Method of measuring a gas component and sensing device for measuring the gas component

• US 5,939,615 A
• Filed: 05/28/1998
• Issued: 08/17/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 04/21/1994
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: NGK Insulators Limited
• Original Assignee: NGK Insulators Limited
• Inventors: Nakagaki, Kunihiko, Kato, Nobuhide
• Primary Examiner(s): LARKIN, DANIEL SEAN
• Application Number:
  US09/085,940
• Time in Patent Office: 446 Days
• Field of Search: 73/23.31, 73/31.05, 204/425, 204/426, 204/427
• US Class Current: 73/31.05
• CPC Class Codes: F02D 2041/1468 the characteristics being an ammonia content or concentration of the exhaust gases
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/4074 for detection of gases other than oxygen
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 27/419 Measuring voltages or currents with a combination of oxygen pumping cells and oxygen concentration cells

Abstract

A method and a sensing device of measuring a concentration of a gas component of a measurement gas, which method includes the steps of: introducing the measurement gas containing the gas component, from an external measurement-gas space into a first internal space, under a diffusion resistance; controlling an amount of oxygen in the measurement gas within the first internal space, so as to produce an atmosphere which does not substantially affect measurement of the gas component and which does not convert the gas component; introducing the atmosphere from the first internal space into a second internal space, under a diffusion resistance; and measuring the concentration of the gas component present in the atmosphere in the second internal space.

Claims

1. A method of measuring a concentration of NOx in a measurement gas, comprising the steps of:

introducing the measurement gas containing NOx, into a first internal space under a first diffusion resistance;

controlling an oxygen partial pressure in said first internal space to a level which does not substantially decompose NO;

introducing the atmosphere in said first internal space into a second internal space under a second diffusion resistance;

reducing or decomposing NO present in the atmosphere in said second internal space, so as to produce oxygen; and

measuring a concentration of said oxygen produced by reduction or decomposition of NO in said second internal space.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein said step of measuring a concentration of said oxygen produced by reduction or decomposition of NO in said second internal space comprises detecting an electric current flowing through an oxygen pumping cell disposed in said second internal space.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein said level to which said oxygen partial pressure in said first internal space is controlled is substantially negligible.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein said level of said oxygen partial pressure in said first internal space is controlled by an oxygen pumping action of an electrochemical cell.