Method and apparatus for measuring combustible gas component by burning the component

摘要

An apparatus for measuring a combustible gas component of a subject gas in an external subject gas space, including a first processing zone (6, 44) communicating with the subject gas space (12, 58), a second processing zone (8, 44) communicating with the first processing zone, and a first and a second pumping cell (4a, 16, 18, 4c, 28, 30) exposed to the first and second processing zones, respectively, each cell including an oxygen ion conductive solid electrolyte layer (4a, 4c) and a pair of electrodes (16, 18) one of which is exposed to the first or second processing zone, wherein the first pumping cell pumps oxygen out of the first processing zone to control oxygen partial pressure in the first processing zone at a value at which the combustible gas component cannot be burned, while the second pumping cell pumps oxygen into the second processing zone to thereby burn the combustible gas component in the second processing zone, and the concentration of the combustible gas component is determined based on a current flowing or a voltage between the electrodes of the second pumping cell.