Sensors

At Fraunhofer IBP, we have developed a specific odor sensor technology based on the combination of electrochemical sensor technology, human perception and odor analysis. Sensor technology has a cross-sectional function that can be integrated into numerous applications in buildings, transportation and manufacturing engineering:

• air conditioning in buildings, vehicles and aircraft (“demand-oriented ventilation”)
• safety and hygiene technologies (e.g. mold emissions, formaldehyde)
• plant control (e.g. biogas sensors, “out-of-control situations” in plant and equipment manufacturing)
• product optimization (e.g. building products and materials, plastics).

The focus of our research is on volatile organic compounds (VOC), which are released into the ambient air as emissions. The sources of these emissions are complex in nature (off-odors from materials, human emissions, microorganisms, sanitary facilities, supply and disposal systems, structural damage). Some of these compounds are odor-active or pose a health hazard (contain harmful substances). Thanks to specific analytical and sensory methods, these can be identified and quantified. By determining situation-specific limit values and threshold values, and by validating them with measured sensor signals, they serve as a guide for sensor control