An Ionization-Based Aerosol Sensor and Its Performance Study

In recent years, with the rapid development of new energy vehicles, the safety issues of lithium-ion batteries have attracted attentions from all sectors of society. Research has found that during the thermal runaway process of lithium-ion batteries, aerosol emissions usually occur earlier than other gases. Accurate and timely measurement of these aerosol concentrations can help to warn the power battery pack fires. However, existing aerosol sensors are unable to meet the requirements of real-time monitoring and high precision. This article proposes an ionization mechanism based aerosol sensor that works at principles of field emission, field charging and gas discharge, and investigates its static and dynamic response characteristics. The sensor is manufactured and assembled using Microelectro Mechanical Systems processing technology. The sensor exhibits superior performances in terms of range, sensitivity, nonlinearity, repeatability, response time, and other aspects. The study provides a new solution for current aerosol detection with great potential for application.