Patent Application
20100201385
The invention relates to a method of measuring a threshold thickness of a layer of purely-resistive material, the method being applicable in particular to deposits of soot in a motor vehicle exhaust. The invention also provides a device for implementing the method, and the use of such a device in an exhaust muffler.
The continuing lowering of the limits on polluting emissions from automobile exhausts, as imposed by national and international standards, constitutes a major constraint on automobile manufacturers. The 2005 European regulation Euro 4 accepts a maximum pollution rate of 0.025 milligrams per kilometer (mg/km), but future European regulation Euro 5, expected in 2010, will bring that threshold down to 0.005 mg/km, which means that particle filter (PF) technology will need to be implemented in all vehicles in all of the countries of the Union. That regulation is therefore going to increase present requirements significantly.
Improving PF control systems for better performance is thus a present priority for motor manufacturers. At present, no means are available on the market that enable the particle emissions of engines to be quantified with acceptable reliability. In certain vehicles, the operating cycles performed by the engine are stored and compared with a pre-recorded operating chart. PF regeneration is triggered on the basis of such comparisons. However, during the lifetime of an engine, the level of particle emission is likely to drift for any given operating cycle. The quantity of fuel may also modify emissions. These drifts are extremely difficult to incorporate. That system is therefore not very reliable and it is relatively expensive.
Another solution consists in taking account of head loss (pressure difference between the inlet and the outlet of the PF). Nevertheless, this back pressure is itself not exactly representative of the weight of the load in the filter, since it depends very strongly on the conditions under which soot has accumulated and on the nature of the soot, on the number of kilometers traveled by the vehicle, on the type of driving, etc.
Various techniques have been proposed for detecting particles of soot:
There are well-known techniques for measuring the thickness of material by making capacitive measurements. Nevertheless, capacitive measurements can be envisaged only for materials that are essentially capacitive, i.e. in which resistance is negligible compared with capacitance, and they require a processor circuit that is complex. Such techniques are disclosed in documents U.S. Pat. No. 4,766,369 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,955,887 for detecting respectively a deposit of pure ice (a material that is purely capacitive) or a deposit of a mixture of water and ice (a mixture of materials for which the total impedance is measured).
For materials that are purely resistive, document WO 2005/124313 describes a method of influencing the deposition of soot on a sensor. That document deals with measuring the resistance of a deposit of purely-resistive material, and is based on the principle that in order to measure a resistance between the two electrodes of the sensor, a stage of forced minimum soot deposition is needed for the sensor to operate, i.e. to ensure that there is a finite resistance that can be measured. After this initial deposition, the resistance of the soot layer can be tracked as a function of the thickness of the deposit. It results that a threshold thickness can be detected only by comparing the measured resistance with a database of profiles for variation in resistance as a function of thickness. In addition to the lack of accuracy of such a method, the sensor must necessarily be associated with an electronic device that is complex and that is capable of performing a large amount of calculation. Furthermore, the technique described in that document presents the major drawback of measuring resistance in a manner that depends totally on deposition conditions, such as large fluctuations in temperature and in exhaust gas flow rate, and in the composition of the soot, which itself can fluctuate during the lifetime of an engine. Furthermore, the required stage of forced deposition of soot between the electrodes does not provide measurements that are representative of the deposition that takes place over the remainder of the surface while the exhaust muffler is in operation.
Thus, no technique that is simple and accurate has been proposed for detecting the deposition of a threshold thickness of a material that is purely resistive.
The present invention thus seeks to provide a method that is reliable, simple, and accurate for detecting the deposition of a threshold thickness of a material that is purely resistive, and that makes it possible to provide a response from the sensor that is independent of the resistivity of the material, of temperature, or of the flow rate of the exhaust gases.
To remedy the drawbacks of known techniques, the present invention provides a method of measuring a threshold thickness of a layer of purely-resistive material by making differential measurements of resistance between at least three electrodes forming at least two electrode pairs, in which the lengths and/or the widths and/or the applied voltages and/or the spacings are adjusted as a function of the deposit thickness to be measured.
