OPTICAL METHODS AND SYSTEMS FOR DETECTING A CONSTITUENT IN A GAS CONTAINING OXYGEN IN HARSH ENVIRONMENTS

摘要

A method for detecting a gas phase constituent such as carbon monoxide, nitrogen dioxide, hydrogen, or hydrocarbons in a gas comprising oxygen such as air, includes providing a sensing material or film (20, 120) having a metal embedded in a catalytically active matrix such as gold embedded in a yttria stabilized zirconia (YSZ) matrix. The method may include annealing the sensing material at about 900°C, exposing the sensing material (20, 120) and gas to a temperature above 400°C, projecting light onto the sensing material (20, 120), and detecting a change in the absorption spectrum of the sensing material due to the exposure of the sensing material to the gas in air at the temperature which causes a chemical reaction in the sensing material compared to the absorption spectrum of the sensing material in the absence of the gas. Systems (700) employing such a method are also disclosed.