Patent ID: 6143165
Filing Date: 2000-11-07
Classification: G01N

Abstract:
A method of detecting nitrogen oxide concentration in a gas which comprises:providing a nitrogen oxide sensor comprisinga solid electrolyte substrate; a single pair of electrodes, a first electrode of said pair of electrodes formed on one side of said substrate and a second electrode of said pair of electrodes formed on another side of said substrate, and a conductor formed on said first electrode; wherein said first electrode consists of a metal oxide of a metal selected from Group 6b, or a mixture of these metal oxides, and said second electrode consists of a noble metal or a conductive ceramic;exposing said first electrode to a first gas which contains a nitrogen oxide and oxygen and exposing said second electrode to a second gas which contains at least oxygen, wherein concentration of nitrogen oxide in said first gas is detected by converting an amount of nitrogen oxide concentration into an electromotive force level between the first and second electrodes wherein the electromotive force linearly increases in response to an increase, in terms of a logarithm, of NO.sub.2 concentration and linearly decreases in response to an increase, in terms of a logarithm, of NO concentration; andmeasuring the nitrogen oxide concentration in said first gas by determining the electromotive force between said first and said second electrode.