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Title: Impedancemetric NOx Sensing Using Yttria-Stabilized Zirconia (YSZ) Electrolyte and YSZ/Cr2O3 Composite Electrodes

Journal Article · · Journal of the Electrochemical Society
OSTI ID:907869

An impedancemetric method for NO{sub x} sensing using an yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) based electrochemical cell is described. The sensor cell consists of a planar YSZ electrolyte and two identical YSZ/Cr{sub 2}O{sub 3} composite electrodes exposed to the test gas. The sensor response to a sinusoidal ac signal applied between the two electrodes is measured via two parameters calculated from the complex impedance, the modulus |Z| and phase angle {Theta}. While either of these parameters can be correlated to the NO{sub x} concentration in the test gas, {Theta} was found to provide a more robust metric than |Z|. At frequencies below approximately 100 Hz, {Theta} is sensitive to both the NO{sub x} and O{sub 2} concentrations. At higher frequencies, {Theta} is predominantly affected by the O{sub 2} concentration. A dual frequency measurement is demonstrated to compensate for changes in the O{sub 2} background between 2 and 18.9%. Excellent sensor performance is obtained for NO{sub x} concentrations in the range of 8-50 ppm in background. An equivalent circuit model was used to extract fitting parameters from the impedance spectra for a preliminary analysis of NO{sub x} sensing mechanisms.

Research Organization:
Lawrence Livermore National Lab. (LLNL), Livermore, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE
DOE Contract Number:
W-7405-ENG-48
OSTI ID:
907869
Report Number(s):
UCRL-JRNL-225790; JESOAN; TRN: US200721%%439
Journal Information:
Journal of the Electrochemical Society, Vol. 154; ISSN 0013-4651
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English