Performance of potentiometric oxygen sensors with LSM composite electrode in saturated oxygen liquid LBE

•LSM/air oxygen sensors were tested on a stationary LBE tank.•LSM/air sensors show accurate electromotive force (EMF) at 250–430 °C.•Compared to LSCF/air, LSM/air sensors are more accurate at 250–400 °C.•LSM/air sensors overcome low-temperature errors, with a limit of 230 °C. In advanced reactor systems utilizing liquid lead–bismuth eutectic (LBE) as a coolant, maintaining an optimal dissolved oxygen concentration in LBE is crucial to effectively mitigate corrosion of structural materials by the coolant. A pivotal component for active oxygen control is the development of an oxygen sensor compatible with the operating temperature of LBE. We present the design and evaluation of an oxygen sensor utilizing strontium-doped lanthanum manganite (LSM) as the reference electrode. The sensor was tested on a static LBE tank-type experimental platform under saturated oxygen concentration conditions. A series of experiments, including transient ramp-up and ramp-down trials, short-circuit tests, and limit temperature experiments, were conducted on the LSM/air air-type reference electrode oxygen sensor. The performance of two distinct air-type reference electrode oxygen sensors, namely LSM/air and LSCF/air oxygen sensors, was compared. Results indicated that the LSM/air sensor exhibited excellent agreement between the output electromotive force and theoretical values within the temperature range of 250 °C to 430 °C. Furthermore, the LSM/air air-type reference electrode oxygen sensor demonstrated high measurement accuracy, stability, rapid temperature response, and repeatability. The LSM/air oxygen sensor demonstrates a lower temperature limit of around 230 °C and an upper temperature limit of approximately 550 °C. Consequently, the LSM/air oxygen sensor satisfies the requirement for actively measuring dissolved oxygen concentration in non-isothermal liquid lead–bismuth environments.