State of health monitoring and restoration of electrochemical sensor

• US 10,203,302 B2
• Filed: 08/02/2016
• Issued: 02/12/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 08/13/2015
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Carrier Corporation (Carrier Global Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Carrier Corporation (Carrier Global Corporation)
• Inventors: Buchholz, Matthew J., Chen, Lei, Yang, Zhiwei, Miagkov, Valeriy V.
• Primary Examiner(s): Leong, Susan D
• Application Number:
  US15/226,256
• Publication Number:
  US 20170045474A1
• Time in Patent Office: 924 Days
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/4163 checking the operation of, or calibrating, the measuring apparatus G01N27/3274, G01N27/4175 and G01N33/0006 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0063 using a threshold to release an alarm or displaying means alarm arrangements G08B, e.g. fire alarm actuated by the presence of smoke or gases G08B17/10, for other abnormal conditions G08B21/00
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/007 Arrangements to check the analyser calibrating G01N33/0006

Abstract

A method of manufacturing an electrochemical sensing system is provided. The method includes forming a sensor with a first sensing element disposed on a sensor, the first sensing element configured to detect a target gas, disposing a second sensing element on the sensor, the second sensing element configured to detect the target gas, and coupling a protective feature to the second sensing element, the protective feature configured to prevent non-target gases from contacting the second sensing element. The sensor is configured such that if the first sensing element generates a current exceeding a first threshold current value and the second sensing element does not exceed a second threshold current value it is determined that the first sensing element is contaminated and a restoration protocol is performed on the first sensing element.

Claims

1. A method of manufacturing an electrochemical sensing system, the method comprising:

forming a sensor with a first sensing element disposed on a sensor, the first sensing element configured to detect a target gas;

disposing a second sensing element on the sensor, the second sensing element configured to detect the target gas; and

coupling a protective feature to the second sensing element, the protective feature configured to prevent non-target gases from contacting the second sensing element,

the sensor configured such that if the first sensing element generates a current exceeding a first threshold current value and the second sensing element does not exceed a second threshold current value it is determined that the first sensing element is contaminated and a restoration protocol is performed on the first sensing element.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the target gas is a low global warming potential gas.

3. The method of claim 1, further comprising configuring at least one of the first sensing element and the second sensing element to be biased with a voltage.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein both the first sensing element and the second sensing element are configured to be biased with a respective first voltage and a respective second voltage.

5. The method of claim 1, further comprising configuring the sensor to signal the presence of the target gas.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the target gas is a first target gas, the method further comprising forming a third sensing element on the sensor, the third sensing element configured to detect a second target gas.

7. The method of claim 5, wherein the first target gas is a low global warming potential gas and the second target gas is carbon monoxide.

8. The method of claim 1, further comprising configuring the sensor to record a state of health after determining the first sensing element has been contaminated.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the restoration protocol comprises applying a predetermined biasing voltage to the first sensing element.

10. An electrochemical sensing system comprising:

a first sensing element disposed on a sensor and configured to detect a target gas;

a second sensing element disposed on the sensor and configured to detect the target gas; and

a protective feature coupled to the second sensing element and configured to prevent non-target gases from contacting the second sensing element,

the sensor configured such that if the first sensing element generates a current exceeding a first threshold current value and the second sensing element does not exceed a second threshold current value it is determined that the first sensing element is contaminated and a restoration protocol is performed on the first sensing element.

11. The electrochemical sensing system of claim 10, wherein the target gas is a low global warming potential gas.

12. The electrochemical sensing system of claim 10, wherein at least one of the first sensing element and the second sensing element is biased with a voltage.

13. The electrochemical sensing system of claim 12, wherein both the first sensing element and the second sensing element are biased with a respective first voltage and a respective second voltage.

14. The electrochemical sensing system of claim 10, wherein the target gas is a first target gas, the sensor further comprising a third sensing element configured to detect a second target gas.

15. The electrochemical sensing system of claim 14, wherein the first target gas is a low global warming potential gas and the second target gas is carbon monoxide.

16. An electrochemical sensing system comprising:

a first sensing element disposed on a sensor and configured to detect a first group of target gases and a group of contaminants;

a second sensing element disposed on the sensor and configured to be active to the first group of target gases;

a third sensing element disposed on the sensor and configured to be active to at least the first group of target gases, the group of contaminants, a second group of target gases, and a third group of target gases;

a fourth sensing element disposed on the sensor and configured to detect the first of target gases and the third group of target gas;

a first protective feature coupled to the second sensing element and configured to prevent non-target gases from contacting the second sensing element; and

a second protective feature coupled to the fourth sensing element and configured to prevent the group of contaminants and the second group of target gases from contacting the fourth sensing element;

the sensor configured such that if the second sensing element and the fourth sensing element each do not generate a current exceeding a respective second threshold value and fourth threshold value and the first sensing element and the third sensing element each generate a current exceeding a respective first threshold value and a third threshold value, it is determined that the third sensing element is contaminated and a restoration protocol is performed on the third sensing element.

17. The electrochemical sensing system of claim 16, wherein the restoration protocol comprises applying a predetermined voltage to the third sensing element.

18. The electrochemical sensing system of claim 16, wherein at least one of the third sensing element and the fourth sensing element is biased with a voltage.

19. The electrochemical sensing system of claim 18, wherein both the third sensing element and the fourth sensing element are biased with a respective first voltage and second voltage.