METHOD FOR MEASURING CONCENTRATION OF HYDROGEN AND HYDROGEN SENSOR BEING EMPLOYED THEREIN

摘要

PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To obtain a method for measuring only the concentration of hydrogen in a coexisting gas selectively by passing only the hydrogen in coexisting gas selectively and detecting pressure variation caused thereby. ;SOLUTION: A porous ceramic membrane 6 carrying a thin film constitutes a part of wall defining an enclosed space 8. Hydrogen concentration is measured by detecting the pressure variation in the space, caused by the hydrogen permeated the ceramic membrane 6, by means of a pressure sensor element. More specifically, a hydrogen sensor is placed in a mixture gas atmosphere containing hydrogen and when a partial pressure difference of hydrogen appears between the inside and outside of space 8, the ceramic membrane 6 acts as a selective permeation membrane of hydrogen and only hydrogen permeates the membrane selectively until the partial pressure of hydrogen reaches a same level. Consequently, a pressure variation takes place in the enclosed space and since a substantially proportional relationship is present between the hydrogen concentration and pressure variation, the hydrogen concentration can be measured based on a detected pressure variation.;COPYRIGHT: (C)1997,JPO