Digital colorimetric sensing for real‐time gas monitoring for smart green energy system

Abstract

AbstractIn this study, we demonstrate that a digital colorimetric sensor platform can transform a conventional energy system, such as gas‐insulated switchgear (GIS) into a smart green energy system. Our sensor platform consists of a colorimetric sensor film (CSF), an array of silicon photodiodes, and a low‐power‐driven fiber optical photodiode with a wireless communication protocol integrated into an information network. The photodiode measures the transmitted light of the color‐variable CSF when exposed to sulfur dioxide (SO2) gas, a decomposition by‐product of the sulfur hexafluoride (SF6) gas in GIS. We report the electrical photocurrent measurement through the CSF can measure the concentration of SO2 gas via remote and real‐time monitoring and shows a comparable behavior to UV–Vis absorption measurement. The limit of detection of the sensor, 0.78 ppm is sufficient to analyze the GIS insulation deterioration allowing green energy systems.image