Oxygen sensors are used commonly throughout the world in providing solutions for boiler combustion, cryogenics, aviation, diving, modified atmosphere packaging, welding, scientific and medical environments.
Today, we are finding more and more of our oxygen sensor solutions being used to assist in furthering medical industries in anesthesia, respiration, and even used in ventilators during COVID-19.
We decided to collaborate with our oxygen sensing partners, SST Sensing to provide details for customers on 4 ways you can benefit from using solid-state oxygen sensors across multiple fields and applications.
How does an oxygen sensor work?
The oxygen sensors available at CO2Meter use one of three technologies: electrochemical, zirconia, or optical sensing.
Learn more about the differences here.
Across these core technologies, all of our oxygen sensors are designed to measure the quantity of oxygen either by diffusion or by sampling the gas to be measured.
Choosing which oxygen sensor technology best meets your needs depends on your application and use case. For example, environmental oxygen sensors measure 0-25% oxygen by volume, whereas industrial oxygen sensors may need to measure 95% or more oxygen by volume.
Why is the accuracy of oxygen sensors critical in industry applications?
In environments where oxygen concentrations can fluctuate or drop unexpectedly, accurate and real-time monitoring is vital for both safety and performance. Whether you are monitoring oxygen levels in a confined space, industrial facility, medical setting, or testing site - maintaining the proper levels is critical.
These oxygen concentrations are essential and relied on for preventing hypoxia, ensuring combustion control, preserving product, and much more. Even a slight deviation in oxygen levels can lead to equipment malfunction, a regulatory violation, or worse, a dangerous working condition.
These solid-state oxygen gas sensors play a vital role in delivering fast, reliable readings without the frequent calibration or sensor replacement required by traditional electrochemical alternatives. Their durability and precision have made them ideal for harsh field conditions where dependability and longevity are really non-negotiable.
How can you benefit from using solid-state Oxygen Sensors?
Solid-state oxygen sensors that use optical technologies have surpassed electro-galvanic fuel cells in virtually every aspect. Electro-galvanic fuel cells once set the benchmark for oxygen sensing technologies.
These oxygen sensors operate like a battery using an expendable electrolyte that is reactive with oxygen. However, the accuracy of electro-galvanic oxygen sensors, their minimal life span, and need for constant recalibration has been repeatedly called into question.
Their cross-sensitivity with other gases and the rate the chemicals used within are depleted are reliant on the levels of concentration of the target gas.
In this article, SST Sensing provides four of the primary benefits of solid-state oxygen sensors in more detail.
1. Cost-Effective
Generally, solid-state oxygen sensors are cost-competitive with electrochemical (EC) sensors. There is a misconception that the technology demands increased up-front investment, compared to that of electro-galvanic cells, but nothing is farther from the truth.
While there may be a slightly higher up-front cost, the non-depleting technology in solid-state optical oxygen sensors result in a 2-5 times longer lifespan than comparable electro-galvanic cells.
2. Operation over a Wider Temperature Range
Typically electrochemical sensing solutions are sensitive to temperature and therefore require external compensation, using hardware or software methods.
With solid-state oxygen sensors, such as the Luminox UV Flux 25% Oxygen Smart Sensor, contain built-in temperature and pressure sensors that can work below the freezing point. What this means, is not only does the Luminox sensor measure and compensate for temperature, but it also has a two-wire communication interface that allows the gas temperature and pressure to be measured and further transmitted.
3. Longer Life-Span
We frequently hear all too often, that one of the primary setbacks of purchasing an electrochemical oxygen sensor is the depleting nature by which they operate.
Alternatively, optical sensor technologies are typically founded on non-depleting techniques like fluorescence quenching, which utilizes an oxygen-sensitive fluorescent dye that is sparked with pulsed light. This fluorescence is detected, and the rate of fluorescent decay over time is measured as a function of ppO2.
LuminOx solid-state oxygen sensors can remain in service for 5 years or more, providing high performance and extremely reliable oxygen measurements long-term.
4. Minimal Cross-Sensitivity
Electrochemical sensors generally come with a list of cross sensitive gases that affect the oxygen reading and therefore increase or decrease the output current.
Optical solid-state oxygen sensors have minimal cross-sensitivity with other gases as luminescence/fluorescence quenching by oxygen is highly selective to oxygen molecules.
