EP0067326A2
Expired / Lapsed
EP
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An oxygen concentration regulator
Assignee: NGK Insulators Ltd
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Filing: 1982-05-24
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Granted: —
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Expires: 2002-05-24
Abstract
Abstract An oxygen concentration regulator for regulating the oxygen concentration in gases comprises an oxygen ion conductive solid electrolyte body (1), at least two separate electrodes (2, 3) contacting the solid electrolyte body so as to form an electrolysis cell, said cell having a complex impedance characteristic which when graphed exhibit a curve similar to that shown in Figure 3 hereof, AC power supplying means (6) for applying an AC electric voltage across said electrolysis cell, said AC frequency corresponding to point B of said graphed complex impedance characteristic curve, and means (4) for affirmatively applying a DC current across said electrodes, said DC current regulating the oxygen concentration in gases. The present invention is to provide an oxygen concentration regulator which can easily and efficiently control an oxygen partial pressure on at least one electrode side with a less power consumption and a simple structure.
Inventors
- 👤 Syunzo Mase
- 👤 Shigeo Soejima
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-08 16:54
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01N; G01N27/00; G01N27/26; G01N27/403; G01N27/406; G01N27/4065
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 25
Claim 1
Independent Claim
119 words
An oxygen concentration regulator for regulating the oxygen concentration in gases, characterized by: an oxygen ion conductive solid electrolyte body (1); at least two separate electrodes (2, 3, 10, 11) contacting the solid electrolyte body so as to form an electrolysis cell, said cell having a complex impedance characteristic of the type defined; AC power supplying means (6) for applying an AC electric voltage across said electrolysis cell, said AC power supplying means being arranged to operate only at an AC frequency which is not lower than a frequency corresponding to point B of said characteristics; and means (4, 5; 12) for affirmatively applying a DC current across said electrodes, said DC current regulating the oxygen concentration in gases.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
119 words
An oxygen concentration regulator for regulating the oxygen concentration in gases, characterized by: an oxygen ion conductive solid electrolyte body (1); at least two separate electrodes (2, 3, 10, 11) contacting the solid electrolyte body so as to form an electrolysis cell, said cell having a complex impedance characteristic of the type defined; AC power supplying means (6) for applying an AC electric voltage across said electrolysis cell, said AC power supplying means being arranged to operate only at an AC frequency which is not lower than a frequency corresponding to point B of said characteristics; and means (4, 5; 12) for affirmatively applying a DC current across said electrodes, said DC current regulating the oxygen concentration in gases.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
21 words
An oxygen concentration regulator of claim 1, wherein at least one of said electrodes (28) is embedded in said electrolyte body.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
23 words
An oxygen concentration regulator of claim 1 or 2, further comprising a refractory material (27) which covers at least one of said electrodes.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
34 words
An oxygen concentration regulator of claim 1, further comprising means (5) for limiting DC current level through the cell, and means (7) for preventing DC current from flowing into the AC power supplying means.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
27 words
An oxygen concentration regulator of claim 1, further comprising means for separating a circuit connected to AC power supplying means from the terminal of said electrolysis cell.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
34 words
An oxygen concentration regulator of claim 1, wherein said AC power supplying means comprises an AC power source (6) and at least one AC electrode (10) separated from said electrodes forming said electrolysis cell.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
38 words
An oxygen concentration regulator of claim 1, wherein at least a part of said means for flowing a DC current is a rectifying means (12) for rectifying a part of said AC current into a DC current component.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
107 words
An oxygen concentration regulator for regulating the oxygen concentration in gases, characterized by: an oxygen ion conductive solid electrolyte body (1); a first set of at least two separate electrodes (2, 3) contacting the solid electrolyte body so as to form an electrolysis cell; at least a third electrode (10, 11) separated from the electrodes of said first set; and AC power supplying means connected to said third electrode (10) for applying an AC electric voltage through siad solid electrolyte body (1); and means (4) for flowing a DC current across said first set of electrodes (2, 3), said DC current regulating the oxygen concentration in gases.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
107 words
An oxygen concentration regulator for regulating the oxygen concentration in gases, characterized by: an oxygen ion conductive solid electrolyte body (1); a first set of at least two separate electrodes (2, 3) contacting the solid electrolyte body so as to form an electrolysis cell; at least a third electrode (10, 11) separated from the electrodes of said first set; and AC power supplying means connected to said third electrode (10) for applying an AC electric voltage through siad solid electrolyte body (1); and means (4) for flowing a DC current across said first set of electrodes (2, 3), said DC current regulating the oxygen concentration in gases.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
58 words
An oxygen concentration regulator of claim 8, wherein the solid electrolyte body (1) has a tubular shape closed at one end and one (15) of the two separate electrodes is on the inside of the tube and closed end, and the other (16) of the two separate electrodes is on the outside of the tube and closed end.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
33 words
An oxygen concentration regulator of claim 8, further comprising means (5) for limiting DC current level through the cell, and means (7) for preventing DC current from flowing the AC power supplying means.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
23 words
An oxygen concentration regulator of claim 8 or 9, wherein at least one of said electrodes (28) is embedded in said electrolyte body.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
23 words
An oxygen concentration regulator of claim 8 or 9, further comprising a refractory material (27) which covers at least one of said electrodes.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
32 words
An oxygen concentration regulator of claim 1 or 8, wherein an alternating current and an alternating voltage between the electrodes have an inverse relation, in which when one increases, the other decreases.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
84 words
An oxygen concentration regulating cell characterized by: an oxygen ion conductive solid electrolyte body (1) of tubular shape having one closed end having one (3) of two separate cell electrodes contacting the inner surface of the tube and closed end, and the other (2) of said two separate cell electrodes contactint the outer surface of said tube and closed end, and a third electrode (10) separate from each of said two cell electrodes, said third electrode also contacting the outer surface of said tube.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
84 words
An oxygen concentration regulating cell characterized by: an oxygen ion conductive solid electrolyte body (1) of tubular shape having one closed end having one (3) of two separate cell electrodes contacting the inner surface of the tube and closed end, and the other (2) of said two separate cell electrodes contactint the outer surface of said tube and closed end, and a third electrode (10) separate from each of said two cell electrodes, said third electrode also contacting the outer surface of said tube.