To this end, the invention provides a method of measuring a threshold thickness of a layer of purely-resistive material deposited on a sensor, said sensor comprising at least three electrodes for defining at least two electrode pairs disposed in adjacent manner on a support and powered with a defined voltage generating a current between the electrodes, the electrode pairs differing by at least one first parameter selected from the width, the spacing, the length of the electrodes, and the voltage applied to each pair. In this method, at least one second parameter of said parameters is adjusted so that a first resistance or a first current between the electrodes of the first pair, and a second resistance or a second current between the electrodes of the second pair are equal when the threshold thickness is reached.
Because of its differential nature, the measurement is independent of experimental conditions such as temperature and the flow rate of the gas in which the layer is immersed. It is also independent of the resistivity of the deposit.
In other implementations:
The invention also provides a method of dimensioning a detector device for detecting a threshold thickness of a layer of purely-resistive material deposited on electrodes of the device, in order to implement the above method. It comprises the following steps:
In other implementations:
The invention also provides a detector device for detecting a threshold thickness of a layer of purely-resistive material by implementing the above measurement method, the device comprising a sensor provided with at least three electrodes for defining at least two electrode pairs disposed in adjacent manner on a support, a voltage source connected to the electrodes and adjusted to deliver a voltage between each electrode pair, and measurement means for measuring the resistances or the currents between the electrode pairs. The device further comprises means for comparing the resistances or the currents with one another and means for generating a signal when the measured resistances or the measured currents are equal. The pairs of electrodes differ by at least one first parameter selected from the width and the spacing of the electrodes, and by at least one second parameter selected from the spacing, the width, the length, and the setting of the voltage source applied to the electrodes, the second parameter being such that, in use, equal resistances or currents are obtained when the threshold thickness that is to be detected has been deposited on the electrodes.
In other embodiments:
The invention also provides the use of the above measurement method for detecting the deposition of a threshold thickness of a layer of soot in an exhaust muffler. During said use, the signal generated in step e), when the first and second resistances or currents are equal, can serve to trigger a step of regenerating the particle filter.
Finally, the invention provides an exhaust muffler provided with a particle filter, including at least one above detector device located upstream from the particle filter for implementing the above measurement method. The exhaust muffler may also include at least one above detector device located downstream from the particle filter.
Other characteristics of the invention are set out in the detailed description below made with reference to the accompanying figures, in which:
a and 5b are diagrams illustrative of two implementations of the method of the invention, consisting in using pairs of electrodes of different widths and spacings but with a width/spacing ratio equal to 1, and in adapting the length of one of the pairs as a function of the threshold thickness to be determined;
The method of the invention for measuring a threshold thickness of purely-resistive material proposes taking a differential measurement of resistance or of current in the layer of purely-resistive material between two pairs of electrodes placed on an insulating support. The term “two pairs of electrodes” should be understood in a functional rather than a structural sense, i.e. the measurements may be performed between two pairs of electrodes obtained with three physical electrodes, one of the electrodes belonging to both pairs of electrodes.
The method applies essentially to materials that are conductors or semiconductors of electrons, as contrasted with materials that are dielectric.
The pairs of electrodes are characterized by the height, the width, the length, and the spacing of the electrodes. Below, all of the electrodes are considered as having identical height that is negligible relative to the threshold thickness to be detected.
To obtain a differential measurement of resistance or of current, the width and/or the length and/or the voltages and/or the spacings are optimized relative to the threshold thickness of the layer that is to be determined.
Thus, a detector device of the invention comprises a sensor provided with at least three electrodes for defining at least two electrode pairs placed in adjacent manner on a medium. The device also includes a voltage source connected to the electrodes and adjusted to deliver an applied voltage between each electrode pair. The adjustment of the voltage source enables the electrode pairs to be fed with the same voltage or with different voltages.
The voltage generates a current between the electrodes of each pair when resistive material is deposited on the electrodes. The sensor also includes means for measuring resistances or currents between the electrode pairs, means for comparing the resistances or currents with one another, and means for generating a signal when the measured resistances or currents are equal. According to the invention, the electrode pairs differ in at least one first parameter selected from: the width and the spacing of the electrodes; and at least one second parameter selected from: the spacing, the width, the length, and the adjustment of the source of the voltage applied to the electrodes. The second parameter is such that, in use, resistance or current equality is obtained when the threshold thickness to be detected is deposited on the electrodes.
