A comparison of test methods for the measurement of hydrogen sensor response and recovery times

Response time is a critically important property of hydrogen safety sensors. Recovery times are less important from a safety perspective, but are often quoted as an indication of the speed of operation of a sensor. However, the measured values depend highly on the method used to evaluate them. The purpose of this work is to assess the suitability of different methods, both flow and diffusion-based, for the measurement of sensor response and recovery times. Four methods have been tested in terms of their repeatability and practicality of execution, as well as the accuracy of their results compared to the manufacturer’s specifications. It was found that each method has its own advantages and limitations, which are discussed herein. For the measurement of response times, a diffusion-based method was found to give the shortest and most precise values and is therefore recommended. However, the flow-based method was found to be the most convenient experimentally and is the only method that is suitable for the measurement of recovery times over a wide concentration range.