Development of a miniaturized solid electrolyte sensor as spin-off from space application for optimizing combustion processes

摘要

In 1993 the idea was proposed to measure the residual oxygen distribution inside a plasma wind tunnel at the Institute of Space Systems (IRS) at the University of Stuttgart using conventional Bosch λ-probes. These gas sensors were normally used for controlling the fuel-to-air ratio of car engines. It was the first use of ceramic gas sensors in such a harsh environment under plasma conditions in evacuated chambers. Since then, a considerable amount of knowledge has been gained in using these sensors in ground test facilities as well as in space applications. Especially for the latter application, commercially available gas sensors came out to be too large in scale and weight and their power consumption was too high.