Thus, the diagram of
The widths 101, 201 and/or the spacings 102, 202 are selected so that: firstly the electric field lines 104 that result from applying a voltage between the two electrodes 100a, 100b of the first electrode pair 100 remain for the most part confined inside the layer 3 of purely-resistive material; and secondly so that at least some of the electric field lines 204 that result from applying a voltage between the electrodes 200a, 200b of the second pair 200 remain outside the material layer 3 when the thickness of said layer reaches the threshold thickness es that is to be detected.
Thus, so long as some of the electric field lines remain outside the material layer 3, current increases substantially linearly with the thickness of the layer. This variation is illustrated by the curves of
However, as the thickness of the deposit increases so that the electric field lines between two electrodes remain confined for the most part inside the material layer, the derivative dI/de of the current relative to the thickness tends towards zero. This variation is illustrated in
It suffices to vary only one of the electrode width and spacing parameters to obtain curves that present distinct appearances representative of the fact that the first electrode pair develops the asymptotic character before the second pair.
Preferably, in order to obtain results that are accurate while limiting the size of the electrodes and the quantity of material used, the variation of said parameter is selected so that firstly the first electrode pair reaches saturation before the threshold thickness has been deposited, i.e. that the electric field lines that result from applying a voltage between the two electrodes remain for the most part confined inside the layer of purely-resistive material, and secondly so that the second pair of electrodes reaches saturation after the deposit reaches the threshold thickness, i.e. at least some of the electric field lines that result from applying a voltage between the electrodes remain outside the material layer when the thickness of said layer reaches the threshold thickness Es to be detected.
Thus,
These two figures show that by depositing two pairs of electrodes that differ in their width or their spacing, it is possible to dimension the electrodes so that the electric field lines that result from applying a voltage between the electrodes of the first pair remain confined to a greater extent within the layer of the purely-resistive material than do the field lines that result from applying a voltage between the electrodes of the second pair when the threshold thickness is reached. Nevertheless, the curves shown do not cross.
According to the invention, it is appropriate to vary at least two parameters during the stage of dimensioning the sensor, so that the curves representing the variation in the current between the electrode as a function of the thickness of the deposit cross at the threshold thickness that is to be detected. In other words, it is appropriate to select the following parameters: length; width; spacing; and applied voltage suitably so that the currents or resistances measured between each pair of electrodes are equal when the thickness of the deposited layer reaches the threshold thickness es that is to be detected.
In a first implementation, the measurement method of the invention consists in adapting the length of the electrodes as a function of the threshold thickness to be determined, and more precisely in increasing the length of the electrode pair that is the more widely spaced apart or in increasing the voltage across the terminals of said pair, or indeed decreasing the length of the electrodes of the pair that is less spaced apart or in decreasing the voltage at the terminals of said pair, each time using a determined factor.
Initially, the invention consists in calculating the ratio I2/I1 of the measured currents at the threshold thickness es, here selected to be 250 μm, for each pair of electrodes. In
In equivalent manner, instead of multiplying the length by the measured ratio, it is possible to multiply the voltage applied to the terminals of the first pair of electrodes.
Also equivalently, instead of multiplying the length or the applied voltage of the first pair by said ratio, it is possible to divide the length or the voltage applied to the second pair by said ratio.
The same procedure is applicable to the configuration described with reference to
Nevertheless, it should be observed that in comparison with
In a second implementation, instead of adapting the length or the voltage, the measurement method of the invention consists in adapting the width or the spacing of the electrodes as a function of the threshold thickness to be determined.
In other words, when the pairs of experimental electrodes have electrodes of identical width and differ only in their spacing, the method in the second implementation consists in adapting only the width of the electrodes of the sensor so that the curves cross at the threshold thickness. Similarly, when the pairs of experimental electrodes have identical spacing and differ only in the width of the electrodes, then the method in the second implementation consists in adapting only the spacing of the sensor electrodes so that the curves cross at the threshold thickness.
Thus, the electrode pairs of the sensor differ only in the width and the spacing of the electrodes.
