Rapid Fire
Sound-Based Helium Leak Sensor
- 30 Jan 2026
- 2 min read
Researchers have developed a novel acoustic-based sensor using topological materials to detect helium leaks, a significant advancement given helium's chemical inertness, scarcity, and critical industrial applications.
- Innovative Mechanism: The sensor traps sound waves at its triangular corners using a Kagome lattice structure, enabling it to detect helium without a chemical reaction.
- Detection Principle: Helium changes the speed of sound in the sensor, altering the frequency of trapped sound waves; this shift is measured to calculate helium concentration instantly.
Helium
- About: Helium is a chemically inert noble gas that is colourless, odourless, tasteless, and non-toxic under standard conditions. It is the 2nd most abundant element in the universe after Hydrogen.
- Terrestrial Rarity & Origin: Rare in Earth's atmosphere; forms from alpha decay of radioactive elements (uranium, thorium) and is extracted as a byproduct of natural gas.
- Critical Applications: Essential for MRI scanners (cooling superconducting magnets), aerospace (rocket purging), leak detection, balloons and lifting (e.g., airships), breathing mixtures (deep-sea diving) and as a shielding gas in specialised welding (e.g., aluminium, titanium) that require high heat input and deeper penetration.
- Geopolitical & Supply Concerns: Faces a global shortage due to finite reserves, production constraints, and rising demand. India's Rajmahal volcanic basin (specifically Bakreswar-Tantloi geothermal area) is a potential domestic source, while the US, Algeria, and Russia hold major global reserves.
|
Read More: Tapping into Helium Reserves |
