Device for determining a mass flow of a first gas within an overall mixture of gases

US8047082B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• CONTINENTAL AUTOMOTIVE GMBH · DE

Inventors

• Rudolf Bierl · Regensburg, DE
• Martin Lesser · Landshut, DE
• Andreas Meyer · Monsheim, DE
• Frank Steuber · Ditzingen, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Nov 20, 2006
• Grant date: Nov 1, 2011
• Expiry date: Aug 20, 2027

Classification

• Technology area (CPC G): Physics
• CPC primary: G01F15/043
• WIPO field: Measurement
• WIPO sector: Instruments

Abstract

A device is provided for determining a mass flow of a first gas flowing in a flowing channel of an internal combustion engine of a motor vehicle. The device includes: sound transducers arranged at respective ends of a measuring path for providing sound signals, a temperature sensor for determining a temperature of an overall mass flowing in the flow channel, and an evaluation unit arranged downstream of the sound transducers. The evaluation unit is capable of carrying out the following: determining a flow rate of the overall mass and a speed of sound based on delay times of the sound signals, determining an overall mass flow based on the flow rate, the temperature, and a pressure of the overall mass in the flowing channel, ascertaining a proportion of a second gas flowing in the flow channel at a temperature above 10° C. and based on the speed of sound and the temperature, and correcting the overall mass flow to obtain the mass flow of the first gas.