Gas Sample Sensor Patents (Class 204/424)
  • Patent number: 10761049
    Abstract: The present invention discloses a nitride based sensor including a nitride based semiconductor, wherein a plurality of metal nanoparticles are attached to a surface of the nitride based semiconductor, and the surface of the nitride based semiconductor is passivated with at least one thiol compound. The present invention also provides a method of fabricating a nitride-based sensor. The present invention also discloses a porous gallium nitride (GaN) based H2 gas sensor, comprising a GaN based semiconductor with a plurality of Pt nanoparticles attached to a surface, wherein the GaN based semiconductor is passivated with a thiol compound, and wherein the sensor exhibits responsiveness of at least 60% for detection of H2 at a concentration of 30 ppm at room temperature.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 26, 2018
    Date of Patent: September 1, 2020
    Assignee: UNITED ARAB EMIRATES UNIVERSITY
    Inventor: Adel Najar
  • Patent number: 10738726
    Abstract: Methods and systems are provided for adjusting heater power of an oxygen sensor. In one example, a method for an engine includes adjusting heater power of a heating element of the oxygen sensor when the heater power increases by a threshold amount. The method includes subsequently increasing heater power back to a baseline power level responsive to a temperature of the heating element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 30, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 11, 2020
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Gopichandra Surnilla, Michael McQuillen, Daniel A. Makled, Richard E. Soltis, Stephen B. Smith
  • Patent number: 10730743
    Abstract: A gas sensor package is disclosed. The gas sensor package can include a housing defining a first chamber and a second chamber. An electrolyte can be provided in the first chamber. A gas inlet can provide fluid communication between the second chamber and the outside environs. The gas inlet can be configured to permit gas to enter the second chamber from the outside environs. An integrated device die can be mounted to the housing. The integrated device die can comprise a sensing element configured to detect the gas. The integrated device die can have a first side exposed to the first chamber and a second side exposed to the second chamber, with the first side opposite the second side.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 12, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: Analog Devices Global Unlimited Company
    Inventors: Oliver J. Kierse, Rigan McGeehan, Alfonso Berduque, Donal Peter McAuliffe, Raymond J. Speer, Brendan Cawley, Brian J. Coffey, Gerald Blaney
  • Patent number: 10732143
    Abstract: A gas sensor element of the present disclosure includes a measurement gas chamber, a pump cell, a sensor cell including a sensor electrode, and a pump-cell controller. When the gas sensor element is activated before detecting a concentration of a gas, in order to remove oxygen occluded in the sensor electrode, the pump-cell controller applies a removing voltage to the pump cell so that a reducing gas is generated. The sensor electrode has a plurality of noble metal regions which are made of noble metal and electrolyte regions which are distributed so that an interface is generated between a part of a solid electrolyte body and the plurality of noble metal regions. The sensor electrode has an open pore which extends from an electrode surface of the sensor electrode and reaches at least one of the plurality of noble metal regions.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2020
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Hiroki Ichikawa, Yusuke Todo, Takashi Araki
  • Patent number: 10712305
    Abstract: The output of the electrochemical gas sensor is amplified, and the ambient temperature is measured by means of a temperature sensor. When the ambient temperature is above or equal to a predetermined temperature, a standard value is generated and stored and is increased when the output of the amplification circuit is larger than the standard value, and a gas is detected according to the difference between the output of said amplification circuit and the standard value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 11, 2018
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2020
    Assignee: Figaro Engineering Inc.
