Frankfurt: In order to enable large-scale, effective and safe use of hydrogen as the energy source of the future, not only is quantitively and qualitatively suitable H2 production required, but also reliable monitoring of the process during combustion.
Only then will a hydrogen-based energy revolution actually be possible. But to achieve this, gas measurement systems using highly stable, sensitive and, due to the large quantities necessary, economical sensors are urgently required. Archigas has now developed solutions that precisely fulfil these requirements.
This measuring technology’s specific properties are consistently orientated towards the specific requirements of the hydrogen industry, with its especially high standards regarding H2 analysis. Due to hydrogen’s significantly higher thermal conductivity compared with that of other gases, the developers deploy so-called TCD sensors they have manufactured themselves, and which are based on the thermal conductivity measurement principle. This enables the H2 concentration in gas mixtures to be determined extremely precisely. But that’s not all: Archigas has even succeeded in developing solutions for differentiating between hydrogen and helium, which is by nature a difficult task, due to their similar thermal conductivity. As well as outstanding stability and precision, the sensors are characterised by the fact that MEMS technology (microelectromechanical systems) is intelligently used in their production – in other words, proven semiconductor technology based on silicone wafers. In turn, this permits economical mass production of sensors that are absolutely identical, without the need for complex calibration.
With the aid of these unique sensor solutions, gas measurement equipment is designed and produced for the following applications:
- Hydrogen production using electrolysis, admixture of hydrogen to natural gas (H2 in CH4)
- Monitoring hydrogen’s upper and lower explosion limits, including in fuel cell exhaust gases (LEL and LEL for H2 in O2/air)
- Input quality control and process gas monitoring, for monitoring gas purity (eg hydrogen 5.0)
- Control and monitoring of gas mixtures for the food industry, welding technology and medical technology (eg CO2 in Ar, O2 in N2, N2O in air)
The devices’ easy handling enables quick, trouble-free implementation of the TCD OEM modules into customer equipment such as gas chromatographs, synthesis gas plants and many others. Beyond the classic TCD solutions, the business also has concepts for mass flow measurement that is independent of the gas type, and therefore unique worldwide, along with systems for industrial vacuum and temperature measurement.
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With immediate effect, Archigas GmbH, with its administrative headquarters in Frankfurt and new laboratory and production site in nearby Rüsselsheim, offers its innovative H2 measurement technology, developed fully to market maturity, in different variants. Further information about the company and its pioneering sensor solutions can be found online at www.archigas.de.
