Accurate detection of hydrogen is critical for hydrogen powered fuel cells, IC engines, leak detection in electrolyzers, reformers, biomass tanks, and other hydrogen storage devices. Applied Nanotech Inc. (ANI) will present a novel, low-power, low-cost hydrogen sensor based on palladium nanoparticle networks. The hydrogen sensor is based on the dissociation of hydrogen dissolving into nanosized palladium lattice resulting in an increase in conductivity of the metallic palladium nanoparticle networks.

The sensor is manufactured using electrodeposition of nanoparticles on a conductive substrate. The hydrogen sensor operates with very low power and in built temperature stability is provided using a simple thermo electric cooler. A reference channel is provided to eliminate cross-sensitivity. ANI currently offers the hydrogen sensor with multiple packaging options for a wide variety of applications.

The sensor is suitable for hydrogen detection in gaseous (fuel cell, leak detection applications) and oil environments (transformer health monitoring applications). The presentation will also address the merits of ANI's technology in comparison to other hydrogen detection technologies.