Nevertheless, as shown in
Thus, when the electrode pairs differ only in the width and the spacing of the electrodes, it is necessary for the two electrode pairs also to present different ratios s/l.
The dimensioning of the width and the spacing of the electrodes may be obtained by analytic simulation in a spreadsheet in order to plot the curve I=f(e).
To do this, the following notation is used:
k=tan h[πs/4e]/tan h[π(s+2l)/4e] [1]
k′=(1−k2)1/2 [2]
and
K(k)=(π/2){1+[(1/2)]2k2+[(1*3)/(2*4)]2k4+[(1*3*5)/(2*4*6)]2k6+ . . . } [3]
Then:
I=1/2K(k′)/K(k) [4]
A good approximation to I is given by the following equation:
I=(π/2){ln [2(1+k0.5)/(1−k0.5)]}−1 for k2≧0.5 [5]
and
I=(1/2π)ln [2{1+(1−k2)0.25}/{1−k2)0.25}] for k2≦0.5 [6]
Then the curve I=f(e) is shown.
Thus, l and s are varied for different values of e. It is then possible to determine s and l pairs that enable the curves to cross at the selected threshold thickness.
The object is to determine the spacing of the first experimental electrode pair, while conserving its width l1=0.1 u.a and while keeping the second pair unchanged (s2=1 u.a, l2=10 u.a), so that the two currents intersect at es=2 u.a.
The expression for the current in a medium of finite thickness e for coplanar experimental electrodes is given by the formulae [1] to [6].
For e=es, the two currents need to be equal, which implies that k1=k2=ks. Applying formula [1] to the second pair of electrodes gives:
k
s
=k
2=tan h[π*1/(4*2)]/tan h[(π(1+2*10)/(4*2)]=0.374
Since k1=ks, applying formula [1] to the first electrode pair gives:
tan h[π*s1/(4*2)]=0.374*tan h[π(s1+2*0.1)/(4*2)]
By putting both sides of the equality into a spreadsheet and incrementing s1, current I is equal when s1≈0.12.
The object is to determine therewith l1 of the first electrode pair, while conserving its spacing s1=0.5 u.a and while keeping the second pair unchanged (s2=2 u.a, l2=1 u.a) so that the two currents intersect at es=2 u.a.
A calculation analogous to that of Example 1 leads to the following for the second pair of electrodes:
k
s
=k
2=tan h[π*2/(4*2)]/tan h[π(2+2*1)/(4*2)]=0.715
Since k1=ks, the following results for the first pair of electrodes:
tan h[π*0.5/(4*2)]=0.715*tan h[π(0.5+2*l1)/(4*2)]
By entering both sides of the equality into a spreadsheet and incrementing l1, current I is found to be equal when l1≈0.105.
Varying the two parameters to cause the curves of each experimental electrode pair to cross at the selected threshold thickness may suffice for certain threshold thicknesses, but it is difficult or even impossible to implement for other threshold thickness values.
A preferred implementation of the invention, that is easier to implement, consists in varying at least three parameters. Thus, by initially varying two parameters (e.g. width l and spacing s), two curves are obtained that present appearances that are quite distinct, representative of the fact that the first electrode pair develops the asymptotic nature before the second pair. Thereafter, a third parameter is adapted (e.g. by increasing the length of the most-spaced electrode pair or the terminal voltage of said pair, or indeed by reducing the length of the electrodes of the less-spaced pair or reducing the voltage at the terminals of said pair) so that the curves cross precisely at the selected threshold thickness. This implementation makes it possible to avoid using dimensions for the two pairs of electrodes that differ excessively, since that is not always compatible with the technology used and/or the intended application. This makes it possible to improve overall detection accuracy. An example is shown in
As explained above, the method of the invention for detecting a threshold thickness is based on varying the ratio I1/I2, and thus, if the applied voltages are identical, on varying the ratio of the two resistances R2/R1 with the thickness of the layer. In strictly equivalent manner, the differences I1−I2 or R2−R1 could equally well be measured.
