Calorimetric hydrocarbon gas sensor
US5989398A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Nov 14, 1997 |
| Grant date | Nov 23, 1999 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Nov 14, 2017 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC G)Physics
- CPC primaryG01N27/419
- WIPO fieldMeasurement
- WIPO sectorInstruments
Abstract
A calorimetric hydrocarbon gas sensor (10) includes an electrochemical oxygen pump (18), a sensing element (12), and a multi-layered substrate (26) separating the sensing element (12) from the electrochemical oxygen pump (18). The multi-layered substrate (26) includes a plurality of overlying insulating layers, in which at least one intermediate layer (60) supports a first primary heater (58), and in which another intermediate layer (52) supports a temperature compensation heaters (50a, 50b). The primary heater (58) functions to maintain the calorimetric hydrocarbon gas sensor (10) at a constant, elevated temperature, while the active compensation heater (50a) functions to maintain substantially equal temperatures as determined by the thermometers (46a, 46b) located on an intermediate layer (48) overlying the compensation heaters (50a, 50b). Control circuitry is integrated with power measurement circuitry to measure differences in the heat produced by the compensation heater (50a) and the thermometer (46a) in an active region (100), and the heat produced by the compensation heater (50b) and the thermometer (46b) in a reference region (102).
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.