Gas sensor element, production method, and reconditioning method thereof
AssigneeDenso Corporation
InventorsMakoto Nakae, Susumu Naito, Namitsugu Fujii, Hiromi Sano, Tomio Sugiyama, Kazuya Nakagawa
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A gas sensor element which may be employed in measuring the concentration of gas such O2, NOx, or CO. The gas sensor element consists of an electrochemical cell made up of a solid electrolyte body formed by a partially stabilized zirconia and a pair of electrodes disposed on the solid electrolyte body. The electrochemical cell is subjected to an aging treatment in which the dc current is applied to the electrodes at a given voltage to enhance the activation of the electrochemical cell.
Claims10
A production method of a gas sensor element comprising:
- a preparing a gas sensor element including at least one electrochemical cell made up of a solid electrolyte body formed by a partially stabilized zirconia and a pair of electrodes disposed on the solid electrolyte body;
- and
- subjecting the electrochemical cell of said gas sensor to an aging treatment in which a dc current is applied to the electrodes, wherein a voltage V of the dc current used in the aging treatment is given by a relation of V2≦V≦2V2 where V2 is a maximum voltage within a limiting current range of the electrochemical cell.
A gas sensor element comprising:
- at least one electrochemical cell including a solid electrolyte body made of a partially stabilized zirconia;
- a pair of electrodes disposed on said solid electrolyte body;
- and
- a discolored portion formed in said solid electrolyte body between said electrodes.
A gas sensor element comprising:
- at least one electrochemical cell including a solid electrolyte body made of a partially stabilized zirconia;
- and
- a pair of electrodes disposed on said solid electrolyte body, wherein said electrochemical cell works to produce a limiting current within a temperature range of 700° C. to 800° C. in the air regardless of a voltage applied to said electrodes.
A reconditioning method of a gas sensor element which includes at least one electrochemical cell made up of a solid electrolyte body made of a partially stabilized zirconia and a pair of electrodes disposed on said solid electrolyte body and which is installed in an exhaust pipe of an internal combustion engine, comprising:
- applying a dc current to the electrodes of the electrochemical cell at a given voltage V to recondition the electrochemical cell so as to keep a temperature of activation of the electrochemical cell at a desired value,
- wherein the voltage V is given by a relation of V2≦V≦2V2 where V2 is a maximum voltage within a limiting current range of the electrochemical cell.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.