Gas and temp. sensor arrangement - for temp. independent determination of esp. oxygen@ partial pressure

摘要

An arrangement for determining the partial pressure of a designated gas in a gas mixt. includes: (i) a gas sensor (G) of material with a conductivity of ohmic resistance which varies with the gas partial pressure and temp.; and (ii) a temp. sensor (T) of material which is exposed to the same ambient conditions as the gas sensor and which has a conductivity or ohmic resistance varying with temp. in the same way as the gas sensor material when the temp. sensor is exposed to a predetermined fixed partial pressure of the designated gas at different temps. The measurement signal (S2) of the temp. sensor is subtracted from that (S1) of the gas sensor to obtain a temp.-independent evaluation signal proportional to the gas partial pressure to be determined. Also claimed is use of the sensor arrangement for respiration monitoring, in which the periodic oxygen partial pressure changes of exhaled air are determined and irregularities of the period are evaluated. The gas sensor (G) consists of TiO2, CeO2 or esp. SrTiO3 and the temp. sensor (T) consists of SrZrO3. The sensors are applied onto a substrate by sputtering or screen printing. USE/ADVANTAGE - The arrangement is useful for detecting oxygen partial pressures in gas mixts. from combustion processes (esp. automobile exhaust gases) or for respiration monitoring. It allows direct, temp.-independent partial pressure determination rapidly and with high accuracy