Ajou University and Daehyun ST Succeed in Domestic Production of Hydrogen Concentration Detection Sensor Module

8 Researchers Develop Technology Over 7 Years

Ajou University has succeeded in domesticating a sensor module capable of precisely measuring hydrogen concentration through industry-academic joint research with Daehyun ST.

On the 11th, Ajou University announced that the research team led by Professor Seo Hyung-tak from the Department of Advanced New Materials Engineering and the Graduate School of Energy Systems, in collaboration with the mid-sized company Daehyun ST, developed a high-precision and high-reliability hydrogen concentration sensor module system using a multilayer ultrathin alloy catalyst-electrode.

The hydrogen concentration sensor developed by the joint research team not only has excellent durability but can detect hydrogen concentrations ranging from ppm levels to 100% based on the new catalyst-electrode material. This technology to measure such a concentration range with a single sensor device is the world's first.

To ensure precise monitoring and reliability of hydrogen concentration, the Ajou University research team secured fundamental technology for ultrathin electrodes based on Pd (palladium) alloy, moving away from the widely used palladium (Pd) catalyst electrodes in conventional chemoresistive hydrogen sensors. The hydrogen sensor applying this fundamental technology also boasts excellent durability, capable of detecting high-purity hydrogen concentrations repeatedly about 30,000 times.

This technology, developed over seven years by eight researchers at Ajou University, was transferred to the mid-sized company Daehyun ST twice, totaling approximately 3.7 billion KRW, and the research team secured domestic and international patents. Subsequently, Ajou University and Daehyun ST jointly conducted industry-academic research to develop mass production processes, reliability optimization, sensor operation logic and signal processing technology, as well as module productization technology including modularization and packaging.

Professor Seo said, “As global attention to hydrogen energy technology increases, Korean companies are strengthening their leadership in hydrogen infrastructure and electric vehicle technology. At the same time, the importance of measurement sensors for precise hydrogen concentration measurement and safety assurance is growing day by day, but due to the absence of reliable domestic technology, we had no choice but to rely on expensive imported products.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.