Top Benefits of Solid-State vs. Electrochemical Sensors
When it comes to benefits between solid-state vs. electrochemical, solid-state oxygen sensors offer several advantages making them a preferred choice for many applications. One of the biggest benefits of solid-state gas sensors is their extended lifespan, often lasting five years or more without needing replacement or recalibration. This alone makes them especially valuable in remote or hard to reach installations where maintenance access could be limited.
Additionally, solid-state gas sensors are also highly resistant to environmental factors such as humidity, temperature fluctuations, and chemical interference, ensuring accurate readings in conditions where electrochemical sensors might drift and fail.
Another key advantage is faster response time. Solid-state sensors can detect changes in oxygen concentration within seconds, which is crucial in applications like confined space monitoring or oxygen-enriched environments where rapid changes can pose immediate risks. These sensors are also maintenance-free and pre-calibrated, saving time and resources over the long-term. Their rugged design also allows for their use in both portable and fixed installations, further enhancing versatility in the field.
Overall, the combination of low total cost of ownership, improved accuracy, and greater stability makes solid-state oxygen sensors a smart investment for industry professionals who require reliable, continuous oxygen monitoring. For industries where safety, compliance, and performance are non-negotiable, switching to solid-state technology is a strategic move towards smarter gas detection.
Use Cases for Solid-State Oxygen Gas Sensors
Solid-state oxygen gas sensors can be used across a wide range of industries due to their reliability and longevity in the field. These sensors can be commonly found in medical and pharmaceutical applications, where they help maintain oxygen concentrations in incubators, anesthesia systems, and cleanrooms to ensure patient safety and product quality.
Other applications where solid-state oxygen gas sensors are found, are in aerospace and automotive industries where gas sensors can be used to monitor oxygen levels in cabin environments, combustion engines, and fuel cells where reliability under extreme conditions is critical.
Other key environments include agriculture and vertical farming, where oxygen gas sensors support controlled environment agriculture (CEA) and storage of perishable goods or in industrial manufacturing where they ensure safe oxygen levels in welding applications or inert gas blanketing. Their versatility overall and low maintenance make them an ideal choice for many industries like indoor air quality monitoring, HVAC systems, and research laboratories - all holding oxygen concentrations as a vital parameter to be measured.
Solid State Oxygen Sensor Examples
At CO2Meter, we continue to provide best-in-class oxygen sensors which are based on cutting-edge sensing technologies for a variety of industries and applications, nationwide.
In providing both zirconia oxygen sensors and optical oxygen sensors both sensing solutions operate on the principle of fluorescence quenching and are incredibly reliable, accurate, and versatile in the field.
For example, the CM-42951: UV Flux 25% Oxygen Smart Sensor, is a solid-state oxygen gas sensor that offers long-term stability and is ideal for those in applications like industrial safety, medical and pharma, research, and environmental monitoring. The compact design of this sensor and its resistance to environmental changes make it an incredibly popular choice for all integrations and portable/fixed installations.
When looking at zirconia oxygen sensors, such as the Zirconia Oxygen Sensor System this offers a complete oxygen level measurement solution removing the need for customers to develop their own electronics and utilized in combustion, coal, biomass, and oxygen generation systems.
The LuminOx range of optical oxygen sensors alternatively is sought after because they are 100% RoHS and REACH compliant. What this means is that they do not use lead or any other hazardous materials during the manufacturing process. These sensors also are low cost, low power, and provide a longer lifespan from other oxygen-sensing solutions.
How Solid-State Oxygen Sensors Support Gas Safety Compliance
Meeting regulatory and safety standards is a top priority in many industries, and solid-state oxygen sensors play a pivotal role in helping many facilities and businesses achieve compliance. These gas sensors support adherence to OSHA oxygen exposure limits, helping to maintain safe atmospheres in confined spaces and contributing to compliance with NFPA, ISO, and FDA regulations. Their continued accuracy in the field ensures that oxygen levels stay within the prescribed safety margins, preventing both oxygen depletion and enrichment hazards.
Because solid-state oxygen sensors are less prone to drift and degradation over time, they reduce the risk of false alarms or missed readings. Their built-in stability and pre-calibration also simplify inspection processes which gives facility managers and safety professionals confidence in their gas monitoring systems. Overall, solid-state oxygen gas sensors not only protect individuals and products in the field - but they help ensure operations stay compliant and audit-ready come inspection time.
If you would like more information on oxygen sensing solutions contact our expert gas sensing experts, today.