    Inventor: Yoshihiro Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 10697926
    Abstract: An electrochemical NO2 sensor includes a reference electrode, a sensing electrode having a sensing electrode material, and an electrolyte. The electrolyte is disposed between and in ionic communication with the sensing electrode and the reference electrode to form an NO2 sensing cell. The NO2 sensing cell produces an electromotive force when exposed to NO2. The sensing electrode material comprises a compound consisting essentially of Si and oxygen and expressed by ABD. Oxygen is element D, Si is element B, and element A includes one or more elements selected from the group consisting of Mn, Co, and Fe.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 30, 2020
    Assignee: DELPHI TECHNOLOGIES IP LIMITED
    Inventors: Da Yu Wang, David M. Racine, Sheng Yao
  • Patent number: 10689683
    Abstract: A plurality of sensors of the same composition or different compositions are provided on a substrate or in a bundle and are sensitive to a plurality of constituent species in a mixed species medium being measured. The sensors of the same composition may each be maintained at different temperatures. The sensors of different compositions may each be maintained at the same temperature or different temperatures. The intersection of measurement values from the plurality of sensors may be used to determine the actual concentrations of the constituent species (e.g., hydrogen and oxygen) in the mixed species medium.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 26, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 23, 2020
    Assignee: ABB Schweiz AG
    Inventors: Saumya Sharma, Yixin Liu, Nolan Nicholas
  • Patent number: 10663424
    Abstract: A sensor element includes a laminate, in which a plurality of oxygen ion-conductive solid electrolyte layers are stacked and in which a measurement object-gas flow portion is disposed, an inside pump electrode disposed on the inner circumferential surface of the measurement object-gas flow portion, an auxiliary pump electrode, and a measurement electrode. Then, the value of the volume ratio (Va=Vm/Vr) is 14.5 or more and 51.5 or less and the value of the volume ratio (Vb=Vs/Vr) is 5.0 or more and 17.5 or less, where the volume of the inside pump electrode 22 is specified as (Vm), the volume of the auxiliary pump electrode 51 is specified as (Vs), and the volume of the measurement electrode 44 is specified as (Vr).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 3, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 26, 2020
    Assignee: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Hironori Sakakibara, Shuichi Ozawa
  • Patent number: 10656129
    Abstract: The present invention provides a miniature gas sensor, which comprises a gas sensor chip. The gas sensor chip includes a hollow structure on the back. An insulating layer is disposed below the sensing material. A miniature heating device is disposed surrounding the sensing material. The sensing material is adhered to the sensing electrodes. The sensing material includes two metal oxide semiconductors or a compound structure of the sensing layer having a metal oxide semiconductor and a reaction layer with a rough surface. An interface layer is sandwiched between the two metal oxide layers for increasing the efficiency in sensing gas. The gas sensor according to the present invention can be implemented on silicon substrate with hollow structures. In addition, the size of the chip can be miniaturized.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 11, 2017
    Date of Patent: May 19, 2020
    Assignee: NATIONAL APPLIED RESEARCH LABORATORIES
    Inventors: Ting-Jen Hsueh, Yu-Jen Hsiao, Yu-Te Lin, Yen-Hsi Li, Yung-Hsiang Chen, Jia-Min Shieh
  • Patent number: 10634639
    Abstract: A method for producing a gas sensor element (10), the gas sensor element including a diffusive porous layer (113) disposed in a measurement chamber (111) and exposed to the outside and a ceramic insulating layer (115) forming sidewalls of the measurement chamber. The method includes transferring green diffusive porous layer pieces (113x) cut in advance so as to have prescribed dimensions onto a first ceramic green sheet (110x); applying an insulating paste which later becomes the ceramic insulating layer to the first ceramic green sheet; laminating the first ceramic green sheet onto a second ceramic green sheet (120x) to form a ceramic laminate (200x); cutting the ceramic laminate along prescribed cutting lines C to obtain a plurality of gas sensor element pieces 10x; and firing the gas sensor element pieces.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 8, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2020
    Assignee: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Ai Igarashi, Kouji Toida, Akinori Kojima, Akihiro Hara, Hitoshi Furuta
  • Patent number: 10627312
    Abstract: A particulate matter sensor and a particulate matter sensing system using such a sensor are provided which are capable of being produced at decreased cost and accurately measuring the temperature of a heater. The particulate matter sensor includes a deposition portion on which particulate matter contained in exhaust gas is accumulated, a pair of electrodes which are disposed on the deposition portion and separate from each other, a heater which heats the deposition portion, and a pair of heater leads which form a path through which electrical current is delivered to the heater. A sensing line is connected to at least one of the heater leads to measure a resistance of the heater lead.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: April 21, 2020
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Go Miyagawa, Kouji Andoh, Masayuki Tamura, Hirokatsu Imagawa, Takao Mishima, Hideki Yamada, Masahiro Yamamoto
  • Patent number: 10615035
    Abstract: A plasma treatment is utilized prior to a conventional lift-off process to increase the hydrophilic characteristics of the surface of the sacrificial metal over the photoresist and minimize its ability to redeposit on the wafer surface. Highly-energized atoms (or molecules) in the plasma interact with the surface atoms of the metal, creating a temporary hydrophilic condition at the surface. This increased wettability of the metal layer surface thus minimizes the probability that subsequently removed thin film metal will be able to bond with the wafer surface. The metal layer may comprise a typical stack of Ti/Pt/Au, and the plasma treatment may use an O2-based plasma or a CF4-based plasma, among others.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 28, 2018
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2020
    Assignee: II-VI Delaware, Inc.
