Fierce Electronics and Sensors Converge presented the finalists of the 2023 Best of Sensors award during the Sensors Converge Conference and Expo on June 21 this year. There were 14 categories, from Industrial IoT to Emerging Tech. This year, the award in the Industrial Sensor category went to Sensirion AG for its SWT50 UV absorption sensor for water quality sensing.
Water contamination by organic pollutants poses a significant threat to both our environment and public health. Sensirion AG designed the SWT50 UV absorption sensor to address this challenge. This sensor uses the power of UV absorption in a compact form factor and offers real-time monitoring capabilities, cost-efficiency, and precise detection of organic contamination in water. The SWT50 can be easily integrated into various water analyzers and pipe systems and is poised to revolutionize the field of water quality sensing and promote efficient water management practices.
The SWT50 UV absorption sensor is a game-changing advancement in water quality measurement and uses a UVC LED for UV absorption measurement. Unlike traditional mercury-based lamps, the UVC LED emits light that's within the UVC spectrum and eliminates the need for spectral filters as well as enabling low-noise and highly resolved measurements.
This innovation in water quality sensor technology translates into more accurate results, even at low UVC power levels. The sensor covers an extensive measuring range from approximately 0.2 one per meter to 25 one per meter with an accuracy of plus-minus 0.2 one per meter. By choosing to use a UVC LED, Sensirion ensures a safer, more compact, and energy-efficient sensor and has set a new standard for water quality sensing.
One significant advantage of the SWT50 is its cost-effectiveness. Sensirion has managed to create a UV absorption sensor that is significantly cheaper than existing management systems. This opens the door for system integrators to deploy multiple measuring points, establish comprehensive sensor networks, and exercise better control over their processes.
The SWT50's real-time monitoring capabilities play an important role in addressing the challenges of water contamination. Because it can detect and analyze organic pollutants like pesticide residues and disinfection by-products in real-time, it allows for prompt intervention and mitigation measures. Unlike traditional TOC sensors, the SWT50 has the advantage of continuous, online monitoring, providing valuable data for efficient purification and water reuse processes.
The price and capabilities of the SWT50 are not its only innovative features. The sensor's compact size further enhances its versatility, enabling water quality monitoring in environments and applications that used to be challenging. Its flow-through design enables seamless integration into closed-hosed systems with smaller hose diameters (5 to 15 millimeters). This feature allows the sensor to be easily inserted into water analyzers and pipe systems, expanding its applicability into new industrial and environmental settings.
Sensirion is a pure-play sensor company and a leader in sensor innovation, renowned for its expertise in developing and producing advanced and cost-effective environmental and flow sensor solutions for diverse markets, including automotive, medical, industrial, and consumer applications. Established in 1998 as a spin-off from the Swiss Federal Institute of Technology in Zurich, Sensirion boasts over two decades of experience in delivering sensor solutions tailored to meet the demand of critical customer applications.
For more information on the 2023 Best of Sensors Awards and a complete list of winners, visit this article.