SENSOR APPARATUS FOR MEASURING AND DETECTING ACETYLENE AND HYDROGEN DISSOLVED IN A FLUID

• US 20090166197A1
• Filed: 01/02/2008
• Published: 07/02/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 01/02/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Babes-Dornea, Elena, Grincourt, Yves
• Granted Patent: US 8,002,957 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 204/412
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/4045 for gases other than oxygen
• CPC Class Codes: Y02E 60/50 Fuel cells

Abstract

A fuel cell sensor is provided for detecting the presence of acetylene and hydrogen in a fluid. The sensor includes a sensing element having first and second gas diffusing electrodes spaced from one another. The first gas diffusing electrode can be used for sensing acetylene. The second gas diffusing electrode can be used for sensing hydrogen. A fuel cell spacer having an acidic electrolyte is disposed between the sensing element and a common electrode. The sensing element can be configured to have a specific ratio of the area between the first gas diffusing electrode in relation to the area of the second gas diffusing electrode.

Claims

1. A fuel cell sensor for detecting the presence of at least one of acetylene and hydrogen in a fluid, comprising:

a sensing element comprising first and second gas diffusing electrodes spaced from one another, said first gas diffusing electrode for sensing acetylene and said second gas diffusing electrode for sensing hydrogen;

a common electrode;

a fuel cell spacer having an acidic electrolyte disposed between said sensing element and said common electrode;

wherein, said sensing element being configured to have a specific ratio of the area of said first gas diffusing electrode in relation to the area of said second gas diffusing electrode.

2. The fuel cell sensor of claim 1, wherein said specific ratio is between about 1:

1 to about 5;

1.

3. The fuel cell sensor of claim 1, wherein said specific ratio is between about 1:

10 to about 10;

1.

4. The fuel cell sensor of claim 1, wherein:

said first gas diffusing electrode comprises a gas porous gold film and an ion exchange membrane; and

said second gas diffusing electrode and said common electrode comprise a graphite layer and a platinum-carbon layer.

5. The fuel cell sensor of claim 1 wherein said first and second gas diffusing electrodes are spaced from one another by an insulating adhesive.

6. The fuel cell sensor of claim 1 further comprising:

a gas permeable membrane located between said fluid and said sensing element, said gas permeable membrane comprises a fluoropolymer film and a porous support.

7. The fuel cell sensor of claim 1, wherein said acidic electrolyte comprises, at least one of, sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄), fumed silica (SiO₂), and water (H₂O).

8. The fuel cell sensor of claim 1, wherein said fuel cell spacer comprises polypropylene.

9. A fuel cell sensor for detecting the presence of, at least one of, acetylene and hydrogen in a fluid, comprising:

at least one first sensing element for sensing acetylene;

at least one second sensing element for sensing hydrogen;

a common electrode;

a fuel cell spacer having an acidic electrolyte disposed between both said first and second sensing elements and said common electrode.

10. The fuel cell sensor of claim 9, wherein:

said first sensing element comprises a gas porous gold film and an ion exchange membrane; and

said second sensing element and said common electrode comprise a graphite layer and a platinum-carbon layer.

11. The fuel cell sensor of claim 9, comprising:

two first sensing elements; and

two second sensing elements.

12. The fuel cell sensor of claim 9, comprising:

three first sensing elements; and

one second sensing element.

13. The fuel cell sensor of claim 9, further comprising:

a gas permeable membrane located between said fluid and said at least one first sensing element and said at least one second sensing element, and said gas permeable membrane comprises a fluoropolymer film and a porous metallic support disk.

14. The fuel cell sensor of claim 9, wherein said acidic electrolyte comprises a mixture of sulfuric acid (H₂SO₄), fumed silica (SiO₂) and water (H₂O).

15. The fuel cell sensor of claim 9, wherein said fuel cell spacer comprises polypropylene.

16. An electrochemical sensing element comprising:

a plurality of sensing electrodes; and

a common electrode;

wherein said electrochemical sensing element can be used for the simultaneous measurement or quantification of a plurality of different gases dissolved in a fluid.

17. The electrochemical sensing element of claim 16, wherein said plurality of sensing electrodes further comprise:

at least one first electrode sensitive to acetylene; and

at least one second electrode sensitive to hydrogen; and

at least one common electrode;

wherein said electrochemical sensing element can be used for the simultaneous measurement of acetylene and hydrogen dissolved in said fluid.

18. The electrochemical sensing element of claim 17, wherein said at least one first electrode and said at least one second electrode can detect acetylene gas or hydrogen gas in different proportions.

19. The electrochemical sensing element of claim 17, wherein:

a first signal measured between said at least one first electrode and said at least one common electrode is proportional with the concentration of acetylene in said fluid; and

a second signal measured between said at least one second electrode and said at least one common electrode is proportional with the concentration of hydrogen in said fluid.

20. The electrochemical sensing element of claim 17, wherein a surface ratio between said at least one first electrode and said at least one second electrode is about 2:

1 to about 4;

1.