IP Library › Granted Patent US 12,540,909
Granted Patent B2
US 12,540,909 · App. 18/400,302 · Granted Feb 3, 2026

Sensing system and method

Inventors: Radislav Alexandrovich Potyrailo (Niskayuna, NY); Shiyao Shan (Clifton Park, NY); Tianyi Wang (Clifton Park, NY)
Assignee: GE Infrastructure Technology LLC
G01N27/124
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Quick Facts
Patent No.
US 12,540,909
App. No.
18/400,302
Granted
Feb 3, 2026
Kind
B2
Abstract

A detector system may include a sensing element including a substrate, sensing electrodes supported by the substrate, sensing material over the sensing electrodes, and a multi-energy-delivering element. The multi-energy-delivering element may be coupled to the sensing material and may deliver different types of energy to the gas sensing material. The detector system may include excitation and detection circuitry coupled to the sensing electrodes and the multi-energy-delivering element, and a controller coupled to the excitation and detection circuitry. The controller may cause the excitation and detection circuitry to achieve multi-gas differentiation with one-, two-, or higher-dimensional detection by applying an alternating current through the sensing electrodes at one or more operational frequencies for excitation of the sensing material, and applying at least one type of operational energy to the gas sensing material via the multi-energy-delivering element, wherein at least one type of operational energy has at least two levels.

Claims (45)

1 . A sensor system comprising:

a sensing element comprising a substrate, sensing electrodes supported by the substrate, a sensing material over the sensing electrodes, and a multi-energy-delivering element coupled to the sensing material and configured to deliver different types of operational energy to the sensing material;

excitation and detection circuitry coupled to the sensing electrodes and the multi-energy-delivering element; and

a controller coupled to the excitation and detection circuitry, wherein the controller is configured to cause the excitation and detection circuitry to achieve multi-gas differentiation with one-, two-, or higher-dimensional detection by

applying an alternating current through the sensing electrodes at one or more operational frequencies for excitation of the sensing material, and

applying at least one type of operational energy to the sensing material via the multi-energy-delivering element, wherein the at least one type of operational energy has at least two levels.

2 . The sensor system of claim 1 , wherein the multi-energy-delivering element produces a combination of one or more of thermal, radiant, or acoustic types of energy.

3 . The sensor system of claim 1 , wherein the multi-energy-delivering element produces a combination of two or more of thermal, radiant, or acoustic types of energy.

4 . The sensor system of claim 1 , where:

a 1st dimension is selected from one of three types of operational energy such as thermal, radiant, or acoustic;

one or both of a 2nd or 3rd dimension is selected from other types of operational energy such as thermal, radiant, or acoustic and is not the same as the 1st dimension;

and

wherein the alternating current is applied through the sensing electrodes at the one or more operational frequencies for excitation of the sensing material.

5 . The sensor system of claim 1 , wherein the excitation and detection circuitry is configured to achieve multi-dimensional detection that achieves differentiation between multiple analyte gases, or achieves quantification of multiple analyte gases, or achieves sensitivity of the sensor to the different analyte gases, or achieves stable baseline of the sensor, or achieves short warm-up time of the sensor or a combination thereof.

6 . The sensor system of claim 1 , wherein repeatedly applying at least two different operational energy levels to the multi-energy-delivering element comprises sequentially and periodically applying at least two different operational energy levels to the multi-energy-delivering element.

7 . The sensor system of claim 1 , wherein the sensing material comprises a metal oxide semiconductor material.

8 . The sensor system of claim 1 , wherein the multi-energy-delivering element produces a heat type of energy.

9 . A method comprising:

repeatedly applying, by a controller, at least two different operational voltages to a heater of a sensor system;

continuously applying, by the controller, alternating current through sensing electrodes at one or more operational frequencies of the sensor system for excitation of sensing material of the sensor system;

measuring gas responses of the sensing material, by the controller, under the excitation with the alternating current through the sensing electrodes at the one or more operational frequencies at a first operational voltage that is applied to the heater;

measuring additional gas responses of the sensing material, by the controller, under the excitation with the alternating current through the sensing electrodes at the one or more operational frequencies at a second operational voltage that is applied to the heater;

detecting gas, by the controller, based on repeatedly applying at least the two different operational voltages to the heater and continuously applying the alternating current through the sensing electrodes at the one or more operational frequencies for excitation of the sensing material; and

achieving differentiation, by the controller, between multiple gases.

