Gas sensors in harsh environments: Challenges and advances in high temperature, high humidity, radiative and corrosive conditions

Abstract

Gas sensing in extreme environments is critical for ensuring safety and compliance across various industries, particularly in applications involving high temperatures, high humidity, radiation exposure, and corrosive atmospheres. In this article, we review recent and important research and their findings on different gas sensing technologies, especially for harsh environments. Five prominent gas sensor technologies—resistive, electrochemical, catalytic combustion, optical, and absorption-based gas sensors—are critically examined with a focus on their gas sensing performance in harsh environments. The effects of these harsh environments on sensing performance and recent progress in overcoming these effects are discussed. Other sensor system components that are susceptible to harsh environments, such as electronics, wiring, mounting fixtures, etc., are also discussed. By analyzing recent advancements and emerging trends in gas sensing and other related technologies, this work provides a comprehensive understanding of how these sensors and sensing systems can be optimized for reliable performance in an array of harsh environments.