Millennium Projects
Technical Details
Millennium Project Number: M-2010-002
Project Title: Methane MR Sensor Development Program
Project Start Date: August 2010
Projected End Date: October 2011
Technical Details:
This project is dedicated to the development of an inexpensive, line and/or battery powered, miniature methane (natural gas) sensor based on the micro-resonator technology (a micro-resonator is a device able to measure the viscosity of a gas mixture). The sensor will be able to measure methane concentrations from zero to 100% in air for leak detection and other applications. It is expected that the sensor will have a detection limit of 0.25% to 0.5% while its accuracy is expected to be better than 0.5%. The commercial price of this instrument should be no more than $500 and its total weight less than one (1) lb.
While a number of instruments are available in the market that measure concentration of methane and/or combustibles, they vary in accuracy, range, price, and calibration needs. This sensor promised not to have any of the shortcomings of existing commercial methane sensors.