Long-term validation demonstrates accurate methane and multi-gas detection without recalibration, reducing maintenance costs and improving industrial safety
Reno, Nevada — April 16, 2026 — NevadaNano has demonstrated nine years of zero-drift performance in its calibration-free flammable gas sensor, validating a new approach to gas detection that eliminates routine calibration while maintaining accurate %LEL measurements.
Flammable gas sensors are widely used across industrial safety systems to detect methane and other combustible gases, but traditional technologies often require frequent calibration and are prone to drift, poisoning, and saturation over time. These limitations increase maintenance costs and can compromise reliability in critical environments.
In early 2017, NevadaNano manufactured and factory-calibrated a batch of its Molecular Property Spectrometer™ (MPS™) sensors and began operating them in ambient indoor air. Over the past nine years, the sensors have operated continuously and were periodically exposed—typically monthly—to 50% Lower Explosive Limit (%LEL) methane to verify performance.
The result: after nine years of continuous operation, the sensors continue to deliver accurate readings within specification, with no observed drift and no recalibration required.
A New Standard for Flammable Gas Sensor Reliability and Cost Efficiency
This long-term validation highlights a fundamental advantage of MPS™ Technology over legacy flammable gas detection methods.
Traditional sensors, including catalytic bead (pellistor) and non-dispersive infrared (NDIR) technologies, are susceptible to performance degradation due to drift, poisoning, and saturation. These issues require frequent calibration and periodic sensor replacement—driving higher total cost of ownership and increasing operational complexity, particularly in remote or hazardous environments.
In contrast, the MPS™ Flammable Gas Sensor is inherently resistant to poisoning and saturation and is engineered to deliver stable, accurate results for up to 15 years. By eliminating routine calibration, operators can significantly reduce maintenance costs, avoid downtime, and simplify compliance with safety requirements.
Improving Accuracy in Multi-Gas Detection Environments
Gas detection becomes more complex in environments where multiple combustible gases may be present. Conventional sensors are typically calibrated to a single target gas using a fixed sensitivity factor (k-factor), requiring operators to make assumptions that can lead to inaccurate readings.
NevadaNano’s TrueLEL™ technology addresses this challenge by automatically determining and applying the appropriate sensitivity factor in real time. By analyzing the molecular properties of the detected gas or gas mixture, the sensor delivers accurate %LEL readings without manual gas selection or recalibration.
Accurate Methane and Multi-Gas Detection with a Single Calibration
The MPS™ Flammable Gas Sensor detects a wide range of combustible gases and mixtures using a single factory calibration. For common industrial gases, NevadaNano provides verified TrueLEL™ performance, ensuring accurate %LEL measurements across varying environmental conditions.
In addition to %LEL measurement, the sensor provides gas classification, offering insight into the type of gas or mixture present. This added visibility enhances situational awareness and supports faster, more informed decision-making in safety-critical applications.
As regulatory and safety requirements continue to evolve across oil & gas, energy, and industrial sectors, improving methane detection accuracy while reducing maintenance burden has become a growing priority for operators worldwide.
Delivering Value for Manufacturers and End Users
Benefits for Device Manufacturers
- Simplified integration with onboard %LEL calculation and gas classification
- Ready-to-use outputs with no additional processing required
- Reduced system complexity with no manual gas selection or external algorithms
- No need for calibration infrastructure or gas delivery systems
- Lower maintenance requirements, especially in remote deployments
Benefits for End Users
- Reliable, consistent readings with no drift over time
- No calibration required—eliminating downtime and recurring service costs
- Accurate detection of methane and a wide range of flammable gases
- Improved safety in mixed-gas environments
- Long operational life—up to 15 years without sensor replacement
- Lower total cost of ownership through reduced maintenance and extended lifespan
“The nine-year performance validation is a powerful demonstration of what MPS™ technology was designed to achieve,” said Adam McBrady, VP of Engineering at NevadaNano. “By eliminating drift and the need for calibration, we’re not just improving sensor performance—we’re fundamentally changing the economics and reliability of gas detection. This enables our customers to deploy safer systems with significantly lower lifetime costs.”
About NevadaNano
NevadaNano provides safety and climate solutions for many of the world’s largest corporations, with innovative multi-gas sensing products and continuous IIoT monitoring systems for detecting, quantifying, and reducing gas emissions.
