An overview of hydrogen safety sensors and requirements

Internationally, there is a commitment to increase the utilization of hydrogen as a clean and renewable alternative to carbon-based fuels. Hydrogen safety sensors are critical to assure the safe deployment of hydrogen systems; but, because there exists a broad range of sensor options, selecting an appropriate sensor technology can be complicated. Some sensor technologies might not be a good fit for a specific application. Facility engineers and other end-users, however, are expected to select the optimal sensor for their systems. Making informed decisions requires an understanding of the general analytical performance specifications that can be expected for a given sensor technology. Although there are many commercial sensors, most can be classified into relatively few specific sensor types. Each specific platform has characteristic analytical trends, advantages, and limitations. Knowledge of these trends can guide the selection of the optimal technology for a specific application. (C) 2010 Published by Elsevier Ltd on behalf of Professor T. Nejat Veziroglu.