Abstract: In a gas sensor, oxygen pumping control is performed to pump oxygen from the surroundings of an outer side pump electrode into the surroundings of a reference electrode. In addition, during execution of the oxygen pumping control, a pump current Ip2 is measured when oxygen originating from NOx is pumped out from the surroundings of a measurement electrode so that a voltage V2 reaches a target voltage V2*. Then, the NOx concentration of a measurement-object gas is calculated based on Ip2. In the gas sensor, the NOx concentration is corrected based on DVref which is the difference between Vref1 and Vref2, wherein Vref1 is the voltage across the reference electrode and the outer side pump electrode when the oxygen pumping control is not performed, and Vref2 is the voltage across the reference electrode and the outer side pump electrode when the oxygen pumping control is performed.

Abstract: A sensor element includes an element body having a measurement-object gas flow section being provided therein, a first measurement pump cell that includes a first measurement electrode being disposed in a first measurement chamber and a first outer measurement electrode and that pumps out oxygen produced in a first measurement chamber, and a second measurement pump cell that includes a second measurement electrode being disposed in a second measurement chamber and a second outer measurement electrode and that pumps out oxygen produced in a second measurement chamber.

Abstract: A limiting-current type gas sensor including a sensor element including a base part made of an oxygen-ion conductive solid electrolyte and measuring concentration of NOx in a measurement gas includes: a pump cell including a first electrode disposed to be capable of being in contact with a gas introduced into the element and a second electrode disposed so that a part made of the solid electrolyte is located between the first electrode and the second electrode; and a pumping diagnostic part to determine whether an inter-electrode electric field produced in the part made of the solid electrolyte through application of a predetermined pump voltage between the electrodes exceeds a first threshold, and, when the inter-electrode electric field exceeds the first threshold, the predetermined pump voltage is reduced so that the inter-electrode electric field falls below the first threshold.

Abstract: A sensor element for detecting a specific gas concentration in a measurement-object gas, the sensor element includes: an element body internally provided with a measurement-object gas flow portion that introduces a measurement-object gas and causes the measurement-object gas to flow therethrough; a reference-gas introduction portion disposed inside the element body, the reference-gas introduction portion being configured to introduce a reference gas; a reference-gas adjustment pump cell having a pump reference electrode disposed inside the element body, the reference-gas adjustment pump cell being configured to pump oxygen into a periphery of the pump reference electrode; and a sensor cell having a voltage reference electrode disposed inside the element body, and a measurement-object gas-side electrode disposed inside or outside the element body, the sensor cell being configured to generate a voltage based on an oxygen concentration in a periphery of the measurement-object gas-side electrode.

Abstract: A sensor element is for detecting a specific gas concentration in a measurement-object gas, and includes: an element body including an oxygen-ion-conductive solid electrolyte layer and internally provided with a measurement-object gas flow portion that introduces the measurement-object gas and causes the measurement-object gas to flow therethrough; a flow portion pump cell having a pump inner electrode disposed in an internal cavity of the measurement-object gas flow portion, the flow portion pump cell being configured to pump out oxygen from the internal cavity or pump oxygen into the internal cavity; and a flow portion sensor cell having a voltage inner electrode disposed in the internal cavity, the flow portion sensor cell being configured to generate a voltage based on an oxygen concentration in the internal cavity.

Abstract: A sensor element is for detecting a specific gas concentration in a measurement-object gas, and includes: an element body internally provided with a measurement-object gas flow portion; an adjustment chamber pump cell having an adjustment electrode disposed in an oxygen concentration adjustment chamber of the measurement-object gas flow portion, and a pump outer electrode disposed outside the element body, the adjustment chamber pump cell being configured to pump out oxygen from the oxygen concentration adjustment chamber or pump oxygen into the oxygen concentration adjustment chamber; a reference-gas introduction portion disposed inside the element body; and an outer sensor cell having a voltage outer electrode disposed outside the element body, and a reference electrode disposed inside the element body, the outer sensor cell being configured to generate a voltage based on an oxygen concentration in the measurement-object gas outside the element body.

Abstract: A gas sensor element in which oxidation of electrodes and a heater occurring with continued use is suppressed is provided. The gas sensor element includes a plurality of solid electrolyte layers stacked one over another, and includes an electrochemical cell including a pair of electrodes and a portion of the plurality of solid electrolyte layers existing between the pair of electrodes; a heater part capable of heating the gas sensor element; and a gettering layer located between the plurality of solid electrolyte layers and between the plurality of solid electrolyte layers and each of the pair of electrodes, and gettering impurities in a metal component of the electrodes and the heater part during driving of the gas sensor element.

