Dissolved Hydrogen Sensor

Areté Associates proposes to develop a novel sensor using thick-film technology to measure variations in the concentration of dissolved hydrogen in the ocean environment. We will employ a unique layout of the classic Wheatstone bridge design that uses screened-palladium metal resistors as the transducer. Palladium absorbs hydrogen gas and changes its electrical resistance in response to the absorption. The sensor has active and inactive bridge branches. Specially selected coatings will make the sensor impervious to electrode surface changes due to wet/dry seawater cycling, and to chemical contamination. In Phase I, Areté, working with selected vendors, developed a prototype half-bridge sensor using specifically designed palladium inks. This sensor and its associated electronics will be used as a test bed heading into Phase II. We have addressed the critical issues of active and passive branch coatings. For Phase II we will design, develop and test a small number of prototype sensors and test them with an array of complementary sensors that has already been deployed at sea.