US4306957A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Device for producing control signal for feedback control of air/fuel ratio
Assignee: Nissan Motor Co Ltd
•
Filing: 1980-07-25
•
Granted: 1981-12-22
•
Expires: 2000-07-25
Abstract
Abstract A device comprising an oxygen-sensitive element to be disposed in a combustion gas exhausted from a combustor to detect deviation of actual air/fuel ratio from a stoichiometric ratio. The element is a combination of two oxygen concentration cells each having a solid electrolyte layer, a measurement electrode layer formed on one side of the electrolyte layer, a reference electrode layer formed on the opposite side and covered with a shield layer. Either measurement electrode layers or reference electrode layers of the two cells are connected to each other, and a constant DC voltage is applied to the element to force a current to flow through solid electrolyte layers of both cells to cause migration of oxygen ions therethrough, from the measurement electrode to the reference electrode in one cell and reversely in the other. The device has a circuit to make a comparison between a fixed reference voltage and an output voltage developed between the measurement and reference electrodes of one cell of the element to produce a high-or-low level control signal according to the result of the comparison. The output voltage is independent of the internal resistance of the element and is scarcely affected by the temperature of the element.
Inventors
- 👤 Shigeo Ishitani
- 👤 Shinji Kimura
- 👤 Hiroshi Takao
- 👤 Masaaki Uchida
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-01 10:51
CPC Classifications
G; G01; G01N; G01N27/00; G01N27/26; G01N27/403; G01N27/406; G01N27/407; G01N27/4071; F; F02; F02D; F02D41/00; F02D41/02; F02D41/14; F02D41/1438; F02D41/1473; F02D41/1475; F02D41/1476; G01N27/4065; G01N27/416; G01N27/417; F02B; F02B1/00; F02B1/02; F02B1/04
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 17
Claim 1
Independent Claim
312 words
A device to produce a control signal for feedback control of the air/fuel ratio of an air-fuel mixture supplied to a combustor, the device comprising: an oxygen-sensitive element which is to be disposed in a combustion gas exhausted from the combustor and comprises two oxygen concentration cells each constituted of a layer of an oxygen ion conductive solid electrolyte, a measurement electrode layer formed on one side of the solid electrolyte layer, a reference electrode layer formed-on the other side of the solid electrolyte layer and a shield layer provided on the reference electrode side of the solid electrolyte layer so as to closely cover the reference electrode layer, at least one of the solid electrolyte layer and the shield layer of each concentration cell having a microscopically porous and gas permeable structure, one of the measurement electrode layer and the reference electrode layer of one concentration cell being electrically connected to the corresponding one of the other concentration cell; a constant voltage DC power source connected to the unconnected electrode layers of the respective concentration cells of the oxygen-sensitive element to force a DC current to flow through the solid electrolyte layers of the two concentration cells from the measurement electrode layer to the reference electrode layer in one cell and from the reference electrode layer to the measurement electrode layer in the other cell; and a signal-producing circuit having comparing means for making a comparison between a predetermined reference voltage and an output voltage of the oxygen-sensitive element developed between the measurement and reference electrode layers of a predetermined one of the two concentration cells to examine which one of the reference voltage and the output voltage is higher than the other and signal-generating means for producing a control signal which varies according to a high-low relationship between the reference voltage and the output voltage examined by the comparing means.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
312 words
A device to produce a control signal for feedback control of the air/fuel ratio of an air-fuel mixture supplied to a combustor, the device comprising: an oxygen-sensitive element which is to be disposed in a combustion gas exhausted from the combustor and comprises two oxygen concentration cells each constituted of a layer of an oxygen ion conductive solid electrolyte, a measurement electrode layer formed on one side of the solid electrolyte layer, a reference electrode layer formed-on the other side of the solid electrolyte layer and a shield layer provided on the reference electrode side of the solid electrolyte layer so as to closely cover the reference electrode layer, at least one of the solid electrolyte layer and the shield layer of each concentration cell having a microscopically porous and gas permeable structure, one of the measurement electrode layer and the reference electrode layer of one concentration cell being electrically connected to the corresponding one of the other concentration cell; a constant voltage DC power source connected to the unconnected electrode layers of the respective concentration cells of the oxygen-sensitive element to force a DC current to flow through the solid electrolyte layers of the two concentration cells from the measurement electrode layer to the reference electrode layer in one cell and from the reference electrode layer to the measurement electrode layer in the other cell; and a signal-producing circuit having comparing means for making a comparison between a predetermined reference voltage and an output voltage of the oxygen-sensitive element developed between the measurement and reference electrode layers of a predetermined one of the two concentration cells to examine which one of the reference voltage and the output voltage is higher than the other and signal-generating means for producing a control signal which varies according to a high-low relationship between the reference voltage and the output voltage examined by the comparing means.