Particulate matter sensor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10184876-B2
Application number	US-201615263894-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Sep 13, 2016
Priority date	Sep 13, 2016
Publication date	Jan 22, 2019
Grant date	Jan 22, 2019

Abstract

A particulate matter sensor assembly including a resistance sensor and a resonance sensor. Each one of the resistance sensor and the resonance sensor is configured to measure particulate matter present in engine exhaust.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A particulate matter sensor assembly comprising:
a resistance sensor;
a resonance sensor; and
a sensor probe having a probe tip, the probe tip includes: the resistance sensor, a heater proximate to the resistance sensor to heat the resistance sensor, the resonance sensor, and an insulator insulating the resonance sensor from the heater;
wherein each one of the resistance sensor and the resonance sensor is configured to measure particulate matter present in engine exhaust.

2. The particulate matter sensor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the resonance sensor is a piezoelectric sensor.

3. The particulate matter sensor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the resonance sensor is an acoustic wave sensor.

4. The particulate matter sensor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the insulator is a heat shield insulating the resonance sensor from the resistance sensor.

5. The particulate matter sensor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the insulator is a ceramic insulator insulating the resonance sensor from the resistance sensor.

6. The particulate matter sensor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the insulator is a slot between the resistance sensor and the resonance sensor configured to thermally insulate the resistance sensor from the resonance sensor.

7. The particulate matter sensor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the heater is configured to heat the resistance sensor to regenerate the resistance sensor.

8. The particulate matter sensor assembly of claim 1 , wherein the resonance sensor is a backup sensor configured to operate when the resistance sensor is not functioning.

9. An exhaust treatment system for an engine, the system comprising:
a particulate matter filter configured to filter particulate matter in exhaust produced by the engine;
an exhaust outlet;
a particulate matter sensor configured to be arranged in the exhaust outlet to measure particulate matter present in the engine exhaust with both a resistance sensor and a resonance sensor; and
a sensor probe having a probe tip, the probe tip includes: the resistance sensor, a heater proximate to the resistance sensor to heat the resistance sensor, the resonance sensor, and an insulator insulating the resonance sensor from the heater.

10. The system of claim 9 , wherein the resonance sensor is a piezoelectric sensor.

11. The system of claim 9 , wherein the resonance sensor is an acoustic wave sensor.

12. The system of claim 9 , wherein the insulator insulates the resonance sensor from the resistance sensor.

13. The system of claim 9 , wherein the insulator is a heat shield insulating the resonance sensor from the resistance sensor.

14. The system of claim 9 , wherein the insulator is a ceramic insulator insulating the resonance sensor from the resistance sensor.

15. The system of claim 9 , wherein the heater is configured to heat the resistance sensor to regenerate the resistance sensor.

Assignees

• Denso Int America Inc

Inventors

• Szczepanski Edward
• Hankins Richard
• Kaput Rafal
• Lewis Michael
• Kobayashi Masayuki

Classifications

• G01N29/2437

  Piezoelectric probes · CPC title

• G01N15/0656 Primary

  using electric, e.g. electrostatic methods or magnetic methods (by investigating individual particles G01N15/1031, G01N15/12) · CPC title

• F01N2560/20

  Sensor having heating means · CPC title

• G01N2291/0217

  Smoke, combustion gases · CPC title

• F01N11/00

  Monitoring or diagnostic devices for exhaust-gas treatment apparatus · CPC title