Patent · US Expired

Integrally heated electrochemical cell method and apparatus

US4659435A · kind A · utility

16Cited by
20References
90Claims
0Family size

Assignee

Inventors

Key dates

Filing dateAug 9, 1985
Grant dateApr 21, 1987
Priority date
Expiry dateAug 9, 2005

Classification

  • Technology area (CPC G)Physics
  • CPC primaryG05D23/1913
  • WIPO fieldMeasurement
  • WIPO sectorInstruments

Abstract

A novel electrochemical cell including a solid electrolyte heated to an elevated temperature for operation and an integral cell electrode/heater for heating the electrolyte. Solid electrolyte embodiments are described. The integral electrode/heater is applied to a surface of the solid electrolyte and is resistively heated by an alternating electric current. A portion of the solid electrolyte may also be resistively heated. The described or comparable cells may be incorporated into an oxygen detector or similar apparatus where the apparatus is operated by alternately heating the cell and measuring the emf developed by the cell across its electrode. The invention is also, in part, a unique, solid electrolyte-integral cell electrode/heater configuration which provides a zone of uniform maximum heating at a predetermined location within the electrolyte and which, when used with a suitable resistive heating electric current, confines the current to the integral electrode/heater prolonging cell life. Another aspect of the invention is the use of a radio frequency alternating electric current for resistively heating an electrochemical cell. Preferably, the radio frequency selected is suff…

Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.