Device having a sensor arrangement for determining the ambient-air quality and an arrangement of ozone sensors upstream and downstream of a radiator which is coated with a catalyst material, and method for operating a device of this type

• US 20030066335A1
• Filed: 08/27/2002
• Published: 04/10/2003
• Est. Priority Date: 08/31/2001
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Vitesco Technologies GmbH (Continental AG)
• Original Assignee: Siemens AG
• Inventors: Grabmaier, Anton, Friedel, Joerg, Gottler, Hans-Peter
• Granted Patent: US 6,823,727 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 73/23.32
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 2257/106 Ozone
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/30 Controlling by gas-analysis apparatus regulating non electrical variables in general G05D
• CPC Class Codes: B01D 53/8675 Ozone
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 1/008 the input being air quality
• CPC Class Codes: B60H 3/0085 Smell or pollution preventing arrangements B60H3/0007, B60H3/0071, B60H3/02, B60H3/06 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B64D 2013/0685 with ozone control
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 33/0039 for O3
• CPC Class Codes: Y02A 50/20 Air quality improvement or preservation, e.g. vehicle emission control or emission reduction by using catalytic converters

Abstract

Device with a sensor arrangement for determining the ambient-air quality and an arrangement of ozone sensors upstream and downstream of a radiator which is coated with a catalyst material, and method for operating a device of this type

Device, in particular for use in a motor vehicle, having a senor arrangement (21), which controls an air-conditioning unit, for determining the ambient-air quality, and an arrangement of ozone sensors (21, 22) upstream and downstream of a radiator (1), in particular of the motor vehicle, which is coated with a catalyst material for detecting the conversion rate of the conversion of ozone into oxygen which is effected by the catalyst.

Claims

1. Device, in particular for use in a motor vehicle, having a sensor arrangement (21), which controls an air-conditioning unit, for determining the ambient-air quality, and an arrangement of ozone sensors (21, 22) upstream and downstream of a radiator (1), in particular of the motor vehicle, which is coated with a catalyst material for detecting the conversion rate of the conversion of ozone into oxygen which is brought about by the catalyst.

2. Device according to claim 1, characterized in that the sensor arrangement (21) for determining the air quality and the ozone sensor for determining the ozone level upstream of the radiator (1) are arranged in a common first airstream (3, 5).

3. Device according to claim 2, characterized in that the first airstream (3, 5) and a second airstream (4, 6), in which the ozone sensor (22) for determining the ozone level downstream of the radiator (1) is arranged, are guided in passages (5, 6) which are arranged in a common housing (20).

4. Device according to one of the preceding claims, characterized in that both the sensors (21) of the sensor arrangement and the ozone sensors (22) are connected to a common control unit (7), which processes the signals from the sensors.

5. Device according to claim 4, characterized in that the sensors (21, 22) have heating elements which can be controlled by the control unit (7).

6. Device according to one of claims 4 and 5, to the extent that they refer back to claim 3, characterized in that the control unit (7) is also arranged in the common housing (20).

7. Device according to claim 6, characterized in that the housing (20) has only one plug connection (24), via which all the required voltages and signals are passed.

8. Method for use in a device according to one of claims 1 to 7, characterized in that the measured values from the ambient-air quality sensor arrangement (21) are used to compensate for measurement inaccuracies of the ozone sensors (22) resulting from cross-sensitivities of the ozone sensors (22).

9. Method for use in a device according to one of claims 1 to 7 and as described in claim 8, characterized in that the measured value from the ozone sensor arranged upstream of the radiator (1) is also taken into account for the determination of the ambient-air quality.