Method of detecting air/fuel ratio in combustor by detecting oxygen in combustion gas
A method is described for detecting numerical values for air/fuel ratio of either a lean air-fuel mixture or a rich mixture supplied to, for example, a combustion engine by means of an oxygen sensor disposed in the exhaust gas. The sensor comprises a porous measurement electrode layer on one side of a porous solid electrolyte layer, e.g., of zirconia and a porous reference electrode layer on the other side with a shield layer thereon, so that the reference electrode layer communicates with the exhaust gas through pores in the sensor. Measurement is accomplished by keeping a dc current flowing between the two electrode layers to establish a reference oxygen partial pressure on the reference electrode side. The intensity of the current is made below a critical value above which an emf generated by the sensor becomes substantially constant unless the air/fuel ratio changes across the stoichiometric ratio, and the direction of the current flow is chosen depending on whether the air-fuel mixture is a lean one or a rich one.
- Assignee:
- Nissan Motor Co Ltd (Japan)
- Patent Number(s):
- US 4224113
- OSTI ID:
- 6800452
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
System for feedback control of air/fuel ratio in ic engine having means for supplying controlled current to oxygen sensor
System for feedback control of air/fuel ratio in internal combustion engine
Related Subjects
330101* -- Internal Combustion Engines-- Spark-Ignition
COMBUSTORS
CURRENTS
DESIGN
ELECTRIC CURRENTS
ELECTROCHEMICAL CELLS
ELECTROMOTIVE FORCE
ELEMENTS
ENGINES
EXHAUST GASES
FLUIDS
FUEL-AIR RATIO
GASEOUS WASTES
GASES
HEAT ENGINES
INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES
MEASURING INSTRUMENTS
METERS
NONMETALS
OXYGEN
OXYGEN METERS
WASTES