Best results are obtained for spacing and/or width and/or length and/or voltage ranges in which the currents flowing between the first pair of electrodes, when the threshold thickness es is reached, lies in the asymptotic domain of the curve C5, whereas the current flowing between the second pair of electrodes when the threshold thickness es is reached, lies in the substantially linear domain of the curve C6. Nevertheless, when the spacing is equal to the width for each electrode pair (
In general, it is appropriate to select the dimensions for the electrode pairs that are relatively far apart so as to obtain an “angle” that is sufficiently large between the curves representing the two currents (more exactly the tangents to the curves) so as to obtain an accurate crossing.
In the implementation illustrated by
The threshold thickness es to be detected is 250 μm of resistive soot particles. The first experimental electrode pair presents electrodes of width 101 of 125 μm and a spacing 102 likewise equal to 125 μm. The second experimental electrode pair presents electrodes of width 201 of 250 μm and a spacing 202 likewise equal to 750 μm.
In this example, the two curves C5 and C6 represent experimental results for determining the dimensions of the electrodes of the second pair 200. This dimensioning stage is performed with two experimental electrode pairs on an insulating support. The thickness of all of the electrodes is set at 10 μm and their length at 1000 μm. These curves may also be obtained by analytic simulation using above-described equations [1] to [6] or by numerical simulation using finite elements.
Once the electrodes have been placed on the insulating support, the resistive material is deposited in successive layers and the current, and thus the resistance, is measured at the terminals of each electrode pair as a function of the total deposited thickness of material, up to a predetermined maximum total thickness emax (
Another solution consists in fabricating a resistive layer having a maximum total thickness emax of 850 μm by successive depositions of resistive material, either by silkscreen printing for small thicknesses, or by the so-called “Dr. Blade” method for larger thicknesses. Baking is performed at 850° C. after each deposition. The final resistive layer having a thickness of 850 μm is then thinned in stages using an abrasive disk and the two resistances R1 and R2 are measured after each thinning operation.
This dimensioning stage thus consists in following variation in the ratio I1/I2 or the ratio R2/R1 as a function of the thickness of the resistive layer. This ratio goes through the value 2.83 when the thickness of the layer reaches the threshold value es of 250 μm that is to be detected.
The dimensioning method of the invention then consists either in multiplying the length of the electrodes of the second pair 200 by this factor of 2.83 determined at the threshold thickness es, or in equivalent manner, in dividing the length of the electrodes of the first pair 100 by said factor. Multiplying the ordinates of curve C6 In
It can be seen in
The dimensioning of the electrodes that are closer together and/or narrower is determined a priori by technological constraints. As a result, for the purpose of increasing the asymptotic character, there is no point in considering electrodes of width that is smaller than their spacing. It is then appropriate to select a minimum spacing value and a minimum width value that are made possible by the technology, and preferably for them to present a ratio s/l=1 for the closer-together electrodes.
For the electrodes that are spaced further apart, the desired retarding of the asymptotic character relative to the threshold thickness may be further increased by reducing the ratio s/l (
For the same reasons, it may therefore be found to be more advantageous not to seek to retard the asymptotic character relative to the threshold thickness, but instead to decrease the width of the electrodes that are the most spaced apart, finding a compromise with the corresponding loss of accuracy for the currents crossing.
To summarize, an example of the method of dimensioning a detector device for detecting a threshold thickness es in a layer 3 of purely-resistive material deposited on the electrodes of the device, comprises the following steps:
α) depositing a selected threshold thickness es of purely-resistive material on first and second experimental electrode pairs 100, 200 that are connected to a source 2 of voltage U, and that differ in a first parameter selected from the width and the spacing of the electrodes;
β) measuring the currents or the resistances at the selected threshold thickness es for each experimental electrode pair, and calculating the ratio I1/I2 of the currents I1, I2 or the ratio R2/R1 of the resistances R2, R1 between the electrodes of each pair; and
γ) fabricating a sensor having two electrode pairs that differ by the same first parameter as the experimental electrodes and by at least one second parameter selected from the length and the voltage applied to the electrodes, the second parameter differing in a ratio equal to the ratio I1/I2 of the currents or to the ratio R2/R1 of the resistances as measured at the threshold thickness es at preceding step β) between the experimental electrode pairs.