    Inventors: Pallav Kanukuntla, Ashamin Rampersad
  • Patent number: 10605764
    Abstract: A solid electrolyte CO2 sensor may include a solid electrolyte bonded to a substrate to join and seal the substrate, a sensing electrode formed at a first side of the solid electrolyte, and a reference electrode formed between a second side of the solid electrolyte and one surface of the substrate, and sealed by the solid electrolyte and the substrate.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 30, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 31, 2020
    Assignees: Hyundai Motor Company, NANOIONICS KOREA CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Sun-Mi Oh, Hyun-Soo Sohn, Jong-Min Kwon, Yang-Ki Kim, Tae-Won Lee, Ji-Hye Kim
  • Patent number: 10598628
    Abstract: A gas sensor includes a sensor element having electrode pads, metal terminal members connected to the respective electrode pads, separators, and lead wires connected to the rear ends of the metal terminal members. Each metal terminal member has a forward locking portion and a rear locking portion provided at the forward and rear ends, respectively. The separator is composed of a forward separator and a rear separator connected to each other. The forward separator includes a first locking portion having a rearward-facing surface, and the rear separator includes a second locking portion having a forward-facing surface. The metal terminal member is held between the forward separator and the rear separator in a state in which the forward locking portion is in locking engagement with the rearward-facing surface and the rear locking portion is in locking engagement with the forward-facing surface.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 29, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignee: NGK Spark Plug Co., LTD.
    Inventors: Shogo Nagata, Takehiro Oba, Shunya Mihara, Kenji Masuda
  • Patent number: 10551341
    Abstract: Provided is a gas sensor having simpler configuration than a conventional multi-gas sensor, and being capable of measuring NOx and NH3 simultaneously. In the gas sensor determining a NOx concentration in a measurement gas based on a pump current flowing between a NOx measurement electrode and an outer pump electrode, the outer pump electrode has catalytic activity inactivated for NH3 so that a sensor element further includes a NH3 sensor part having a mixed potential cell constituted by the outer pump electrode, a reference electrode, and a solid electrolyte between these electrodes, and determination of a NH3 concentration based on a potential difference occurring between the outer pump electrode and the reference electrode and determination of a NOx concentration based on the pump current and the NH3 concentration can be performed simultaneously or selectively when the sensor element is heated to 400° C. or higher and 600° C. or lower.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Taku Okamoto, Nobuhiko Mori, Yuki Nakayama
  • Patent number: 10551364
    Abstract: A control system for an engine including a limiting current sensor, the control system includes an ECU configured to: execute a sweep process for gradually reducing a voltage that is applied to the sensor from a first voltage a second voltage; acquire an extreme value of an output current of the sensor during execution of the sweep process from output currents of the sensor while a voltage included in a specific voltage range is applied to the sensor, the extreme value being predicted to be output; and detect the concentration of SOx in exhaust gas based on the extreme value and a reference value, the reference value being a value of limiting current of the sensor, the value of limiting current of the sensor corresponding to the concentration of oxygen having the constant value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 16, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 4, 2020
    Assignee: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA
    Inventors: Tatsuhiro Hashida, Kazuhiro Wakao
  • Patent number: 10514356
    Abstract: A gas sensor is provided which includes a sensor device, a plurality of contact springs, an insulator, a plurality of connecting terminals, and a lead cover. The insulator has an end surface which faces the connecting terminals and also includes as many protrusions as the contact springs. The insulator also has formed therein holding holes in which the contact springs are disposed. Each of the protrusions has formed therein a through-hole which communicates between an end surface of the protrusion and one of the holding holes. The through-holes are discrete from each other and formed one in each of the protrusions. This minimizes a risk of occurrence of leakage current between the contact springs or the connecting terminals arising from dew condensation and ensures a high degree of measurement accuracy of the gas sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: December 24, 2019
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Satoshi Hino
  • Patent number: 10495541
    Abstract: An energy aware gas detection system can include relay nodes and gas sensor nodes operating based on an adaptive sleep cycle, each of the gas sensor nodes can include gas sensors configured to detect methane, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen sulfide. Additionally, the system can also include actuator nodes to operate gas valves and a gateway node to be a bridge between the relay nodes and a remote device communicably coupled to a network.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 4, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 3, 2019
    Assignee: King Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals
    Inventors: Farouq Muhammad Aliyu, Tarek Sheltami
  • Patent number: 10488380
