EP0067326A2 — An oxygen concentration regulator

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.

An oxygen concentration regulator

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