In a first variant of this dimensioning method:
This first variant thus enables a detector device to be made that has two electrode pairs presenting respectively the same first and second widths 101 and 201 as the widths of the experimental electrodes, and identical spacing. In this device, the ratio L3/L1 between the lengths L3, L1 of the electrodes 200a, 200b, 100a, 100b of the second and first pairs 200 and 100, or the ratio between the voltages applied in use to the terminals of the electrodes of the second and first pairs 200 and 100 is equal to the measured ratio of the currents I1/I2 or of the resistances R2/R1, at the threshold thickness es selected at step β) of the preceding dimensioning method, between the experimental electrode pairs.
According to a second variant of the dimensioning method:
This second variant thus enables a detector device to be made having two pairs of electrodes presenting respective first and second spacings 101 and 201 that are the same as those of the experimental electrodes, and identical widths. In this device, the ratio L3/L1 between the lengths L3 and L1 of the electrodes 200a, 200b, 100a, 100b of the second and first pairs 200 and 100, or the ratio between the voltages applied in use to the terminals of the electrodes of the second and first pairs 200 and 100, is equal to the ratio of the measured currents I1/I2 or resistances R2/R1, at the threshold thickness es selected at step β) of the preceding dimensioning method, between the experimental electrode pairs.
In a third variant of the method:
This third variant thus enables a detector device to be made having two pairs of electrodes presenting the same widths and spacings as the experimental electrodes. In this device, the ratio L3/L1 between the lengths L3 and L1 of the electrodes 200a, 200b, 100a, 100b of the second and first pairs 200 and 100, or the ratio between the voltages applied in use to the terminals of the electrodes of the second and first pairs 200 and 100, is equal to the ratio of the currents I1/I2 or the resistances R2/R1 as measured at the threshold thickness es selected at step β) of the preceding dimensioning method, between the experimental electrode pairs.
In the various embodiments described, the width 101 of the first electrode pair may be selected to lie in the range 100 nm (nanometers) to 1 cm (centimeter), and preferably in the range 10 μm (micrometers) to 1 mm (millimeter), typically in the range 30 μm to 250 μm. The width of the electrodes in the second pair may be selected to lie in the range 500 nm to 5 cm, preferably in the range 50 μm to 5 mm, typically in the range 250 μm to 1 mm.
More generally, the width 101 of the first pair may be selected to be less than or equal to es/2, preferably lying in the range es/10 to es/4.
Preferably, the ratio between the width of the electrodes of the first pair and the width of the electrodes of the second pair may lie in the range 1:1000 to 10:1, preferably in the range 1:100 to 1:1, typically in the range 1:10 to 1:2.
Furthermore, the spacing of the electrodes of the first pair is selected to lie in the range 100 nm to 1 cm, preferably in the range 10 μm to 1 mm, typically in the range 30 μm to 250μ, and the spacing of the electrodes of the second pair lies in the range 500 nm to 5 cm, and preferably in the range 50 μm to 5 mm, typically in the range 250 μm to 1 mm.
Preferably, the ratio between the first and second spacings lies in the range 1:1000 to 1:1, preferably in the range 1:100 to 1:2, typically in the range 1:10 to 1:3.
The electrode material also has an influence on the accuracy with which resistivity is measured. Thus, the electrodes are preferably constituted of doped silicon, of platinum, of gold, of silver-palladium, or of metallic oxides when the utilization atmosphere is corrosive, as applies for example in an exhaust muffler in use. If the atmosphere makes it possible, the materials used could also be aluminum, copper, tin, etc. The electrodes may thus be made of a wide variety of materials, providing their electrical resistivity remains negligible relative to that of the layer of thickness that is to be measured. It is also appropriate to ensure that the electrical resistance of the electrodes is negligible relative to that of the layer of thickness that is to be measured.
The measurement is made more accurate by using more accurate methods for fabricating the sensor, e.g. for depositing the electrodes on the insulating support.
For example, silkscreen printing allows dimensioning to be accurate to within only 5% to 10%, in particular for the electrodes that are shorter and closer together. Better accuracy could thus be obtained by depositing the electrodes photolithographically on an alumina substrate.