    Abstract: A apparatus 70 for measuring ammonia concentration includes an electromotive force acquisition section 75 configured to acquire information about an electromotive force EMF of a mixed potential cell 55 while a detection electrode 51 is exposed to a target gas, an oxygen concentration acquisition section 76 configured to acquire information about oxygen concentration pO2 in the target gas, and a control section 72. The control section 72 derives ammonia concentration pNH3 in the target gas from the acquired information about the electromotive force EMF, the acquired information about the oxygen concentration pO2, and the relationship represented by formula (1): EMF=? loga(pNH3)?? logb(pO2)+B??(1) where ?, ?, and B each represent a constant, and a and b each represent any base (provided that a?1, a>0, b?1, and b>0).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 10, 2017
    Date of Patent: November 26, 2019
    Assignee: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Taku Okamoto, Yoshinobu Nakada, Kosuke Monna
  • Patent number: 10473615
    Abstract: Provided is a method of manufacturing a porous protective layer for a gas sensor. The porous protective layer according to one Example of the present invention is manufactured by a method of manufacturing a porous protective layer for a gas sensor including (1) a step of introducing a composition for forming a porous protective layer including a pore former and a ceramic powder, which includes particles having a degree of deformation of 1.5 or more expressed by the following Relational Formula 1 according to the present invention, onto a sensing electrode for a gas sensor, and (2) a step of sintering the introduced composition for forming a porous protective layer.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: November 12, 2019
    Assignee: AMOTECH CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yeon-Soo Chung, Kil Jin Park, Sung-Jin Hong, Soo-Min Oh, Eun-Ji Kim
  • Patent number: 10426355
    Abstract: An infrared thermometer (10), comprising a handheld part (12) and a head (11) connected to the handheld part (12). The head (11) comprises a bottom shell (112); an infrared sensor (113) configured to measure the temperature of an object to be measured; a holder (114) configured to hold the infrared sensor (113) in the bottom shell (112); a housing (111) configured to accommodate the infrared sensor (113) and the holder (114), and combined with the bottom shell (112); a first conductor (115) arranged on the housing (111); and a second conductor (116) arranged between the first conductor (115) and the handheld part (12) and adjacent to the holder (114) wherein the first conductor (115) and the second conductor (116) are capacitive sensors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 5, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 1, 2019
    Assignee: MICROLIFE CORPORATION
    Inventor: Chia-Chen Ho
  • Patent number: 10416111
    Abstract: A mixed-potential type gas sensor capable of preferably determining the concentration of THC including a kind of gas having a large C number is provided. A sensor element composed of an oxygen-ion conductive solid electrolyte is provided with, on its surface, a sensing electrode formed of a cermet of Pt, Au, and an oxygen-ion conductive solid electrolyte, and includes a reference electrode and a porous surface protective layer that covers at least said sensing electrode. An Au abundance ratio on a surface of noble metal particles forming the sensing electrode is 0.3 or more. The surface protective layer has a porosity of 28% to 40%, a thickness of 10 to 50 ?m, and an area ratio of a coarse pore having a pore size of 1 ?m or larger of 50% or more; or has a porosity of 28% to 40% and a thickness of 10 to 35 ?m.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 1, 2017
    Date of Patent: September 17, 2019
    Assignee: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Taku Okamoto, Noriko Hirata, Yuki Nakayama, Kosuke Monna
  • Patent number: 10393715
    Abstract: A gas sensor includes a gas sensor element having a detection portion, a metallic shell holding the gas sensor element, and a tubular body made of metal, which is welded in a state of being externally fitted to a front side or a rear side of the metallic shell. In the present invention, the tubular body is tightly fitted to a tapered portion that is provided at an outer surface of the metallic shell and is radially narrowed toward the tubular body. The tubular body is welded at the tapered portion.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 27, 2019
    Assignee: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kunihiko Yonezu, Takehiro Oba
  • Patent number: 10371659
    Abstract: A gas sensor element with suppressed response deterioration even when poisoned with S when fuel or exhaust gas contains ethanol and the ethanol content is high. The element includes a detection portion, which includes a solid electrolyte layer having a pair of electrodes on opposite sides thereof, a shielding layer defining a measurement target gas space with a porous diffusive resistance layer, and a reference gas space protective layer; a heat-generating portion stacked on the detection portion; and a porous protective layer surrounding the detection portion and heat-generating portion. The porous protective layer includes a first porous protective layer surrounding at least the porous diffusive resistance layer, and a second porous protective layer surrounding the first porous protective layer, the detection portion and the heat-generating portion. The first porous protective layer contains none of La, Ca, or Mg, while the second porous protective layer contains at least one of them.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 12, 2016
    Date of Patent: August 6, 2019
    Assignees: TOYOTA JIDOSHA KABUSHIKI KAISHA, DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Tetsuya Kato, Satoshi Nakamura, Hiroki Nishijima, Makoto Ito
  • Patent number: 10345256
    Abstract: In a gas sensor where an exhaust gas is introduced into a chamber provided in a gas sensor element so that an oxygen concentration is reduced in a pump cell on the upstream side to detect NOx in the exhaust gas in a sensor cell on the downstream side, the surface of at least one of a solid electrolyte sheet and a shielding sheet that constitute wall surfaces of the chamber has a warped shape which is convex inwardly of the chamber at a position where the pump cell is formed. The warp amount is in the range from 0.10% or higher to 1.38% or lower, and the height in the stacking direction of the diffusion layer is lower than the average height Have in the stacking direction of the chamber at the position where the pump cell is formed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kei Sugiura, Yoshiyasu Ando
