Bendix Autolite Corporation

The Bendix Corporation

James D Bode

Donald C Davis

Donald J Romine

Ching T Young

Tseng Y Tien

Phillip R Woodruff

Lael B Taplin

Paul A Michaels

William G Wolber

Richard W Hradek

Alexander Michael Kiwior

Bernard R Teitelbaum

Seong Kwan Rhee

Charles J Ahern

Peter Hing-Shya Tsang

An activated oxygen gas sensor element having an increased voltage output under rich gas conditions, short switching response and reduced internal resistance is produced by chemically treating the inner conductive catalyst electrode of the sensor element with an inorganic acid or acid salt and current activating the outer conductive catalyst electrode by applying a direct current to the sensor element, with the outer electrode as a cathode, while the outer electrode is at an elevated temperature and in the presence of a neutral or inert atmosphere. Air may be used as the atmosphere in contact with the outer electrode during the current activation provided that the sensor is subjected to a subsequent reheating step to provide the desired results.

Process for producing oxygen gas sensor elements

A shield for introducing fluid, such as the gas within the exhaust system of an internal combustion engine, to a sensing means such as a zirconium dioxide element of an oxygen concentration sensor. The shield forms a chamber which surrounds the element and contains a fluid diverter having a plurality of circumferential fluid receiving cavities adapted to divert a portion of fluid from a main stream of flow into a partially closed end of the chamber. The diverted fluid enters the chamber near the tip end of the zirconia element; the closely spaced chamber permits the fluid flow to be generally parallel to the surface of the element and directed from the tip end to the base or housing end of the element. The shield further contains an opening near the base of the element to permit fluid to exit the chamber.

Protective shield having omni-directional diverter for sensing means

A solid electrolyte oxygen gas sensor element 1 comprises an electrolyte body 3 having electrodes 7 and 11 on the outer and inner surfaces 5 and 9 thereof, with the inner surface 9 having a protective means 13 thereon to protect the same from contact with oxygen or oxygen-containing gases so as to provide a substantially zero oxygen reference for the inner surface. The protective means 13 can comprise a coating, or a packing within a tubular electrolyte body, of carbon or a metal which forms an oxide that is stable at the operating temperature of the oxygen sensor element.

Solid electrolyte oxygen sensor with zero oxygen reference

A closed loop integral control system for the air/fuel management of an internal combustion engine is disclosed. An oxygen sensor positioned in the exhaust gas of the internal combustion engine is biased with a constant current source to provide a signal indicative of the oxygen content of the exhaust gas over a significant range of air/fuel ratios. The signal waveform from the sensor is compared to a threshold value of a comparator to produce level changes in the comparator output depending on whether the output of the sensor is above or below the threshold. An integrator, receiving these level changes as commands to increase or decrease the fuel pulse widths, controls the air/fuel ratio of the engine in a limit cycle around a scheduled value. By changing the current bias on the sensor and thus modifying the unbiased waveform of the sensor to intercept the threshold value at various points different average air/fuel ratios are obtainable from the system. According to another feature of the invention, cruise detection circuitry determines when the engine is in a stable non-accelerating/decelerating mode and enables the current source to bias the sensor to produce a relatively lean air/fuel ratio from the system for an economical optimum cruising operation.

Cruise economy system

An activated oxygen gas sensor element having an increased voltage output under rich gas conditions, short switching response and reduced internal resistance is produced by chemically treating the inner conductive catalyst electrode of the sensor element with an inorganic acid or acid salt and current activating the outer conductive catalyst electrode by applying a direct current to the sensor element, with the outer electrode as an anode, while the outer electrode is at an elevated temperature and in the presence of a nonoxidizing atmosphere.

Process for producing an activated oxygen gas sensor element

An oxygen gas sensor having a solid electrolyte oxygen gas sensor element, with an inner conductive catalyst electrode on the interior surface and an outer conductive catalyst electrode on the exterior surface thereof, which has a high voltage output and lower internal resistance is produced by chemically activating said inner conductive catalyst electrode with an inorganic acid or an acid salt. By also subjecting said outer conductive catalyst electrode to a direct current activation under a reducing atmosphere, even more improved properties, such as fast switching response, are achieved.

Process for producing improved solid electrolyte oxygen gas sensors

A wide range combustion mixture air/fuel ratio sensor in which an electrochemical cell supplies hydrogen gas to a palladium sensor element at a rate regulated by the output of a Wheatstone bridge circuit incorporating the sensor element. This generated hydrogen gas combines with any oxygen present in the exhaust gas through catalytic action and also maintains the level of absorbed hydrogen, and therefore the electrical resistance of the palladium sensor element, at a preselected value. The magnitude of the current applied to the electrochemical cell necessary to maintain this balance is a measure of the combustion mixture air/fuel ratio.

Method and apparatus for determining combustion mixture air/fuel ratio

A solid electrolyte sensor for sensing oxygen in exhaust gases having a solid electrolyte body of a thimble-like design with an inner conductor thereon and a nonreactive but compatible bonding layer of magnesium or calcium oxide over the outer surface of the electrolyte body and a conductive catalyst layer superimposed on the bonding layer.

Solid electrolyte gas sensor having a protective bonding layer

A process of manufacturing an oxide material for use in an oxygen generator. A quantity of dry zirconia particles is blended with Barium Peroxide particles and thereafter heated in a nitrogen atmosphere until the Barium Peroxide melts and coats the zirconia particles. The Barium Peroxide coating is subsequently decomposed to Barium Oxide. The Barium Oxide coated zirconia particles are allowed to cool and then passed through a grinder to produce a uniform particle size for oxide material.

Barium oxide coated zirconia particle for use in an oxygen extractor

A solid electrolyte oxygen sensor has a protective coating to protect a catalyst or conductive film thereon, which coating is formed as an inorganic reaction product of an oxide material and an inorganic acid which forms a matrix to bond the oxide material as an adherent coating over the film.

Gas sensor with protective coating and method of forming same

A low-cost precise-metering uniform-fuel-breakup fuel injection valve comprises narrow arcuate slots etched through a thin spray disc located downstream of a metering orifice and comprises a plurality of narrow slots of length and width sufficient to break up the fuel first into thin sheets and then into small droplets of uniform diameter.

Growing community of inventors

Royal Oak, MI, United States of America

James D Bode