时间的10%以内；(4)在100%相对湿度下，传感器性能保持不变。本项目研制的氢传感器的商业应用是作为氢燃料工业中的安全装置。到2010年，与氢相关的能源业务预计将超过150亿美元。这种快速增长包括用于火箭的燃料电池和液体燃料箱。氢传感器的销售预计将加速汽车应用。其他应用包括发电、航空航天、食品生产和工业过程控制，其中氢被用作原料。

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project is to demonstrate the feasibility of an all-optical hydrogen sensor system. Safety remains a top priority since leakage of hydrogen in air during production, storage, transfer, or distribution creates an explosive atmosphere over a broad concentration range. The hydrogen economy infrastructure is new and rapidly growing; public acceptance of hydrogen fuel will require the integration of reliable hydrogen safety sensors. Feasibility of the sensing approach will be demonstrated by developing a sol-gel-titania-based sensor. Tasks have been designed to characterize dynamic range, response time, reversibility, accuracy, resolution and lack of interference from humidity. Four criteria have been established to define Phase I success. They are : (1) sensitivity to 0.05% hydrogen; (2) return of the signal to the same baseline upon cycling between 0% and 10% hydrogen 20 tomes; (3) the recovery time staying within 10% of the response time; and (4) the sensor performance remaining unchanged in the presence of 100% relative humidity.The commercial application of the hydrogen sensor developed in this project is as a safety device in the hydrogen fuel industry. The hydrogen-related energy business is expected to exceed $15 billion by 2010. This rapid growth includes fuel cells and liquid fuel tanks for rockets. Hydrogen sensor sales are predicted to accelerate for automotive applications. Other applications include power generation, aerospace, food production, and industrial process control where hydrogen is used as a feedstock.