Helium and o2 sensor

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Eric - 13 Aug 2004 00:59 GMT

Does anyone know what effect a long term exposure to helium will have on a
O2 sensor? Is there any change in sensor drift?

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James Connell - 13 Aug 2004 01:45 GMT

> Does anyone know what effect a long term exposure to helium will have on a
> O2 sensor? Is there any change in sensor drift?

Helium is a noble gas - at 'normal' temperature it has no reaction with
anything.

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Alan Street - 13 Aug 2004 03:15 GMT

> > Does anyone know what effect a long term exposure to helium will have on a
> > O2 sensor? Is there any change in sensor drift?
>
> Helium is a noble gas - at 'normal' temperature it has no reaction with
> anything.

Yeah, but oxygen sensors are funny creatures. They don't like pure
nitrogen, and I'm not sure they like vacuum either. I guess the easiest
way to find out is to store one in a pure He atmosphere for a year or
so and see how much it drifts. That, or get Scott to ask Patrick if he
knows.

Alan

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S T E and L Kay - 13 Aug 2004 16:07 GMT

>> > Does anyone know what effect a long term exposure to helium will have on a
>> > O2 sensor? Is there any change in sensor drift?
[quoted text clipped - 9 lines]
>
>Alan

But Nitrogen is _not_ an inert gas, Helium, as James says, is.

HTH

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Alan Street - 13 Aug 2004 16:37 GMT

> >> > Does anyone know what effect a long term exposure to helium will have on
> >> > a
[quoted text clipped - 13 lines]
>
> HTH

I know. But I've also heard that they don't like living in a pure argon
atmosphere, which is also an inert gas. So even though it makes sense
for He to have no effect, I can't say for sure that it wouldn't. I'd be
interested in hearing any first hand observations from anyone who has
stored a fuel cell O2 sensor in He for an extended period of time.

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Eric - 13 Aug 2004 03:26 GMT

Well helium transfer heat faster as well as having a smaller particle size
with mean it absorbs faster into objects. Do you know that it has no affect
or are you guessing?

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Grumman-581 - 13 Aug 2004 05:12 GMT

> Does anyone know what effect a long term exposure to helium will have on a
> O2 sensor? Is there any change in sensor drift?

It'll start speaking in a really squeaky voice?

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Brian Nadwidny - 13 Aug 2004 06:33 GMT

> Does anyone know what effect a long term exposure to helium will have on a
> O2 sensor? Is there any change in sensor drift?

None. No effect.

Brian
Edmonton, Alberta

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