An advantageous solution, shown in
The mask also makes it possible to simplify fabrication of electrodes having predefined lengths, by separating the measurement zones from the connection zones. The mask layer should be made of an electrically insulating layer that is chemically inert relative to the electrodes, to soot, and to exhaust gases at temperatures up to at least the temperatures used for regenerating a particle filter (i.e. about 800° C.).
The electrodes may be dimensioned as a function of the application. Best accuracy is obtained for a range of thicknesses in which the conductance of the small pair of electrodes as a function of the thickness of the layer lies in the asymptotic range of the curve (right-hand portion of curve C5 in
To achieve this, it might be thought that the small electrodes should be as close together as possible and the large electrodes as far apart as possible. Nevertheless, if the ratio between the spacings of the electrodes in the two pairs is too great, then the large electrode lengths needed for obtaining a crossing between the resistance or current curves at the threshold value es would be too great (in the embodiment where the length is adjusted to an appropriate ratio). In addition to drawbacks of size, there would be a risk of losing accuracy.
Another implementation of the invention consists in multiplying the voltage U at the terminals of the second electrode pair 200 (or in equivalent manner in dividing the voltage at the terminals of the first pair 100) by the value of the ratio I1/I2 of the experimental electrodes at the threshold thickness, the experimental electrodes differing by at least one parameter such as electrode spacing or width.
In other words, during the dimensioning stage, the same voltage U is applied to the terminals of the two electrode pairs 100 and 200. However in this electrode, instead of multiplying (or dividing) the length of the electrodes, it is the voltage that is multiplied (or divided). Thus, the measurement method of the invention consists in applying either a voltage U to the terminals of the first pair 100 and a voltage U200 to the terminals of the second pair, where U200 is equal to U multiplied by the value of the ratio I1/I2 of the experimental electrodes at the threshold thickness, or applying a voltage U to the terminals of the second pair 200 and a voltage U100 to the terminals of the first pair, where U100 is equal to U divided by the value of the ratio I1/I2 of the experimental electrodes at the threshold thickness.
Another possibility consists in crossing the currents at the threshold thickness by applying a higher voltage to the large electrode pair (second pair), the ratio of these “experimental” voltages then determining the ratio of the lengths of said second pair if both pairs of electrodes are to have the same voltage applied to them in the final device, given that that is simpler to implement. Alternatively, the voltage at the terminals of the first pair is reduced, with the ratio of these “experimental” voltages then determining the extent to which the length of the first pair is reduced, e.g. using a mask (as described above).
The sensors shown in
One solution for doing without insulating masks, as described with reference to
In addition to enabling electrodes to be made to have the desired operating size, a solution using vias also makes it possible to make connections with the rear face of the alumina substrate. The problem of insulating and spacing the connections can thus possibly be simplified. Solutions with a multilayer alumina substrate having vias could also be envisaged as a way of solving isolation problems for the connections.
The measurement method and the detector device are suitable for use in detecting when a layer of soot particles has been deposited up to a threshold thickness in an exhaust muffler that includes a particle filter (PF) for the purpose of monitoring the PF and controlling regeneration thereof. For this purpose, the signal that is generated when the first and second resistances or currents are equal serves to trigger regeneration of the particle filter. For this purpose, at least one detector device of the invention is located upstream from the particle filter so as to implement the measurement method of the invention. This arrangement thus serves to determine when a threshold quantity of soot has formed at the filter particles.
Regeneration, which is performed at about 800° C., does not always suffice for eliminating all of the deposit of soot situated on the sensor of the detector device of the invention.
In order to clean the sensor and completely eliminate the deposit of soot situated on the electrodes, a heater resistance 500 is deposited on the medium so as to ensure total combustion of the deposit of resistive material.
