Adsorption based carbon monoxide sensor and method
AssigneeHoneywell International Inc.
InventorsChin H. Chang, Ulrich Bonne, Richard A. Alderman
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Abstract
A carbon monoxide sensor and method is shown and described. The sensor includes a sensing element that includes an adsorbent dispersed over a support material. The adsorbent is capable of exothermically adsorbing carbon monoxide. The sensor also includes a temperature sensor in contact with the sensing element and a signal processing module coupled to the temperature sensor. The temperature sensor communicates signals indicative of a temperature increase of the sensing element to the processing module, thereby indicating an adsorption and, therefore, a presence of carbon monoxide.
Claims21
A carbon monoxide sensor comprising:
- a sensing element;
- a temperature sensor;
- a signal processing module in communication with the temperature sensor;
- the sensing element comprising an adsorbent dispersed over a support material, the adsorbent capable of exothermally adsorbing carbon monoxide;
- and
- the temperature sensor sending signals indicative of the temperature of the sensing element to the processing module.
A method of detecting a presence of carbon monoxide in a gas comprising the steps of:
- exposing a sensing element comprising an adsorbent dispersed over a layer of a support material to the gas that comprises carbon monoxide, the adsorbent capable of exothermally adsorbing carbon monoxide;
- adsorbing at least a portion of the carbon monoxide in the gas onto the adsorbent resulting in an increase in the temperature of the sensing element;
- and
- using the temperature increase of the sensing element thereby indicating the presence of carbon monoxide in the gas.
A carbon monoxide sensor comprising:
- a sensing element comprising an adsorbent dispersed over a support material, the adsorbent capable of exothermally adsorbing carbon monoxide,
- a first temperature sensor to sense a temperature of the sensing element,
- a reference element comprising a non-adsorbing material that does not adsorb carbon monoxide;
- a second temperature sensor to sense a temperature of the reference element;
- a signal processing module in communication with the first and second temperature sensors;
- the first temperature sensor sending signals indicative of a temperature of the sensing element to the processing module and the second temperature sensor sending signals indicative of a temperature of the reference element to the processing module;
- and
- a heating element to heat the sensing element to a temperature that is at least as high as the desorption temperature of carbon monoxide adsorbed by the adsorbent thereby resulting in a desorption of the carbon monoxide adsorbed by the adsorbent and a regeneration of the adsorbent.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.