Gas measuring device and gas measuring method for measuring a high target gas concentration

A gas measuring device for measuring a concentration of a combustible target gas, wherein the gas measuring device comprises:

• a detector having an electrically conductive detector segment;
• a compensator having an electrically conductive compensator segment;
• an overall detection variable sensor;
• and
• a compensator detection variable sensor,
• wherein the gas measuring device is configured for a gas sample to at least temporarily flow from a spatial region to be monitored into an interior of the gas measuring device,
• wherein the gas measuring device is configured to be operated in an oxidation measurement mode or in a heat conduction measurement mode,
• wherein the gas measuring device is configured to:
• at least while operating in the oxidation measurement mode, apply a first voltage to the detector segment such that the detector segment is heated;
• and
• in both the oxidation measurement mode and the heat conduction measurement mode, apply a second voltage to the compensator segment such that the compensator segment is heated,
• wherein the gas measuring device is further configured to apply the second voltage to the compensator segment in such a way that the compensator segment is heated more during operation in the heat conduction measurement mode than during operation in the oxidation measurement mode,
• wherein the heating of the detector segment causes:
• at least a part of the combustible target gas in a gas sample inside the gas measuring device to oxidize, and
• the oxidation to increase a temperature of the detector segment,
• wherein the overall detection variable sensor is configured to measure an overall detection variable that depends on the temperature of the detector segment and on a temperature of the compensator segment,
• wherein the compensator detection variable sensor is configured to measure a compensator detection variable that depends on the temperature of the compensator segment, and
• wherein the gas measuring device is configured to determine the concentration of the combustible target gas in the gas sample inside the gas measuring device:
• based on the measured overall detection variable while the gas measuring device is operated in the oxidation measurement mode, and
• based on the measured compensator detection variable while the gas measuring device is operated in the heat conduction measurement mode.

A gas measurement method for measuring a concentration of a combustible target gas, wherein the method is performed using a gas measuring device:

• wherein the gas measuring device comprises:
• a detector having an electrically conductive detector segment;
• a compensator having an electrically conductive compensator segment;
• an overall detection variable sensor;
• and
• a compensator detection variable sensor,
• wherein the gas measuring device is configured to be operated in an oxidation measurement mode or in a heat conduction measurement mode,
• wherein the method comprises:
• causing a gas sample to flow at least temporarily from a spatial region to be monitored into an interior of the gas measuring device;
• and
• applying, in both the oxidation measurement mode and in the heat conduction measurement mode, a second voltage to the compensator segment such that the compensator segment is heated, wherein the second voltage is applied to the compensator segment in such a way that the compensator segment is heated more during operation in the heat conduction measurement mode than during operation in the oxidation measurement mode,
• wherein, while the gas measuring device is operated in the oxidation measurement mode, the method further comprises:
• applying a first voltage to the detector segment such that the detector segment is heated;
• causing, based on the heating of the detector segment, at least a part of a combustible target gas in the gas sample inside the gas measuring device to oxidize,
• wherein the oxidation increases a temperature of the detector segment;
• measuring, using the overall detection variable sensor, an overall detection variable which depends on the temperature of the detector segment and on a temperature of the compensator segment;
• and
• determining the concentration of the combustible target gas in the gas sample inside the gas measuring device based on the measured overall detection variable, and
• wherein while the gas measuring device is operated in the heat conduction measurement mode, the method further comprises:
• measuring, using the compensator detection variable sensor, a compensator detection variable which depends on the temperature of the compensator segment;
• and
• determining the concentration of the combustible target gas in the gas sample inside the gas measuring device based on the measured compensator detection variable.