Abstract: A sensor element for detecting a specific gas concentration in a measurement-object gas includes: an element body including an oxygen-ion-conductive solid electrolyte layer, and having inside a measurement-object gas flow portion that introduces and flows a measurement-object gas and a reference gas chamber used to store a reference gas that is a reference for detecting a specific gas concentration; a reference electrode disposed in the reference gas chamber; and an electrically conductive portion which includes a reference electrode terminal and a reference electrode lead portion that provides electrical continuity between the reference electrode terminal and the reference electrode. The reference gas chamber is provided inside the sensor element in an isolated form, and at least part of the electrically conductive portion is densely formed so as to block movement of oxygen between the reference gas chamber and the outside of the sensor element via the electrically conductive portion.

Abstract: A gas sensor includes a sensor element and a control device. The sensor element includes a first measurement pump cell and a second measurement pump cell. The control device has a low concentration measurement mode and a high concentration measurement mode. In the low concentration measurement mode, the control device controls the first measurement pump cell such that a first pump current becomes a limiting current and detects the concentration of a specific gas in a measurement-target gas based on the first pump current. In the high concentration measurement mode, the control device controls the first measurement pump cell such that the first pump current flows and also controls the second measurement pump cell such that a second pump current becomes a limiting current and detects the concentration of the specific gas in the measurement-target gas based on the first and second pump currents.

Abstract: A gas sensor includes a sensor element and a control unit for controlling the sensor element. The sensor element includes: an adjustment pump cell for adjusting an oxygen concentration in a measurement-object gas to a desired concentration; a current measurement pump cell for detecting a target gas to be measured in the measurement-object gas as a current value, the current measurement pump cell including: an inner measurement electrode and an outer measurement electrode; a reference electrode; and an electromotive force detection sensor cell for detecting an electromotive force value between the inner measurement electrode and the reference electrode. The control unit includes a switching unit for switching whether a current flows through the current measurement pump cell or not.

Abstract: A gas sensor that detects a specific gas concentration in a measurement-object gas, the gas sensor includes: a sensor element having an element body provided with a measurement-object gas flow section therein, the measurement-object gas flow section introducing the measurement-object gas, a measurement electrode disposed in the measurement-object gas flow section, a measurement-object-gas side electrode provided on the element body, a reference electrode, a reference-gas introduction section that causes a reference gas to flow to the reference electrode, and a reference-gas adjustment pump cell constituted by including the measurement-object-gas side electrode and the reference electrode; and a controller that performs a moisture-concentration decrease process of controlling the reference-gas adjustment pump cell so that oxygen is pumped out from a periphery of the reference electrode to a periphery of the measurement-object-gas side electrode to decrease a moisture concentration around the reference electrod

Abstract: A controller of the gas sensor can perform diagnostic processing of diagnosing a situation of control to the gas sensor in a case that the gas sensor in an operation state is determined to satisfy a predetermined diagnostic condition and adjustment processing of adjusting a condition for controlling the gas sensor in accordance with a result of diagnosis. In the diagnostic processing, a main pump voltage and a diagnostic threshold as a value of a voltage not causing decomposition of NOx in the main pump cell are compared. In the adjustment processing, temperature adjustment processing to cause, in a case that the main pump voltage is diagnosed to be equal to the threshold or more, the main pump voltage to be less than the threshold, at least in a way that the heater part increases the element driving temperature in the operation state by a predetermined increase amount is performed.

Abstract: A controller of the gas sensor can perform diagnostic processing of diagnosing a situation of control to the gas sensor in a case that the gas sensor in an operation state is determined to satisfy a predetermined diagnostic condition and adjustment processing of adjusting a condition for controlling the gas sensor in accordance with a result of diagnosis. In the diagnostic processing, a main pump voltage and a diagnostic threshold as a value of a voltage not causing decomposition of NOx in the main pump cell are compared. In the adjustment processing, temperature adjustment processing to cause, in a case that the main pump voltage is diagnosed to be equal to the threshold or more, the main pump voltage to be less than the threshold, at least in a way that the heater part increases the element driving temperature in the operation state by a predetermined increase amount is performed.

Abstract: A ceramic heater is provided in an electronic component, and by supplying electrical current thereto, a heat generating portion thereof is heated to a temperature of greater than or equal to 700[° C.] and less than 950[° C.]. An energizing current waveform of the electrical current to the heat generating portion is a pulse waveform, and a product of a pulse voltage Vp [V] and a period T [ms] of the pulse waveform is less than or equal to 600 [V·ms].

Abstract: A sensor element includes a base part including a plurality of oxygen-ion-conductive solid electrolyte layers stacked; a measurement-object gas flow part for introduction and flow of a measurement-object gas through a gas inlet; an inner oxygen pump electrode disposed on an inner surface of the measurement-object gas flow part; and a measurement electrode disposed on the inner surface of the measurement-object gas flow part. The inner oxygen pump electrode includes: a region (A) including an electrode end close to the gas inlet, and a region (B) including an electrode end far from the gas inlet. A content rate of an activity reducing metal in a metal material in the region (A) is higher than that in the region (B). A ratio of the length of the region (A) of the inner oxygen pump electrode to the length of the inner oxygen pump electrode is 15% to 90%.

Abstract: A sensor element includes a base part including a plurality of oxygen-ion-conductive solid electrolyte layers stacked; a measurement-object gas flow part for introduction and flow of a measurement-object gas through one end part in a longitudinal direction of the base part; a main pump cell including an inner main pump electrode disposed on an inner surface of the measurement-object gas flow part, and an outer pump electrode; a target-gas-decomposing pump cell including a target-gas-decomposing pump electrode disposed at a position farther from the one end part than the inner main pump electrode, and an outer pump electrode; a residual-oxygen-measuring pump cell including a residual-oxygen-measuring electrode disposed at a position farther from the one end part than the inner main pump electrode, and an outer pump electrode; and a reference electrode. The target-gas-decomposing pump electrode comprises a metal material that has catalytic activity of decomposing a target gas to be measured.

Abstract: A sensor element includes: a base part containing an oxygen-ion conductive solid electrolyte as a constituent material; at least one internal space into which a measurement gas is introduced; and at least one pump cell including an internal electrode disposed to face the internal space, an out-of-space pump electrode disposed at a location other than the internal space, and a portion of the base part located between these electrodes, the internal electrode includes a noble metal, the solid electrolyte, and a pore, and, in the internal electrode, a degree of variation of a boundary of a first region formed of the base part or the solid electrolyte contiguous with the base part and a second region occupied by the noble metal and the pore in a thickness direction of the element is 0.5 ?m or more and 6.5 ?m or less.

Abstract: A sensor element includes a base part containing a solid electrolyte as a constituent material; at least one internal space into which a measurement gas is introduced; and at least one pump cell including an internal space electrode disposed to face the internal space, an out-of-space pump electrode disposed at a location other than the internal space, and a portion of the base part located between these electrodes, the internal space electrode includes a noble metal, the solid electrolyte, and a pore, and, in the internal space electrode, a ratio of a length of a boundary of a first region formed of the base part or the solid electrolyte contiguous with the base part and a second region occupied by the noble metal and the pore to a length of a boundary of the solid electrolyte and the internal space electrode is 1.1 or more.

Abstract: A sensor element includes: a base part containing an oxygen-ion conductive solid electrolyte as a constituent material; at least one internal space into which a measurement gas is introduced; and at least one pump cell including an internal electrode disposed to face the at least one internal space, an out-of-space pump electrode disposed at a location other than the at least one internal space, and a portion of the base part located between these electrodes, the internal electrode includes: an upper layer consisting of a noble metal, the solid electrolyte, and a pore; and a lower layer consisting of the noble metal and the solid electrolyte, and a volume ratio of the solid electrolyte in the lower layer is greater than a volume ratio of the solid electrolyte in the upper layer.

Abstract: A sensor element includes: a main pump cell constituted by an inner electrode provided to face a first inner space into which a measurement gas is introduced, an external electrode provided on an element surface, and a solid electrolyte therebetween; and a measurement pump cell constituted by a measurement electrode provided to face a second inner space communicated with the first inner space, an external electrode, and a solid electrolyte therebetween. A diffusion resistance from a gas inlet to the inner electrode is 200 to 1000 cm?1. For the first inner space and a unit electrode part of the inner electrode, a space length is 2.5 to 10 mm, a space thickness is 50 to 300 ?m, an electrode length/the space length is 0.5 to 1.0, and an electrode width/the space width is 0.5 to 1.0.