  • Patent number: 10347938
    Abstract: An electrolyte composite including a first block copolymer and a lithium ion conductor, wherein the first block copolymer includes i) a structural domain and ii) at least one of a rubbery domain and an ion conductive domain, wherein the structural domain includes a polymer segment including a structural repeating unit, wherein the rubbery domain includes a polymer segment including a rubbery repeating unit, and wherein the ion conductive domain includes a polymer segment including an ion conductive repeating unit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 9, 2019
    Assignee: SAMSUNG ELECTRONICS CO., LTD
    Inventors: Yonggun Lee, Nobuyuki Imanishi, Osamu Yamamoto, Hyorang Kang
  • Patent number: 10329989
    Abstract: A method of quantifying a particulate matter in an exhaust stream includes the steps of accumulating a particulate matter on a sensor. The sensor provides a signal that varies based upon an amount of the particulate on the sensor. The sensor includes a measurement cycle that includes a deadband zone, followed by an active zone, which is followed by a regeneration zone. The particulate matter is calculated after an end of the deadband zone is reached and prior to an end of the measurement cycle.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 25, 2019
    Assignee: DELPHI TECHNOLOGIES IP LIMITED
    Inventors: Gerard W. Malaczynski, Gregory T. Roth
  • Patent number: 10273907
    Abstract: A method is provided, comprising terminating a pressure rise portion of an engine-off natural vacuum test based on an initial rate of change of a fuel system pressure upon sealing a fuel system; and initiating a vacuum portion of the engine-off natural vacuum test responsive to suspending the pressure rise portion. The initial rate of change may indicate a likelihood of the pressure rise portion reaching a pressure rise threshold. In this way, the vacuum portion of the test may be initiated earlier, increasing the likelihood of a conclusive result being obtained during a test time limit.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 15, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Aed M. Dudar, Chingpo Liu, Dennis Seung-Man Yang, Robert Roy Jentz, Fling Finn Tseng, Imad Hassan Makki, Russell Randall Pearce
  • Patent number: 10273860
    Abstract: Provided is an exhaust apparatus for a vehicle, being capable of performing a normal detection of a nitrogen oxide (NOx) concentration in exhaust gas without involving increase in the size and the cost. The exhaust apparatus includes an exhaust pipe having an upstream end connected to an aftertreatment device and a downstream end enclosing an exhaust port at a position higher than the upstream end, a NOx sensor to be retained in the exhaust pipe, and a water barrier wall provided inside the exhaust pipe. The water barrier wall has a shape to form a shield between the NOx sensor and the exhaust port while leaving a gas inlet that allows the exhaust gas to flow to the NOx sensor from the aftertreatment device through the gas inlet.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 6, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2019
    Assignee: KOBELCO CONSTRUCTION MACHINERY CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Taisuke Ikeda, Masaaki Tateyama
  • Patent number: 10247695
    Abstract: Provided are: an electrode for a gas sensor formed as a porous electrode so as to stably allow reduction in electrode resistance for excellent low-temperature activity; and a gas sensor. The electrode (108, 110) for the gas sensor is adapted for use on a surface of a solid electrolyte body (109), which is predominantly formed of zirconia, and contains particles (2) of a noble metal or an alloy thereof, first ceramic particles (4) of stabilized zirconia or partially stabilized zirconia and second ceramic particles (6) of one or more selected from the group consisting of Al2O3, MgO, La2O3, spinel, zircon, mullite and cordierite, wherein the second ceramic particles are contained in an amount smaller than that of the first ceramic particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 12, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 2, 2019
    Assignee: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Seiji Oya, Yuta Oishi
  • Patent number: 10234420
    Abstract: A NOx sensor includes a pump cell, a monitor cell, and a sensor cell, and the pump cell discharges an oxygen in an exhaust gas introduced into a chamber. The sensor cell outputs a detected signal depending on a concentration of a NOx according to a gas after the oxygen is discharged. A microcomputer of a sensor control circuit temporarily changes an amount of the oxygen discharged by the pump cell, and then calculates output change amounts ?Ip, ?Is, and ?Im of the cells. The microcomputer performs a correction of the concentration of the NOx detected by the sensor cell and a deterioration diagnosis of the sensor cell, based on the output change amounts ?Ip, ?Is, and ?Im of the cells. When the sensor cell current Is is smaller than the monitor cell current Im, the microcomputer determines that the NOx sensor has an abnormality.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 11, 2014
    Date of Patent: March 19, 2019
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Ryozo Kayama, Yukihiro Yamashita, Yoshihiro Sakashita
  • Patent number: 10228346
    Abstract: A sensor element includes a sensor element main body a including an oxygen ion-conductive solid electrolyte layer and a porous protective layer covering at least part of the sensor element main body. Then, the porous protective layer has the value of the number of interfaces in a unit thickness direction, which is the number of particle interfaces of constituent particles every 100 ?m in the thickness direction, of 15 or more and 250 or less.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 2, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Hironori Sakakibara, Shuichi Ozawa, Hiroki Fujita, Shinsaku Maeda
