The project goal is the design, the fabrication and the characterisation of a novel encapsulated microburner in silicon-glass microtechnology. The oxyhydrogen flame will burn in between glass substrates, which are coated with a reflecting metal layer. The reflective layers prevent thermal radiation and heat loss from the flame. The exhaust gases, which are produced during combustion, will be carried away by local hydrophilic surfaces.   

The oxyhydrogen flame is the core of a conventional Flame Ionisation Detector (FID), which is successfully used in the industry and research, but also in the environmental analysis and medical engineering in order to determine the composition of fluids and their individual components. In spite of its high sensitivity, the utilization of the FID is decreasing. Not due to the availability of other, maybe better, analysis systems, but due to safety aspects and restricted mobility, caused by the considerable amount of fuel gas needed to burn a stable oxyhydrogen flame.

The microburner burns stable flames with considerable less fuel gas than a conventional system, minimizing the total amount of fuel gas in the system to a level of negligible risk. Therefore, miniaturization of the burnerunit with unlimited mobility and low fuel gas consumption is necessary. Beside the micro-FID application, the microburner can be used to determine the calorific value of gases (microcalorimeter) and generate electrical energy with the magnetohydrodynamical principle (micro-MHD-generator).

Fig. 1: Exploded view of the planar µFID

Fig. 2: Flame of 2 mm high in the microburner

Contact:                 

Winfred Kuipers, M.Sc.

Publications:

2007

• Kuipers, W.J. and Müller J., Planar Micro Flame Ionization Detector, 18th Workshop on MicroMechanics Europe (MME), 16 – 18 September, Guimarães, Portugal
• Kuipers, W.J. and Müller, J., Planarer Mikroflammenionisationsdetektor, Mikro System Technik Kongress, 15 – 17 October 2007, Dresden, Germany
• Kuipers, W.J. and Müller, J., Planar Micro Flame Ionization Detector, 10th Annual Workshop on Semiconductor Advances for Future Electronics and Sensors (SAFE), 29 – 30 November 2007, Veldhoven, The Netherlands http://www.stw.nl/NR/rdonlyre/014A6B91-E0A7-4532-A1D1-9FDA0380A1B5/0/kuipers.pdf

2008

• Kuipers, W.J. and Müller J., Planar Micro Flame Ionization Detector with Integrated Guard, Pittcon Conference & Expo, 2 – 7 March 2008, New Orleans, USA
• Kuipers, W.J. and Müller J., Planar Micro Flame Ionization Detector with Leak Current Reducing Guard Electrode, Int. Meeting on Chemical Sensors (IMCS), 12 – 14 July 2008, Columbus, USA
• Kuipers, W.J. and Müller J., A planar micro-flame ionization detector with an integrated guard electrode, J. Micromech. Microeng. 18 (2008) http://www.iop.org/EJ/article/0960-1317/18/6/064015/jmm8_6_064015.pdf?request-id=2e893881-d13f-4fda-8925-23fc05941e69
• Doms, M. et al., Hydrophobic coatings for MEMS applications, J. Micromech. Microeng. 18 (2008)

2009

• Kuipers, W.J. and Müller J., Planar Micro Flame Ionization Detector with Minimized Leak Current, 15th Int. Conference on Solid-State Sensors, Actuators & Microsystems (Transducers 09), 21-25 June 2009, Denver, USA
• Kuipers, W.J. and Müller J., Performance of a Planar Micro Flame Ionization Detector, Mikro System Technik Kongress 2009, 12-14 October 2009, Berlin, Germany
• Kuipers, W.J. et al., Influence of Micro Burner Geometry on Flame Stability, Mikro System Technik Kongress 2009, 12-14 October 2009, Berlin, Germany
• Kuipers, W.J. and Müller, J., Total Hydrocarbon Analysis with a Planar Micro Flame Ionization Detector, 8th Annual IEEE Conference on Sensors (Sensors 09), 25-28 October 2009, Christchurch, New Zealand