Multipass hydrogenated palladium optical cavities for detection of hydrogen
AssigneeIndrio Technologies, Inc
InventorRitobrata Sur
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A device for measuring concentration of hydrogen in a gas sample comprises a multipass optical cavity having optical elements including mirrors supporting a multipass optical pathway inside the multipass optical cavity. A laser is configured to generate a laser beam that propagates along the multipass optical pathway, reflecting multiple times from the mirrors. An intensity of the laser beam exiting the multipass optical cavity is detected, and a signal processor determines the concentration of hydrogen in the gas sample in the optical cavity from a measured intensity of the laser beam. The optical elements may also include one or more transmissive windows.
Claims30
A device for measuring a concentration of hydrogen in a gas sample, the device comprising:
- a multipass optical cavity comprising optical elements, wherein the optical elements include mirrors supporting a multipass optical pathway within an interior of the multipass optical cavity;
- a laser configured to generate a laser beam entering the multipass optical cavity and propagating along the multipass optical pathway within the interior of the multipass optical cavity such that the laser beam reflects multiple times from the mirrors of the multipass optical cavity;
- a detector configured to detect an intensity of the laser beam exiting the multipass optical cavity;
- and
- a signal processor configured to determine the concentration of hydrogen in the gas sample in the optical cavity from a measured intensity of the laser beam;
- wherein the multipass optical cavity comprises surface layers containing Pd on the optical elements;
- whereby hydrogenation of the surface layers containing Pd by the hydrogen in the gas sample alters optical properties of the surface layers containing Pd to allow optical detection of hydrogen.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.