The research group of the Japan Atomic Energy Agency has developed a device that instantly measures the concentration of the lightest gas "hydrogen" on the earth.
It will be watched whether it will lead to hydrogen safety measures that raise expectations for new energy.
Hydrogen is the lightest gas on the planet and is one of the flammable gases that is tasteless, odorless, and burns when its concentration increases.
Based on the fact that a large amount of hydrogen generated from the nuclear fuel melted in the accident at TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station exploded and the accident became more serious, the research group has been developing technology to quickly measure the concentration of hydrogen. ..
In the development, we focused on the property that the lighter the gas, the faster the sound is transmitted.
Applying the characteristics of a space filled with hydrogen that is about four times faster than the atmosphere, we have developed a device that can instantly know the hydrogen concentration by measuring the time it takes for sound to travel in a space containing hydrogen.
The measurement takes less than 0.05 seconds, which means that it can be used even in a high temperature environment of 350 degrees or higher.
The research group hopes to take measures to prevent accidents such as explosions, as hydrogen may become a new energy alternative to fossil fuels.
Researcher Kuniaki Ara, who was involved in the development, said, "When the development of social infrastructure using hydrogen progresses, if this technology is used, even a slight hydrogen leak can be found quickly, so I hope that it will contribute to safety measures." I'm talking to you.