Exhaust gas analyzer

• US 8,208,143 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2006
• Issued: 06/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2005
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd., Toyota Jidosha Kabushiki Kaisha (Toyota Motor Corporation)
• Inventors: Goto, Katsutoshi, Yamakage, Masahiro, Deguchi, Yoshihiro, Yamaura, Taketoshi
• Primary Examiner(s): Chowdhury, Tarifur
• Assistant Examiner(s): STOCK JR, GORDON J
• Application Number:
  US11/918,650
• Publication Number:
  US 20090039284A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,251 Days
• Field of Search: None
• US Class Current: 356/432
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 13/009 having two or more separate purifying devices arranged in series
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2560/02 the means being an exhaust gas sensor
• CPC Class Codes: F01N 2560/14 having more than one sensor of one kind
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/02 Details
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/021 using plane or convex mirrors, parallel phase plates, or particular reflectors
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/0218 using optical fibers
• CPC Class Codes: G01J 3/42 Absorption spectrometry; Double beam spectrometry; Flicker spectrometry; Reflection spectrometry beam switching arrangements G01J3/08
• CPC Class Codes: G01M 15/108 using optical methods
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/031 Multipass arrangements
• CPC Class Codes: G01N 21/3504 for analysing gases, e.g. multi-gas analysis

Abstract

An exhaust gas analyzer capable of real-time analysis of the concentration, temperature, and the like of an exhaust gas component in a cross-section of an exhaust path in a spot-wise manner reduces analysis cost. An exhaust gas analyzer (10) comprises sensor units (11) to (14) disposed along the exhaust path, which comprises an exhaust manifold (3) for the engine (2) discharging exhaust gas, an exhaust tube (4), a first catalyst device (5), a second catalyst device (6), a muffler (7), and an exhaust pipe (8). Each sensor unit includes an optical fiber (25) for irradiating the exhaust gas with laser light, and a detector (26) for receiving the laser light emitted by the optical fiber that has been transmitted through the exhaust gas. Based on the laser light received by the detector, the condition of an exhaust gas component, such as its concentration, temperature, and the like, is measured for the analysis of the exhaust gas. The sensor unit has a through-hole (21) allowing the passage of exhaust gas that is formed in a shape matched with a cross-sectional shape of the exhaust path. The infrared laser light R is emitted via the optical fiber (25) into the through-hole (21), travels across the exhaust path, and is then received by the detector (26).

Claims

1. An exhaust gas analyzer comprising a plurality of sensor units disposed at a plurality of locations along an exhaust path via which exhaust gas is discharged from an internal combustion engine,

each one of the plurality of sensor units comprising:

an irradiation unit that applies a laser light in a direction perpendicular to a direction of extension of the exhaust path at a position of the exhaust path where the irradiation unit is disposed, a photoreceiving unit for receiving the laser light emitted by the irradiation unit that has been transmitted through the exhaust gas, a plate-shaped main body, and a through-hole formed in the main body allowing passage of the exhaust gas, wherein the through-hole is formed in a shape matched with a cross-sectional shape of the exhaust path,

wherein for each one of the plurality of sensor units, the concentration or temperature of an exhaust gas component is measured on the basis of the laser light received by the photoreceiving unit for analyzing the exhaust gas,

wherein for each one of the plurality of sensor units, the laser light is shone by the irradiation unit into the through-hole and is received by the photoreceiving unit across the exhaust path, and

wherein for each one of the plurality of sensor units, the plate-shaped main body is sandwiched in-between a pair of flanges extending from components along the exhaust path,

wherein the exhaust gas analyzer further comprises a controller configured to emit, for each one of the plurality of sensor units, the laser light into the through hole via the irradiation unit, the controller comprising a plurality of laser diodes, each laser diode being connected to one of a plurality of first demultiplexers, each one of the plurality of first demultiplexers being connected to a plurality of second demultiplexers, the plurality of second demultiplexers being configured to separate the laser light for each one of the plurality of sensor units into signal light and measurement light, and the controller further comprising a plurality of multiplexers, each one of the plurality of multiplexers being configured to receive and multiplex either the signal light or the measurement light.

2. The exhaust gas analyzer according to claim 1, wherein for each one of the plurality of sensor units, the laser light comprises a multiplexing of laser light having absorption wavelengths matched with a plurality of components of the exhaust gas.

3. The exhaust gas analyzer according to claim 1, wherein for each one of the plurality of sensor units, the plate-shaped main body has a substantially rectangular shape.

4. The exhaust gas analyzer according to claim 1, wherein for each one of the plurality of sensor units, the plate-shaped main body has a thickness in a range of about 5 mm to 20 mm.

5. The exhaust gas analyzer according to claim 1, wherein for each one of the plurality of sensor units, a respective gasket is disposed in-between each of the flanges and the plate-shaped main body.

6. The exhaust gas analyzer according to claim 1, wherein for each one of the plurality of sensor units, the plate-shaped main body has notches disposed along sides of the plate-shaped main body at positions corresponding to locations of bolts connecting the flanges.

7. The exhaust gas analyzer according to claim 1, wherein one of the plurality of first demultiplexers of the controller is configured to demultiplex the laser light for each one of the plurality of sensors into a number of components equal to the number of sensor units.

8. The exhaust gas analyzer according to claim 1, wherein the exhaust path has a circular cross-sectional shape, and wherein the through-hole formed in the main body of each of the plurality of sensor units has a substantially circular shape with a diameter which is the same as a diameter of the circular cross-sectional shape of the exhaust path.

9. The exhaust gas analyzer according to claim 1, further comprising a plurality of differential photodetectors, each one of the plurality of differential photodetectors being connected to each one of the plurality of sensor units, wherein each one of the plurality of differential photodetectors is configured to obtain a difference in wavelength between the measurement light and the signal light for each one of the plurality of sensor units, and to output the difference to a signal analyzer.

10. The exhaust gas analyzer according to claim 1 or 8, wherein for each one of the plurality of sensor units, the through-hole has a reflecting portion formed on an internal circumferential surface thereof, wherein the laser light emitted by the irradiation unit is reflected by the reflecting portion and then received by the photoreceiving unit.

11. The exhaust gas analyzer according to claim 10, wherein for each one of the plurality of sensor units, the reflecting portion comprises two reflecting plates disposed in parallel and opposite each other such that the two reflective plates face an inside of the through-hole, wherein for each one of the plurality of sensor units, the laser light is reflected in a direction perpendicular to the exhaust path.

12. The exhaust gas analyzer according to claim 9, wherein the plurality of differential photodetectors are further configured to detect a peak wavelength of a particular gas component in the measurement light.

13. The exhaust gas analyzer according to claim 9, wherein two of the plurality of multiplexers are provided for each one of the plurality of sensor units, wherein a first of the two multiplexers multiplexes the signal light to one of the plurality of differential photodetectors, and wherein a second of the two multiplexers multiplexes the measurement light to one of the plurality of sensor units connected to the one of the plurality of differential photodetectors.