Claim 18
Independent Claim
117 words
A method of regulating oxygen concentration in a gaseous environment using an electrolysis cell characterized by the steps of: providing at least one electrolysis cell having at least two separate electrodes (2, 3) contacting an oxygen ion conductive solid electrolyte body (1), at least one of said electrodes being exposed to gas in a gaseous environment; heating the solid electrolyte body by applying an AC voltage across at least two separate electrodes, and thereby decreasing the impedance of said cell, and passing the DC current across the electrodes which comprises the electrolysis cell when said solid electrolyte body is in its heated condition, said DC current regulating the oxygen concentration around at least one of said electrodes.
Claim 19
Independent Claim
117 words
A method of regulating oxygen concentration in a gaseous environment using an electrolysis cell characterized by the steps of: providing at least one electrolysis cell having at least two separate electrodes (2, 3) contacting an oxygen ion conductive solid electrolyte body (1), at least one of said electrodes being exposed to gas in a gaseous environment; heating the solid electrolyte body by applying an AC voltage across at least two separate electrodes, and thereby decreasing the impedance of said cell, and passing the DC current across the electrodes which comprises the electrolysis cell when said solid electrolyte body is in its heated condition, said DC current regulating the oxygen concentration around at least one of said electrodes.
Claim 20
Dependent Claim
23 words
A method of claim 15, wherein at least a part of said DC current are supplied by rectifying a part of AC component.
Claim 21
Independent Claim
146 words
A method of regulating oxygen concentration in a gaseous environment using an electrolysis cell characterized by the steps of: providing at least one electrolysis cell having at least two separate electrodes (2, 3) contacting an oxygen ion conductive solid electrolyte body (1), at least one of said electrodes being exposed to gas in a gaseous environment; and said cell having a complex impedance characteristic of the type defined; applying an AC voltage across at least two separate electrodes with a frequency such that the cell is operated only at an AC frequency which is not lower than a frequency which corresponds to point B of said complex impedance characteristic; and flowing the DC current across the electrodes which comprise the electrolysis cell when said solid electrolyte body is in its heated condition, said DC current regulating the oxygen concentration around at least one of said electrodes.
Claim 22
Independent Claim
146 words
A method of regulating oxygen concentration in a gaseous environment using an electrolysis cell characterized by the steps of: providing at least one electrolysis cell having at least two separate electrodes (2, 3) contacting an oxygen ion conductive solid electrolyte body (1), at least one of said electrodes being exposed to gas in a gaseous environment; and said cell having a complex impedance characteristic of the type defined; applying an AC voltage across at least two separate electrodes with a frequency such that the cell is operated only at an AC frequency which is not lower than a frequency which corresponds to point B of said complex impedance characteristic; and flowing the DC current across the electrodes which comprise the electrolysis cell when said solid electrolyte body is in its heated condition, said DC current regulating the oxygen concentration around at least one of said electrodes.
Claim 23
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of claim 15 or 17, wherein the solid electrolyte body is heated to at least about 350°C by application of the AC voltage across said electrodes.
Claim 24
Dependent Claim
56 words
. The method of claim 15 or 17, wherein the solid electrolyte body has a tubular shape closed at one end and one of the two separate electrodes is on the inside of the tube and closed end, and the other of the two separate electrodes is on the outside of the tube and closed end.
Claim 25
Dependent Claim
18 words
The method of claim 17, wherein said applied frequency corresponds to point C of said complex impedance characteristic.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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