Method for positioning a measuring sensor in a honeycomb body, corresponding honeycomb body, and motor vehicle

• US 7,412,873 B2
• Filed: 08/13/2007
• Issued: 08/19/2008
• Est. Priority Date: 02/11/2005
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Continental Emitec GmbH
• Original Assignee: Emitec Gesellschaft für Emissionstechnologie mbH (Continental AG)
• Inventors: Brück, Rolf, Hirth, Peter, Althöfer, Kait
• Primary Examiner(s): CYGAN, MICHAEL T
• Application Number:
  US11/837,578
• Publication Number:
  US 20080011054A1
• Time in Patent Office: 372 Days
• Field of Search: 73/233.1
• US Class Current: 73/23.31
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 11/00 Monitoring or diagnostic devices for exhaust-gas treatment apparatus , e.g. for catalytic activity safety, indicating or supervising devices for internal combustion engines F02B77/08; testing of machines G01M13/00
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 13/008 Mounting or arrangement of exhaust sensors in or on exhaust apparatus sensor arrangements for engine control F02D41/1439
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2560/02 the means being an exhaust gas sensor
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2560/06 the means being a temperature sensor
• CPC Class Codes: Y02T 10/40 Engine management systems

Abstract

A method positions a sensor in a honeycomb body which is provided with hollow spaces that can be penetrated at least in part by an exhaust gas. The sensor is placed in an area of the honeycomb body in which at least one minimum hydrogen concentration occurs when the honeycomb body is operated in the emission system of a motor vehicle. The sensor positioning method allows the sensor to be placed in the honeycomb body in such a way that systematic errors that occur are kept as small as possible as a result of an inherent transverse sensitivity of the sensor to hydrogen. This applies especially to lambda probes. A honeycomb body contains the sensor which is placed so as to supply particularly reliable test data whose systematic error is as small as possible.

Claims

1. A method for positioning a measuring sensor in a honeycomb body having cavities to be at least partially traversed by an exhaust gas, which comprises the steps of:

positioning the measuring sensor in a region of the honeycomb body at which, in operation of the honeycomb body in an exhaust system of a motor vehicle, a minimum of a hydrogen concentration is present.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the region extends around a position of the minimum in an axial direction in each case by substantially 10% of an axial length of the honeycomb body.

3. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises positioning the measuring sensor in an area from 20 to 60 mm downstream of an end side of the honeycomb body.

4. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises positioning the measuring sensor in an area from 30 to 40 mm downstream of an end side, of the honeycomb body.

5. The method according to claim 3, wherein the end side is a gas-inlet-side end side of the honeycomb body.

6. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises determining a position of the minimum in an European Union evaporative emissions test SHED 2000, in an European Union type approval test “

Type IV”

or in a U.S, Federal test procedure.

7. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises selecting the measuring sensor from the group consisting of lambda probes and control probes.

8. The method according to claim 1, which further comprises defining the minimum as an abosute minimum of the hydrogen concentration.

9. A honeycomb body, comprising:

a honeycomb structure having cavities formed therein for being at least partially traversed by an exhaust gas; and

a measuring sensor being disposed in a region of said honeycomb structure at which, in operation of the honeycomb body in an exhaust system of a motor vehicle, at least one minimum of a hydrogen concentration is present.

10. The honeycomb body according to claim 9, wherein said region extends around a position of said minimum in an axial direction in each case by substantially 10% of an axial length of said honeycomb structure.

11. The honeycomb body according to claim 9, wherein said measuring sensor is positioned in an area from substantially 20 to 60 mm downstream of an end side of said honeycomb structure.

12. The honeycomb body according to claim 9, wherein said measuring sensor is positioned in an area 30 to 40 mm downstream of an end side of said honeycomb structure.

13. The honeycomb body according to claim 11, wherein said end side is a gas-inlet-side end side of said honeycomb structure.

14. The honeycomb body according to claim 9, wherein said measuring sensor is selected from the group consisting of lambda probes and control probes.

15. The honeycomb body according to claim 9, wherein said region contains an absolute minimum of the hydrogen concentration.

16. The honeycomb body according to claim 9, wherein said honeycomb structure is an at least partially ceramic honeycomb structure.

17. The honeycomb body according to claim 9, wherein said honeycomb structure is an at least partially metallic honeycomb structure.

18. A motor vehicle, comprising:

a honeycomb body having cavities formed therein to be at least partially traversed by an exhaust gas; and

a measuring sensor being disposed in a region of said honeycomb body at which, in operation of said honeycomb body in an exhaust system of a motor vehicle, at least one minimum of a hydrogen concentration is present.