Keith Pratt (40 mins talk + 10 mins questions)
City Technology Ltd
Title: Electrochemical gas sensors - Past Present and Future
Abstract: Electrochemical gas sensors for toxic gases and oxygen have been used commercially since the 1970s for industrial safety, emissions, medical and domestic applications. City Technology currently manufacture 4.5 million electrochemical gas sensors annually. Although the underlying fundamental technology behind many of the sensors has not changed since the 1970s, many innovations have been developed over the years including alternative electrolytes, electrodes and filter materials, improved lifetime and environmental range, and reduction in physical size. Current and future developments include the development of solid electrolytes, as well as optimization of small sensor designs suitable for 'smart phone' sized instruments, while maintaining and improving lifetime and environmental operating range. These developments involve broadening the fundamental knowledge of sensor operation and detailed modelling using, for example, finite element analysis.
Biography: Keith Pratt is Principal Scientist at City Technology. He has a PhD in electrochemistry, 20 year experience working on gas sensors and has been at City for 9 years. He has worked on a wide range of sensor technologies including electrochemical, metal oxide, optical and flammable gas sensors. In addition to involvement in development of City's recent electrochemical sensors his research interests include modeling of sensor performance, exploring novel sensing technologies, sensor diagnostics and operating methods. He has 22 published patents on gas sensing.