ISR research accomplishments

Simulation of Micro-Scale Gas Sensors

Research team

Raymond A. Adomaitis (ChE/ISR); Thomas J. McAvoy (ChE/ISR); Ashish Sabadra

Accomplishment

A simulator was developed to describe a micro-scale gas sensor electrical response to target gas species in air; the simulator was developed using physically based modeling elements and parameter identification methods; validated model showed excellent agreement with experimental data.

Impact

Thin-film, micro-scale gas sensors have a large range of potential applications. Nonlinear, time-dependent PDE models of gas diffusion/sorption phenomena are easily solved using the MWRtools library; parameter identification also is simplified. Validated simulators can be used to study sensor drift and response to gas mixtures; and sensor simulators can be used to assess micro-scale gas preprocessing systems to improve sensitivity.