1. Gas Sensor Projects of the Swiss Gas industry
Research, Development and Promotion Foundation of the Swiss Gas Industry
FOGA
Dr. P. Favre, Cosvegaz
M. Seifert, SVGW

2. FOGA-Foundation of the Swiss Gas Industry
FOGA = Research, Development and Promotion Foundation of the Swiss Gas Industry
Founded in 1994
Continous support of gas research and development projects ever since
Contributions to more than 140 natural gas or biogas related projects of research institutions, technical universities and industries
Total financial subsidies: 18 Mio. Euros, total project value: 25 Million Euros.
Schweizerischer Verein des Gas- und Wasserfaches (SVGW)

3. Sensor and Related Activities

4. FOGA-Activities in the field of Sensor and Control Systems
1999: Project for emission control of draught burners in combination with boilers: CO2-, O2-, CO-exhaust gas sensing together with Honeywell-Lamtec.
2003: Swissmotor-Project: optimization of an IC engine for cogeneration applications (100 kWel, 230 kWth, eta = 42%);closed loop control of air fuel ratio with lambda sensor and gas quality sensor.
1997: First gas sensor project with a thermal conductivity sensor:Experimental determination of the linear relationship between % CH4 and natural gas thermal conductivity for certain gas families.
2008 Project Qualigaz:online natural gas quality micro-system: Wobbe-Index sensing system with thermal conductivity and viscosity sensor (combined).
2012: GasQsens: Thermal conductivity sensor for a wide variety of gas quality designation parameters

5. Main Principle of Gas Sensing
C-MOS Technology
Thermal Flow Sensors

6. Signal Amplification and Signal Conditioning/Analysis
Noise filtering
Linearization
Correlation
Schweizerischer Verein des Gas- und Wasserfaches (SVGW)

7. Sensor performance Highly reproducible Accurate Resistant
Wide temperature range
Adapted packaging for different pressure ranges
ATEX certified
Stable, easy recalibration
Schweizerischer Verein des Gas- und Wasserfaches (SVGW)

8. Sensor Configurations
Compact, packaged micro sensors
Integrated signal processing
Thermal conductivity-, capacitive pressure-, micro-temperature- sensors

9. Applications of Sensor Technology in Biogas Upgrading
Replacement of complicated optical analyzers in different parts of the biogas plant
and upgrading installation
On line:
CH4-, CO2-, NDIR- Measurements
O2-Sensor
Odorisation:
Concentration Monitoring
Periodic:
H2S-Sensor
Datalogger

10. Applications of Sensor Technology in Engines

11. Applications of Sensor Technology: Monitoring of Renewable Gases in the Natural Gas Grid
1. Power to Hydogen: Hydrogen injection into the national gas grid:
- measurement of Hydrogen in natural gas
- Hydrogen purity measurements after upgrading
2. Power to Gas: Methane and Hydrogen concentration measurements
3. Wood gas methanisation: Methane, Hydrogen, CO and CO2 concentration measurements

12. Microelectronic Gas Sensors
Great potential in different segments of the natural gas chain
Physical or physico-chemical measurement principles
Cheap, reliable, compact, battery powered
Gas Quality change indicators

13. Future Gas Sensor Projects of the Swiss Gas Industry
GasQsens Project: Reliable microelectronic gas quality sensor for different applications in the gas industry: MEMS AG
Cooperation with the technical universities, testing laboratories, industrial partners and gas distribution companies