To measure and classify a wide range of combustible gases, NevadaNano has integrated multiple, complementary chemical sensors on a single silicon chip called the Molecular Property Spectrometer or MPS sensor.
The chip’s patented array of micro-cantilevers with integrated piezoelectric sensing elements provides electrical actuation and sensing of resonance frequency. Monitoring resonance is a highly sensitive way to measure very small masses of a variety of adsorbed chemical species. Unlike more expensive optical sensing approaches, an array of the piezoelectric sensors provides a low-cost, robust means to electrically monitor gases.
With its built-in resistive heaters, the MPS can conduct an assortment of thermal analyses (such as Differential Scanning Calorimetry) and even clean each sensor after processing a sample. Using microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technology in a robust industrial design, the MPS does not drift, decay or poison and requires no maintenance over its lifetime.
Taking advantage of the small size of the MEMS piezoelectric sensing elements, the sensors can heat to hundreds of degrees Celsius, make a variety of high-precision thermal measurements and then cool back to room temperature within a few milliseconds. Additional integrated components allow the sensing system to detect picogram-scale masses and measure temperature with 0.01-degree resolution. The MPS sensor can operate in temperatures from -40°C to 75°C and under all non-condensing humidity levels.
Based on this technology, products available today include:
- MPS Flammable Gas Sensor
- MPS A2L Refrigerant Gas Sensor
- MPS Methane Gas Sensor
An indoor air quality (IAQ) MPS sensor that can distinguish between toxic and non-toxic compounds is expected in the near future.
