METHODS AND APPARATUS FOR MEASURING NOX GAS CONCENTRATION, FOR DETECTING EXHAUST GAS CONCENTRATION AND FOR CALIBRATING AND CONTROLLING GAS SENSOR

摘要

A nitrogen oxide concentration detector has a first measurement chamber 2 into which is introduced a measurement gas via a first diffusion resistance 1; an oxygen concentration detection electrode 7a for measuring the oxygen concentration in the measurement gas in said first measurement chamber 1; a first oxygen ion pump cell 6 for pumping out oxygen in the measurement gas from said first measurement chamber 2 based on the potential of said oxygen concentration detection electrode 7a; a second measurement chamber 8 into which the gas is introduced from said first measurement chamber 2 via a second diffusion resistance 3; and a second oxygen ion pump cell 8 having a pair of electrodes 8a,8b across which a voltage is applied to decompose NOx in the second measurement chamber 4 to pump out dissociated oxygen to cause a current Ip2 corresponding to the NOx concentration to flow in the second oxygen ion pump cell 8. Variation of NOx concentration is a function of variation of Ip2. The concentration obtained based on the Ip2 is corrected responsive to the oxygen concentration in the measurement gas. Particularly, a coefficient of the variation of the Ip2, gain, in said function is corrected responsive to the oxygen concentration in the measurement gas.