The heater resistance is preferably made of platinum, however as for the electrodes, other conductive materials could be envisaged. The arrangement of the heater resistance 500 must ensure that temperature is distributed as uniformly as possible in the deposit of soot that covers the electrodes (
The heater resistance may be placed either on the same side of the medium as the electrodes, around them (
The support needs to be selected so that:
The plane substrates made of 96% to 99.9% alumina that are conventionally used for depositing thick or thin layers in hybrid microelectronics appear to be well suited. Nevertheless, it is possible to envisage using other insulating substrates, such as ceramics, glasses, silicon oxide, magnesium oxide, zirconium oxide, aluminum nitride, silicon nitride, boron nitride, etc. The support may be constituted either by an electrical insulator or by a conductor or a semiconductor that is coated in an electrical insulator. It may be constituted by a metal coated in an electrical insulator, zirconia, silicon carbide, etc. For applications in conditions that are not as hot and corrosive as in exhaust mufflers, the support may also be made of plastics material or of monocrystalline silicon.
The shape of the support is preferably plane, however it could be adapted as a function of utilization, for example it could be curvilinear or cylindrical in shape for use in an exhaust muffler, or indeed it may be in the shape of a glove finger.
The above-described sensors suitable for use in automobile exhaust may also be used in boilers, in particular fuel-oil boilers, or in chimneys. The advantage lies in optimizing the frequency with which boilers are cleaned and flues are swept.
The minimum thickness that can be measured is of the same order of magnitude as the width of the finer electrode. Using silicon technologies, it is thus possible to envisage measuring layer thicknesses starting from 0.1 μm. In certain applications, it is possible advantageously to replace a quartz balance for in situ monitoring of thickness while deposition is taking place.
The measurement method and the differential resistive sensor described in the present invention enable a threshold thickness of a purely-resistive material to be detected independently of its resistivity. They are applicable to determining the thickness of any purely-resistive material presenting finite electrical resistivity. Thus, the sensor is suitable for measuring a given threshold thickness over a wide range of resistivities without requiring recalibration as a function of the resistivity of the material and/or the conditions under which deposition and measurement take place (flow rate, temperature, and pressure of the exhaust gases).
The measurement method and the detector device of the invention are particularly suitable for determining a threshold thickness of a particulate deposit, in particular a deposit of soot particles having resistivity that may lie in the range 10″ ohm-centimeters (Ω.cm) to 10+8 Ωcm depending on the composition of the soot (in particular its hydrocarbon content) and the deposition temperature (temperature of the engine and of the exhaust gases influencing the composition of the deposit and its resistivity).
Furthermore, its low fabrication cost with materials that are tried and tested in automobile exhausts, the compatibility of its dimensions with those of the muffler, the simplicity and the reliability of its operation in conditions that are so hostile, all mean that the sensor is entirely suitable for satisfying the requirements of automobile manufacturers.
Numerous variants and alternatives may be provided without thereby going beyond the invention, and in particular:
The invention also applies to a method of measuring resistivity directly.
The asymptotic current obtained in
Furthermore, if the length L of the coplanar electrodes is relatively long compared with their width and spacing (L more than about ten times greater than s=l), then the current is relatively insensitive to the length of the layer (perpendicular to the plane of the figures) once it is greater than the length of the electrodes.
Thus, by pressing the device with two coplanar electrodes or by placing two coplanar electrodes of spacing equal to their width and of length equal to about ten times their width on a resistive material of arbitrary shape, and applying a voltage while measuring the resistance between the electrodes, the resistivity of said material can be obtained directly, providing the thickness of the resistive material where contact is made therewith is at least five to ten times greater than the width of the electrodes.
The implementation device (ignoring direct deposition of coplanar electrodes on the material) could be constituted by a head provided with a pair of electrodes as shown in
The measurement of resistance between the two electrodes then provides the resistivity of the material directly as follows:
ρ=0.78*R*L
where π is the resistivity, expressed in ohm-centimeters (Ω.cm), R is the resistance of the layer measured between the electrodes expressed in ohms (Ω), and L is the length of the electrodes, expressed in centimeters (cm).
The factor 0.78 is the asymptotic factor of
Measurement accuracy is better than 1% if the thickness of the material is at least ten times the width of the electrodes, and better than 3% if said thickness is at least five times the width of the electrodes.
Accurate measurement requires good contact to be made between the electrodes and the material.
| Number | Date | Country | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|
| 07 04221 | Jun 2007 | FR | national |
| Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| PCT/FR2008/000801 | 6/12/2008 | WO | 00 | 4/22/2010 |