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
40 words
A device according to claim 1, wherein the shield layers of the two concentration cells are united into a single shield layer which is so shaped and dimensioned as to serve as a structurally basic member of the oxygen-sensitive element.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
47 words
A device according to claim 2, wherein the solid electrolyte layers of the two concentration cells lie on two opposite sides of said single shield layer, respectively, such that the two cells are arranged generally symmetrically with respect to a middle plane in said single shield layer.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
46 words
A device according to claim 3, wherein the solid electrolyte layers of the two concentration cells lie on the same side of said single shield layer such that the two cells are arranged generally symmetrically with respect to a plane perpendicular to said single shield layer.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
24 words
A device according to claim 4, wherein the reference electrode layers of the two concentration cells are united into a single reference electrode layer.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
24 words
A device according to claim 4, wherein the measurement electrode layers of the two concentration cells are united into a single measurement electrode layer.
Claim 8
Independent Claim
27 words
A device according to claims 4, 5 or 6, wherein the solid electrolyte layers of the two concentration cells are united into a single solid electrolyte layer.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
43 words
A device according to claim 1, wherein the solid electrolyte layers of the two concentration cells are united into a single solid electrolyte layer (46) which is so shaped and dimensioned as to serve as a structurally basic member of the oxygen-sensitive element.
Claim 10
Dependent Claim
24 words
A device according to claim 8, wherein the reference electrode layers of the two concentration cells are united into a single reference electrode layer.
Claim 11
Dependent Claim
24 words
A device according to claim 8, wherein the measurement electrode layers of the two concentration cells are united into a single measurement electrode layer.
Claim 12
Independent Claim
26 words
A device according to claims 8, 9 or 10, wherein the shield layers of the two concentration cells are united into a single shield layer (42C).
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
37 words
A device according to claim 1, wherein the solid electrolyte layer of each one of the two concentration cells is made to serve also as the shield layer for the reference electrode layer of the other cell.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
41 words
A device according to claim 12, wherein the reference electrode layers of the two concentration cells are united into a single reference electrode which is so shaped and dimensioned as to serve as a structurally basic member of the oxygen-sensitive element.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
24 words
A device according to claim 13, wherein the solid electrolyte layers of the two concentration cells are united into a single solid electrolyte layer.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
65 words
A device according to claim 1, wherein the signal-generating means of said circuit comprise a switching transistor the base of which is electrically connected to said comparing means such that an output voltage is provided from said comparing means to the base of said transistor when predetermined one of said reference voltage and said output voltage of said oxygen-sensitive element is higher than the other.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
46 words
A device according to claim 15, wherein said signal-generating means comprise a voltage divider to which is applied a source voltage when said switching transistor is in the conducting state, said control signal being based on a voltage at an output terminal of said voltage divider.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US3915830A
Cited
FR2350598B1
Cited
US4126532A
Cited
US4107019A
Cited
DE2718907A1
Cited
US4207159A
Cited
US4224113A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1984-12-21 | 1985-06-22 | 1985-12-22 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1988-12-21 | 1989-06-22 | 1989-12-22 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1992-12-21 | 1993-06-22 | 1993-12-22 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |