Electrochemical gas sensor

US6428665B1 · kind B1 · utility

Assignee

• Varta Geratebatterie GmbH · DE

Inventors

• Dejan Ilic · Ellwangen (Jagst), DE
• Konrad Holl · Aalen, DE
• Joachim Helmke · Vellmar, DE
• Hans-Joachim Kohnke · Kassel, DE
• August Winsel

Key dates

• Filing date: Oct 12, 1999
• Grant date: Aug 6, 2002
• Expiry date: Oct 12, 2019

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01N27/4045
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

An electrochemical gas sensor has a first gas diffusion electrode for a first reaction gas, which is inactive with respect to a second reaction gas at least in a first potential window, and a second gas diffusion electrode for the second reaction gas, which is active with respect to the second reaction gas at least in a second potential window for measuring two different gases in gas mixtures in a casing. The two gas diffusion electrodes are electronically isolated from one another, but electrically connected electrolytically to a reversibly loadable electrode and have contacts for connecting external closing circuits for adjusting the cell currents. The gas mixture is fed to the gas diffusion electrodes in series or parallel. The casing containing the electrodes is, in particular, in the form of a button cell. The reversibly loadable electrode is a Cu/CuO, Zn/ZnO or hydrogen electrode. The gas diffusion electrodes have a porous structure based on carbon or have a porous silver structure.