Electrochemical Hydrogen Sensor Assembly for Monitoring High-Concentration Hydrogen

The demand for hydrogen energy is rapidly increasing because of its clean, abundant, and efficient nature. To utilize hydrogen gas as a fuel for fuel-cell vehicles, several types of hydrogen sensors are needed to address cost and safety issues. Precise monitoring of hydrogen gas concentration is critical in optimizing vehicle fuel-cell efficiency. Herein, a fully packaged hydrogen sensor to continuously measure a hydrogen concentration of 20-100% with environmental variations is fabricated, including temperature (from -40 to 105 degrees C), humidity (from 10 to 98 RH%), and pressure (from 30 to 350 kPa). A signal-processing circuit is designed to reduce the error rate, and a sensor chip and printed circuit board are assembled in a module using a packaging process with robust materials for harsh vehicle environments. The result herein suggests direct application of the sensor to monitor hydrogen concentration in the hydrogen recirculation unit in a fuel-cell vehicle.