Electrochemical detection system and method of operation

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9778219-B2
Application number	US-201314091498-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 27, 2013
Priority date	Nov 27, 2013
Publication date	Oct 3, 2017
Grant date	Oct 3, 2017

Abstract

An electrochemical detection system for determining a concentration of a gas in exhaust gases of a combustion process. The system includes an electrolyte, a reference electrode, and a sense electrode that cooperate to form an electrochemical sensor that exposes both the reference electrode and the sense electrode to the exhaust gases. The electrochemical sensor is configured to output a sensor signal indicative of a species concentration of a species gas in the exhaust gases. The sensor signal exhibits a transient error in response to a change in a reference concentration of a reference gas in the exhaust gases. The processor is configured to determine the species concentration based on the sensor signal, and to determine an estimate of the transient error based on an operating condition of the combustion process.

First claim

We claim:

1. A method to determine a concentration of a gas in exhaust gases of a combustion process, said method comprising:
receiving a sensor signal from an electrochemical sensor, wherein the electrochemical sensor is configured to expose both a reference electrode and a sense electrode of the electrochemical sensor to the exhaust gases such that the sense electrode is in contact with an electrolyte and the sense electrode is spaced apart from the reference electrode, wherein the sensor signal is indicative of a species concentration of a species gas in the exhaust gases, wherein the sensor signal exhibits a transient error in response to a change in a reference concentration of a reference gas in the exhaust gases;
determining the species concentration based on the sensor signal; and
estimating the transient error based on an operating condition of the combustion process.

2. The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises
compensating the sensor signal received based on the estimate of the transient error.

3. A method to determine a concentration of a gas in exhaust gases of a combustion process, said method comprising:
receiving a sensor signal from an electrochemical sensor, wherein the electrochemical sensor is configured to expose both a reference electrode and a sense electrode of the electrochemical sensor to the exhaust gases such that the sense electrode is in contact with an electrolyte and the sense electrode is spaced apart from the reference electrode, wherein the sensor signal is indicative of a species concentration of a species gas in the exhaust gases, wherein the sensor signal exhibits a transient error in response to a change in a reference concentration of a reference gas in the exhaust gases;
determining the species concentration based on the sensor signal;
estimating the transient error based on an operating condition of the combustion process; and
ignoring the sensor signal for an error duration if an error magnitude of the estimate of the transient error is greater than an error threshold.

4. The method in accordance with claim 1 , wherein the method further comprises
receiving a sensor temperature, wherein the step of
estimating of the transient error is also based on the sensor temperature.

5. The method in accordance with claim 4 , wherein the method further comprises compensating the sensor signal based on the transient error and the sensor temperature.

6. A method to determine a concentration of a gas in exhaust gases of a combustion process, said method comprising:
receiving a sensor signal from an electrochemical sensor, wherein the electrochemical sensor is configured to expose both a reference electrode and a sense electrode of the electrochemical sensor to the exhaust gases such that the sense electrode is in contact with an electrolyte and the sense electrode is spaced apart from the reference electrode, wherein the sensor signal is indicative of a species concentration of a species gas in the exhaust gases, wherein the sensor signal exhibits a transient error in response to a change in a reference concentration of a reference gas in the exhaust gases;
determining the species concentration based on the sensor signal;
estimating the transient error based on an operating condition of the combustion process;
receiving a sensor temperature, wherein the step of estimating of the transient error is also based on the sensor temperature; and
ignoring the sensor signal for an error duration if an error magnitude of the transient error is greater than an error threshold, wherein the error duration is determined based on the sensor temperature.

Assignees

• Delphi Tech Inc

Inventors

• Wang Da Yu
• Racine David M
• Yao Sheng

Classifications

• G01N27/301 Primary

  Reference electrodes · CPC title

• G01N27/4162 Primary

  investigating the composition of gases, by the influence exerted on ionic conductivity in a liquid (conductometry in general G01N27/06; amperometric gas sensors G01N27/404) · CPC title

• G01M15/102

  by monitoring exhaust gases · CPC title