Ngk Spark Plug Company, Limited

Hirokazu Murase

Takeshi Sugiyama

Toshiya Matsuoka

Masayuki Motomura

Norimasa Osawa

Keisuke Tashima

A particulate sensor can reduce the amount of floating ions discharged from the interior of a gas introduction pipe to the outside through a gas discharge opening, without providing an auxiliary electrode member which applies to the floating ions a repulsive force toward the gas introduction pipe to thereby assist the collection of the floating ions by the gas introduction pipe. The particulate sensor has an collection member which is connected to a gas introduction pipe to thereby be maintained at a collection potential and is disposed in the interior of the gas introduction pipe to be located between a forward end of the discharge electrode member and a gas discharge opening such that the forward end of the discharge electrode member cannot be visually recognized from the outside of the gas introduction pipe through the gas discharge opening.

Particulate sensor

A particulate detection system () includes a sensor section () and a sensor drive section (). A flow EIF of a measurement target gas EI passes through the sensor section, and an amount M of particulates S is detected. The sensor section () includes an ion applying section () which generates ions CP, discharges ion-adhering electrified particulates SC, and collects unadhered ions CPF. The sensor drive section includes a sensor current value obtainment section () for obtaining a sensor current value Ss corresponding to the amount QH of flowed out charge, a flow velocity obtainment section () for obtaining, the flow velocity Vg of the external gas flow, and a particulate amount obtainment section () for obtaining the amount M of particulates S. The influence of flow velocity Vg is mitigated using the sensor current value Ss and the flow velocity Vg.

Particulate detection system

A particle detection system () includes a particle sensor () having a detection section () exposed to a gas under measurement EG. The particle sensor () includes an insulating member (), and a heater section () for heating at least a portion of the gas contact surface () of the insulating member (). The particle detection system () includes adhesive restraining energization means (, S, S) for heating the gas contact surface () to an adhesion restraining temperature Td at which adhesion of the particles S to the gas contact surface () is restrained as compared with the case where the heater section is not energized, wherein adhering particles SA which are particles adhering to the gas contact surface () burn at the particle burning temperature Tb.

Particle detection system

A particulate sensor () includes an ion source () and a reference potential member (). The particulate sensor () detects particulates S contained in a gas under measurement EG by means of ions CP. The ion source () includes a ceramic structure () having a ceramic laminate () and a discharge electrode member (). The discharge electrode member () has an inter-layer portion (A,) embedded between the layers of the ceramic laminate () and an exposed portion (B) extending from the inter-layer portion (A,) to a position outside the ceramic laminate (). The discharge electrode member () generates the gaseous discharge between the reference potential member () and the exposed portion (B) including one or more needle-shaped distal end portions () upon application of a constant DC discharge potential PV

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Nisshin, Japan

Hirokazu Murase