  • Patent number: 10228342
    Abstract: A gas sensor has a gas sensor element which has a solid electrolyte body, a reference electrode and a measuring electrode. The solid electrolyte body contains partially stabilized zirconia as a main component in which zirconia is stabilized by stabilizer agent. Particle boundary parts are formed between crystal particles made of the partially stabilized zirconia. The particle boundary parts are made of a metal element such as yttria derived from the stabilizer agent, an alumina component and a silica component. A total content of the alumina component and the silica component in the particle boundary parts in the solid electrolyte body is within a range of 0.01 mass % to 1 mass % in terms of oxide in the solid electrolyte body. A ratio of the alumina component to the silica component in the particle boundary parts 12 is within a range of 0.2 to 2.0 in terms of oxide.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 10, 2015
    Date of Patent: March 12, 2019
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Kiyomi Kobayashi, Kazuki Yagi, Makoto Noguchi
  • Patent number: 10190895
    Abstract: A method for assembling a gas sensor includes fitting through holes of annular mounting parts with an element dummy disposed vertically and whose cross-sectional shape perpendicular is similar to that of a sensor element. The annular mounting parts are a plurality of parts including a ceramic powder compact. A tubular body is fitted with outer peripheries of the annular mounting parts, and then, the element is abuttingly disposed on an upper end of the dummy. Subsequently, the dummy is moved vertically downward to fit the through holes of the annular mounting parts with the element, thereby obtaining a workpiece. The workpiece is vertically inverted, and with the element tip being in contact with a sealing assist jig that has a buffer performance, the upper end of the uppermost annular mounting part is pressed vertically downward to compress the powder compact, thereby sealing an inside of the tubular body.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: NGK INSULATORS, LTD.
    Inventors: Tetsuya Hattori, Hiroyuki Tanaka, Kenji Kato, Shigeki Takeshita
  • Patent number: 10193173
    Abstract: A fuel cell stack hydrogen starvation detection device, a fuel cell system and a method of operating a fuel cell stack to protect it from hydrogen starvation conditions. In one particular form, the fuel cell system includes a stack of fuel cells, a controller and a detection device made up of one or more sensors that can compare a reference signal corresponding to the presence of substantially pure hydrogen to a signal that corresponds to a local hydrogen value within a single fuel cell within the stack or across multiple fuel cells within the stack. In this way, the detection device promptly provides indicia of a hydrogen starvation condition within the cell or stack without the need for conventional cell voltage monitoring. The detected hydrogen starvation condition may be presented as a warning signal to alert a user that such a condition may be present, as well as to the controller for modification of the stack operation.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 21, 2015
    Date of Patent: January 29, 2019
    Assignee: GM Global Technology Operations LLC
    Inventors: Jingxin Zhang, Balasubramanian Lakshmanan, Manish Sinha
  • Patent number: 10161831
    Abstract: A sensor for a vehicle 1 is provided with a sensor element, plurality of lead wires electrically connected to the sensor element, a metallic cylindrical cover and a rubber bush positioned in a partial inner-space of a base end of the cylindrical cover. Radial contraction of the cylindrical cover and compression of bush, deforming the bush radially inward thereof, supports the leads wires inserted through each of the respective through-holes. The cylindrical cover is provided with a curved portion having a base end of which a whole circumferential edge is bent radially inward, thereby producing the curved portion opposing a rim of the bush in an axial direction.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 28, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 25, 2018
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventor: Satoshi Hino
  • Patent number: 10156545
    Abstract: An improvement to the pulse discharge technique is suggested by reducing durations of the PDT cycle to less than 0.5 second due to switching hardware modifications and improving the sensor speed of response to less than 1 second. Additional improvement is suggested by utilizing commercial planar lambda sensors and improving planar lambda sensor temperature control tolerance to <+/?0.1° C. by utilizing DC analog PID heater control loop.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 22, 2016
    Date of Patent: December 18, 2018
    Inventor: Boris Farber
  • Patent number: 10088448
    Abstract: Provided is a gas sensor element that can increase detection accuracy of a specific gas component concentration by means of a sensor cell by reflecting changes in the operating temperature of a gas sensor element. The gas sensor element is provided with a solid electrolyte body having oxygen ion conductivity, a heater stacked to the solid electrolyte body via a reference gas space, a pump cell adjusting oxygen concentration in a measuring gas space, a sensor cell detecting specific gas component concentration in the measuring gas space, and an electronic conduction detector cell detecting current resulting from electronic conduction due to the heater. The electronic conduction detector cell includes an electronic conductor electrode which is provided to a measuring gas side surface of the solid electrolyte body and covered with an insulator.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 19, 2015
    Date of Patent: October 2, 2018
    Assignee: DENSO CORPORATION
    Inventors: Mitsunobu Nakatou, Keigo Mizutani, Takashi Araki
  • Patent number: 10050278
    Abstract: A fuel cell electrode includes a substrate having a first surface and a second surface, a passage channel connecting the first surface and the second surface, and a nitrogen-doped graphene layer disposed within the passage channel. The passage channel is formed of a plurality of pores connected to each other.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 22, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Inventors: Typher Yom, Jong Won Yom
  • Patent number: 10046276
    Abstract: In a multi-gas sensor control apparatus 1, the concentrations of ammonia, NO2, and NO contained in a gas under measurement are computed as a result of execution of gas concentration computation processing by a CPU 61 of a microcomputer 60. In the gas concentration computation processing, depending on whether or not a correction permission condition is satisfied (S200), the CPU 61 switches its operation between an operation of storing the latest corrected ammonia concentration as a value of “NH3 concentration (this time)” (S170) and an operation of storing a value of “NH3 concentration (reference)” as a value of “NH3 concentration (this time)” (S210). The multi-gas sensor control apparatus 1 can suppress a decrease in the accuracy of detection of the ammonia concentration performed through use of a multi-gas sensor 2.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 17, 2015
    Date of Patent: August 14, 2018
    Assignee: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Yoshihiro Nakano, Shiro Kakimoto
  • Patent number: 10016720
    Abstract: An air separation system includes an air separation module configured to receive feed air and separate the feed air into nitrogen-enriched air and oxygen-enriched air. The air separation module includes an inlet header, an outlet header, and an oxygen sensor located in the outlet header and configured to sense a concentration of oxygen in the nitrogen-enriched air.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 14, 2015
    Date of Patent: July 10, 2018
    Assignee: Hamilton Sundstrand Corporation
    Inventor: Catherine Thibaud
  • Patent number: 9995704
    Abstract: A gas sensor element which has water-permeable electrodes, and water-impermeable leads connected to the electrodes A first electrode (133) has a space exposure portion (133b) exposed to internal space (160) of a gas sensor element (10) which communicates with an ambient atmosphere. A first lead (137) is connected to the first electrode (133). The first electrode (133) includes a first connection portion (133d) which is disposed at a position not exposed to the internal space (160) and connected to the first lead (137), and which is a portion of the first electrode (133) located most distant from the internal space (160). The entire first connection portion (133d) is located in a region A1 which extends from the internal space (160) over a distance of 1.0 mm or less. Also enclosed is a gas sensor including the gas sensor element.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 29, 2016
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kentaro Kamada, Masaki Nakagawa, Koji Shiotani
  • Patent number: 9995706
    Abstract: The disclosed invention relates to an amperometric gas sensor for measuring the concentration of an analyte, comprising: a solid support; and a working electrode in contact with the solid support; wherein the analyte comprises a dopant which when in contact with the solid support increases the electrical conductivity of the solid support. A sterilization process employing the amperometric gas sensor is disclosed.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 30, 2014
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2018
    Assignee: Steris Corporation
    Inventors: Elizabeth H. Schenk, Peter A. Burke, Michael A. Centanni
  • Patent number: 9976979
    Abstract: A gas sensor element (10) includes a first composite ceramic layer (111) having a plate-shaped first surrounding portion (112) formed of an insulating ceramic and including a through hole inner-perimetric-surface (115) which defines a through hole (112h), and a plate-shaped first electrolyte portion (121) formed of a solid electrolyte ceramic, disposed in the through hole (112h), and including an electrolyte outer-perimetric-surface (125) in contact with the through hole inner-perimetric-surface (115). The electrolyte outer-perimetric-surface (125) of the first electrolyte portion (121) is sloped toward an exterior of the first electrolyte portion (121) as it approaches one side DT1. The through hole inner-perimetric-surface (115) and the electrolyte outer-perimetric-surface 125 are in close contact with each other along their entire perimeters.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: May 22, 2018
    Assignee: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Satoshi Okazaki, Akinori Kojima, Masaki Mizutani, Nobuo Furuta, Ai Igarashi
  • Patent number: 9957873
    Abstract: A sensor includes a detector element including a detecting portion and an element back portion on which two or more electrical connection terminal portions are formed; two or more connection terminals which each include an oblong frame main body that extends in an axial direction and an element contact portion that is electrically connected to a corresponding one of the electrical connection terminal portions; a separator that accommodates the connection terminals and the element back portion; and a base that surrounds an outer periphery of the separator. The separator includes a partition wall that is made of a resin material and partitions a plurality of accommodation spaces from each other. The accommodation spaces include an element accommodation space that accommodates portions of the element contact portions and the element back portion, and a plurality of terminal accommodation spaces which each accommodate one of the two or more frame main bodies.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: January 8, 2016
    Date of Patent: May 1, 2018
    Assignee: NGK SPARK PLUG CO., LTD.
