Performance of semiconducting oxide based hydrogen sensor for argon cover gas in engineering scale sodium facility

• Testing of tin oxide based sensor for trace levels of hydrogen in argon.
• These experiments were carried out in engineering scale sodium facilities.
• For identification of leak in the steam generator section of fast reactor.
• Instantaneous sensing of down to 5 vppm of hydrogen in argon.
• Sensing is equivalent to a few tens of milligrams (10−2 g) of water leak into 106 g of sodium.

Tin oxide based thin film sensors were tested for low levels of hydrogen in argon cover gas over sodium system in engineering scale facility. The sensor responded to down to 5 volume parts per million (vppm) level of hydrogen in argon and was possible to detect up to 100 vppm reliably. The sensor response was corroborated with the output of thermal conductivity detector (TCD) based system.