Chemistry: electrical and wave energy – Apparatus – Electrolytic
Patent
1997-08-08
1999-03-23
Bell, Bruce F.
Chemistry: electrical and wave energy
Apparatus
Electrolytic
204425, G01N 2726
Patent
active
058854290
DESCRIPTION:
BRIEF SUMMARY
This application is a 371 of PCT/DE96/01753 filed Sep. 17, 1996.
The invention relates to an electrochemical measuring sensor having a solid electrolyte, a first electrode exposed to a gas to be measured and a second electrode exposed to a reference gas, with the electrodes preferably being arranged on opposite sides of the solid electrolyte, and to a method of producing an electrochemical measuring sensor having a solid electrolyte, a first electrode exposed to a gas to be measured and a second electrode exposed to a reference gas, wherein the electrodes are applied essentially layer-shaped on the solid electrolyte and the measuring sensor is subsequently sintered.
STATE OF THE TECHNOLOGY
Electrochemical measuring sensors of the generic type are known. As a rule, these have a layered structure wherein a solid electrolyte, which simultaneously acts as substrate, is provided with respectively one electrode on opposite sides. One of the electrodes is exposed to a gas to be measured and the other electrode to a reference gas, usually to atmospheric air. Corresponding to an oxygen content in the gas to be measured, a specific partial oxygen pressure appears at the electrode facing the gas to be measured. This partial oxygen pressure is at a specific ratio with respect to the partial oxygen pressure coming from the reference gas and appearing at the electrode facing the reference gas. On the basis of the resulting difference in oxygen concentration at the electrodes, a specific detector voltage occurs between the electrodes, which detector voltage can be evaluated by way of a suitable evaluation circuit and therewith supplies a signal corresponding to the oxygen concentration present at the electrode exposed to the gas to be measured. A chemical measuring sensor of this type is known, for example, from DE-OS 29 28 496, corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 4,294,679. Here, the electrode that is exposed to the reference gas is provided with a cover. The side of the cover facing the electrode has trench-like patterns which permit a feeding of the reference gas to the electrode. Thus, the chemical measuring sensor has a design comprised of relatively many individual layers which are fixedly bonded to one another by means of a generally known sintering process. The drawback of the known design of the electrochemical measuring sensor is that the effective electrode surface, which is in direct contact with the reference gas, is relatively small compared to the actual electrode surface.
SUMMARY AND ADVANTAGES OF THE INVENTION
The electrochemical measuring sensor according to the invention offers the advantage that a relatively large effective electrode surface is available. Due to the fact that at least one of the electrodes has a contouring on its side exposed to the gas to be measured or to the reference gas, it is possible in a simple manner to make the electrode surface larger while the outer size of the electrochemical measuring sensors remains unchanged. Because of the contouring, preferably formed by trench-shaped patterns, the electrode surface of the electrode can be made larger so that a correspondingly higher electrode activity, for example, a higher pumping output, of the electrode is available.
A preferred embodiment of the invention provides that the contouring is formed by trench-shaped patterns resulting in a network pattern, which patterns are used as reference gas channels. This accomplishes in a very advantageous manner that, due to the contouring of the electrode itself that is exposed to the reference gas, the arrangement of an additional layer of the electrochemical measuring sensor, the layer being provided with the reference air channels, is no longer necessary. Thus, the design of the electrochemical measuring sensor can be simplified. Furthermore, a miniaturization of the electrochemical measuring sensor is possible because an additional layer is eliminated.
Furthermore, the method according to the invention for producing an electrochemical measuring sensor offers the advantage that, in a mann
REFERENCES:
patent: 4294679 (1981-10-01), Maurer et al.
patent: 4810529 (1989-03-01), Mantese et al.
patent: 4851105 (1989-07-01), Ishiguro et al.
patent: 5215643 (1993-06-01), Kusanagi et al.
Bayha Kurt
De La Prieta Claudio
Friese Karl-Hermann
Glanz Uwe
Gruenwald Werner
Bell Bruce F.
Kunitz Norman N.
Robert & Bosch GmbH
Spencer George H.
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