Optical hydrogen gas detection system for aircraft applications

Purpose and goal:

Hydrogen together with oxygen is an explosive mixture. Hence, storing and using hydrogen onboard aircraft is associated with risks. Therefore, it is vital to monitor hydrogen and quickly detect any hydrogen leakages that may occur.

In this project, Saab, a global aviation company, and Insplorion AB, a Swedish hydrogen sensor developer and SME, will join forces to develop a hydrogen detector, intended for aircraft applications. The developed prototype system will use Insplorion’s proprietary hydrogen sensor technology in combination with Saab’s commercial interrogator.

Expected results and effects:

A successful integration of Insplorion’s sensor with Saab’s interrogator system will provide the necessary conditions to further develop and demonstrate Insplorion’s sensors for avionic applications and show the system’s technological maturity, leading to a competitive Swedish offer for future international technology demonstrator programs, e.g., Airbus ZEROe, H2FLY, Rolls-Royce, Universal Hydrogen or ZeroAvia, several of which the project group already has established relationships with.

Approach and implementation:

In this project, we will perform the necessary adjustments of Insplorion’s NPS sensor and Saab’s interrogator system to enable a combination of the two systems into a lab demonstrator. This will include modifying the sensing element to enable interrogation in the near-infrared spectral range, and developing the software algorithms necessary to read the data from the NPS sensor. The demonstrator will be thoroughly tested, with hydrogen, in Insplorion’s laboratory.