Hydrogen sensor utilizing rare earth metal thin film detection element

A hydrogen sensor for the continuous monitoring and detection of hydrogen gas in a gaseous environment susceptible to the incursion or generation of hydrogen, said sensor comprising

• a rare earth metal thin film, consisting essentially of one or more metals selected from the group consisting of scandium, yttrium, lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, lutetium, actinium, thorium, protactinium, uranium, neptunium, plutonium, americium, curium, berkelium, californium, einsteinium, fermium, mendelevium, nobelium, lawrencium, and alloys thereof with one or more of magnesium, calcium, barium, strontium, cobalt and iridium,
• said rare earth metal thin film exhibiting a detectable change of physical property when the rare earth metal thin film is exposed to hydrogen gas in a gaseous environment, wherein the rare earth metal thin film is arranged for exposure to the gaseous environment susceptible to the incursion or generation of hydrogen;
• and
• means for exhibiting the detectable change of physical property when the rare earth metal thin film is exposed to hydrogen in said gaseous environment, said means including circuitry for signal processing the change of physical property and generating an output indicative of the concentration of hydrogen gas, and wherein the sensor does not comprise a source of hydrogen arranged for selectively switching the rare earth metal thin film between respective switched states;
• wherein the rare earth metal thin film is hydridified in exposure to hydrogen gas when present in said gaseous environment, and said rare earth metal thin film changes said physical property in proportion to hydrogen concentration in said gaseous environment, by forming rare earth metal hydride in response to the hydrogen concentration in said gaseous environment.

A method of continuously monitoring the concentration of hydrogen gas in a gaseous environment susceptible to the incursion or generation of hydrogen, by the steps including:

• providing a hydrogen sensor comprising a rare earth metal thin film, consisting essentially of one or more metals selected from the group consisting of scandium, yttrium, lanthanum, cerium, praseodymium, neodymium, promethium, samarium, europium, gadolinium, terbium, dysprosium, holmium, erbium, thulium, ytterbium, lutetium, actinium, thorium, protactinium, uranium, neptunium, plutonium, americium, curium, berkelium, californium, einsteinium, fermium, mendelevium, nobelium, lawrencium, and alloys thereof with one or more of magnesium, calcium, barium, strontium, cobalt and iridium,
• said rare earth metal thin film exhibiting a detectable change of physical property when the rare earth metal thin film is exposed to hydrogen gas in a gaseous environment, wherein the rare earth metal thin
• film is arranged for exposure to the gaseous environment susceptible to the incursion or generation of hydrogen;
• and
• means for exhibiting the detectable change of physical property when the rare earth metal thin film is exposed to hydrogen in said gaseous environment, said means including circuitry for signal processing the change of physical property and generating an output indicative of the concentration of hydrogen gas, and wherein the sensor does not comprise a source of hydrogen arranged for selectively switching the rare earth metal thin film between respective switched states;
• exposing the rare earth metal thin film to the gaseous environment, whereby the rare earth metal thin film is hydridified in exposure to hydrogen gas when present in said gaseous environment, and said rare earth metal thin film changes said physical property in proportion to hydrogen concentration in said gaseous environment, by forming rare earth metal hydride in response to the hydrogen concentration in said gaseous environment;
• monitoring said physical property to determine the concentration of hydrogen gas in the gaseous environment;
• and
• generating an output indicative of the concentration of hydrogen gas in said gaseous environment.