QIND – New Sensor Princi­ples Based on Quantum Technol­ogy for Process Automation

Sensors for indus­trial appli­ca­tions in process engineer­ing are used on a large scale in the process indus­try and are required in high volumes. They play a crucial role in the produc­tion of every­day goods. Process condi­tions in typical sectors such as the food, pharma­ceu­ti­cal, and petro­chem­i­cal indus­tries place high demands on sensor accuracy, robust­ness, and relia­bil­ity. These require­ments can only be met to a limited extent with current sensor concepts. By using quantum sensors, both the range of appli­ca­tions and measure­ment accuracy can be signif­i­cantly enhanced. Within the QIND project, quantum sensors for use under extreme conditions—particularly with respect to pressure and temperature—will there­fore be inves­ti­gated and developed.

BY USING QUANTUM TECHNOLOGIES, NEW SENSOR PRINCIPLES FOR INDUSTRIAL APPLICATIONS IN THE PROCESS INDUSTRY ARE BEING RESEARCHED, OFFERING THE POTENTIAL FOR DISRUPTIVE INNOVATION.

Within the QIND project, pressure and level sensors for use in indus­trial process engineer­ing are to be devel­oped. One objec­tive is the realiza­tion of a pressure sensor based on quantum sensing that is robust under indus­trial process condi­tions (–60 to 200 °C) and capable of measur­ing pressures in a range from 10 kPa to 200 MPa. In addition, a robust level (limit) sensor is to be devel­oped for exter­nal or flush-mounted instal­la­tion in a vessel, suitable for processes at temper­a­tures of up to 250–450 °C and pressure ranges between <100 and 300 bar. To meet these demand­ing require­ments, new sensor concepts, assem­bly and inter­con­nec­tion technolo­gies (AIT), and integra­tion strate­gies must be devel­oped that can withstand harsh operat­ing conditions.

For the realiza­tion of the pressure sensors, a novel sensor concept is being devel­oped that enables direct pressure measure­ment based on NV centers. For this purpose, an optimized diamond layer is integrated into a silicon-based optical transmitter–receiver microsys­tem module. In addition, an alter­na­tive approach for indirect pressure measure­ment will be inves­ti­gated, in which a magne­tostric­tive layer gener­ates a pressure-dependent magnetic field that can be detected using quantum-physical principles.

Level and limit detec­tion focuses on measur­ing suscep­ti­bil­ity when a change of medium (e.g. air/liquid) occurs inside a vessel. To detect even the small­est varia­tions, NV centers are also used here, with partic­u­lar empha­sis on guiding the magnetic field and shield­ing against unwanted electro­mag­netic radia­tion. Through the devel­op­ments within QIND, key unique features of quantum sensors—such as calibration-free and contact­less measurement—are demon­strated for indus­trial process engineer­ing. Such sensors have the poten­tial to compre­hen­sively meet exist­ing customer require­ments and open up new fields of application.