10 . The method of claim 9 comprising: achieving quantification, by the controller, of the multiple gases.

11 . The method of claim 9 comprising:

achieving sensitivity, by the controller, of the sensor system to different analyte gases.

12 . The method of claim 9 comprising:

achieving stable baseline, by the controller, of the sensor system during differentiation and quantification of different analyte gases.

13 . The method of claim 9 comprising:

achieving, by the controller, short warm-up time of the sensor system.

14 . The method of claim 9 , wherein warm-up time of the sensor system is in a range from about 10 seconds to about 300 seconds.

15 . The method of claim 9 , wherein warm-up time of the sensor system is in a range from about 10 seconds to about 60 seconds.

16 . The method of claim 9 , wherein repeatedly applying at least two different operational voltages to the heater comprises sequentially and periodically applying the at least two different operational voltages to the heater.

17 . The method of claim 9 , wherein an improved response stability is achieved with a reduced power consumption as compared to non-selected responses from the sensing material by operating with a nominal operational voltage applied to the heater and at a below-nominal operational voltage applied to the heater, wherein non-selected responses from the sensing material comprise resistance measurement responses from the sensing material.

18 . A sensing system comprising:

a sensing element comprising a substrate, sensing electrodes supported by the substrate, sensing material over the sensing electrodes, and a heater supported by the substrate;

an excitation and detection circuitry coupled to the sensing electrodes and the heater; and

a controller coupled to the excitation and detection circuitry, wherein the controller is configured to cause the excitation and detection circuitry to achieve multi-gas differentiation with one-, two-, or higher-dimensional detection by

repeatedly applying at least two different operational voltages to the heater, and applying an alternating current through the sensing electrodes at one or more operational frequencies for excitation of the sensing material.

19 . The sensing system of claim 18 , wherein repeatedly applying at least two different operational voltages to the heater comprises sequentially and periodically applying the at least two different operational voltages to the heater.

20 . The sensing system of claim 18 , wherein the sensing material comprises a metal oxide semiconductor material.

21 . The sensing system of claim 20 , wherein the metal oxide semiconductor material comprises a single-metal oxide, a metal oxide with two differently sized cations, a metal oxide formed as 0-D, 1-D, 2-D, or 3-D nanostructures, or a metal oxide formed as nanoparticles, nanowires, nanotubes, nanobelts, nanosheets, or nanocubes.

22 . The sensing system of claim 18 , wherein an improved response stability is achieved with a reduced power consumption as compared to non-selected responses from the sensing material by operating with a nominal operational voltage applied to the heater and at a below-nominal operational voltage applied to the heater, wherein non-selected responses from the sensing material comprise resistance measurement responses from the sensing material.

23 . The sensing system of claim 18 , wherein an improved multi-gas differentiation is achieved by repeatedly applying at least two different operational voltages to the heater and analyzing real and imaginary responses of an impedance spectra of the sensing material as compared to non-selected responses from the sensing material, wherein non-selected responses from the sensing material comprise resistance measurement responses from the sensing material.

Assignments (2)
CONFIRMATORY LICENSE Recorded Aug 19, 2025
From: GE VERNOVA OPERATIONS LLC DBA GE VERNOVA ADVANCED RESEARCH CENTER
To: U.S. DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY
Reel/Frame 072059/0428 →
ASSIGNMENT OF ASSIGNOR'S INTEREST Recorded Jan 10, 2024
From: POTYRAILO, RADISLAV ALEXANDROVICH; SHAN, SHIYAO; WANG, TIANYI
To: GE INFRASTRUCTURE TECHNOLOGY LLC
Reel/Frame 066086/0069 →
Continuity (1)
Related Publication 20250216354A1 · Jul 3, 2025
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