    Inventors: Kunihiko Yonezu, Takehiro Oba, Hisaharu Nishio, Ginjiro Ito, Yuichi Yamada
  • Patent number: 9952072
    Abstract: The gas sensor 100 has a gas flow channel 127 formed therein by an inner protection cover 130. The gas flow channel 127 is formed in the pathway of measured gas from a first outer gas hole 144a formed in an outer protection cover 140 that covers the tip end of a sensor element 110 to a gas inlet port 111 of the sensor element 110. The gas flow channel 127 extends from the rear end side to the tip end side of the sensor element 110 and is open to the sensor element chamber 124 having the gas inlet port 111 disposed therein.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 23, 2015
    Date of Patent: April 24, 2018
    Assignee: NGK Insulators, Ltd.
    Inventors: Mika Murakami, Takayuki Sekiya, Tomoya Seimori
  • Patent number: 9927395
    Abstract: Various embodiments of a gas sensor device and method of fabricating a gas sensor device are provided. In one embodiment a gas sensor device includes a base substrate, an electrolyte layer disposed on the base substrate and a plurality of potentiometric sensor units electrically coupled to the base substrate. Each potentiometric sensor unit includes an electrolyte layer disposed on the base substrate, a sensing electrode comprising tungsten oxide (WO3) and platinum (Pt), a reference electrode comprising Pt, and a plurality of connectors coupled to the plurality of potentiometric sensors to connect the plurality of potentiometric sensors in series.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 13, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: Ohio State Innovation Foundation
    Inventors: Prabir K. Dutta, Suvra P. Mondal
  • Patent number: 9927394
    Abstract: Various embodiments of a gas sensor device and method of fabricating a gas sensor device are provided. In one embodiment a gas sensor device includes a base substrate, an electrolyte layer disposed on the base substrate and a plurality of potentiometric sensor units electrically coupled to the base substrate. Each potentiometric sensor unit includes an electrolyte layer disposed on the base substrate, a sensing electrode comprising tungsten oxide (WO3) and platinum (Pt), a reference electrode comprising Pt, and a plurality of connectors coupled to the plurality of potentiometric sensors to connect the plurality of potentiometric sensors in series.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 31, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 27, 2018
    Assignee: Ohio State Innovation Foundation
    Inventors: Prabir K. Dutta, Suvra P. Mondal
  • Patent number: 9905422
    Abstract: A 2D material hard mask includes hydrogen, oxygen, and a 2D material layer having a layered crystalline structure. The 2D material layer may be a material layer including one of a carbon structure (for example, a graphene sheet) and a non-carbon structure.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 30, 2015
    Date of Patent: February 27, 2018
    Assignee: Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd.
    Inventors: Keunwook Shin, Minsu Seol, Hyeonjin Shin, Sangwon Kim, Seongjun Park
  • Patent number: 9885685
    Abstract: Various methods are provided for compensating changes in the relation between impedance setpoint and operating temperature in an oxygen sensor. In one embodiment, a method of operating an oxygen sensor comprises adjusting an impedance setpoint based on a change in dry air pumping current of the oxygen sensor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 10, 2014
    Date of Patent: February 6, 2018
    Assignee: Ford Global Technologies, LLC
    Inventors: Gopichandra Surnilla, Richard E. Soltis, Daniel A. Makled