The invention relates to method of measuring of partial pressure of oxygen in gases by measuring the excited luminescence of the sensor, especially applicable in the measurements of the oxygen amount in exhaust gases of car engines as well as in the control of technological processes, control of the oxygen level in glasshouses, lecture rooms, conference rooms, restaurants and in the optimization of combustion processes as well as in metallurgy.
The patent PL 142779 discloses a device for the constant measurement of the oxygen amount in hot gases, based on a method of the use of heat of catalytic reaction of oxygen with hydrogen, while from the U.S. Pat. No. 3,849,539 a method is known for marking and deoxygenation from an inert gas stream with regard to hydrogen.
The method of measurement in accordance with the U.S. Pat. No. 3,849,539 cannot be used to determine the oxygen level directly in hot gases in view of the necessity of the initial and exact dry of the analyzed gas. Furthermore, the concentration of oxygen in the analysed gas must be less than 1% of the gravimetrical.
Emission and use of fuel control systems, consisting of three-way catalytic converters (TWC) using potentiometric oxygen sensors based on zirconium dioxide as well as amperometric sensors with linear lambda control based on zirconium dioxide (λ=1) are also known [E. Ivers-Tiffee, K. H. Hardtl, W. Menesklou, J. Riegel, Principles of solid state oxygen sensors for lean combustion gas control, Electrochimica Acta 47 (2001) 807-814]. The principle of operation of the above-mentioned sensors is connected with the electric current conduction, what is disadvantageous to certain solutions.
Solutions most closely related to the subject of the invention have been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,815,211 and publication US 2001031224 A1. In those solutions the devices made of systems, which on the basis of the signal from the quenching of luminescence provide information about the oxygen concentration in analysed gases, are described. The elements of those systems include:
(a) a device delivering measured gases, sensor sample chamber, in which the luminescence is being excited, and the fading time of which reflects the concentration of oxygen in gases; (b) a converter equipped with the source of light for the stimulation of the compound capable of luminescence in the sensor and sensitive light detector for the processing of emitted energy from the luminescent compound during the luminescence decay, which is being processed in the electric signal indicating the oxygen concentration in monitored gases, and (c) subsystems for the keeping of constant temperature of the sensor and processing of signal generated by the sensitive light detector. The disadvantage of the above-described solutions is complex structure.
The method of monitoring the oxygen concentration disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,815,211, consists of the following stages: (a) formation of the solution composition showing luminescence in the organic solvent; (b) swelling of the matrix consisting of the hydrophobic polymer film containing large amount of the open micropores, (c) introduction of the solution composition showing luminescence to the film by its penetration inside the swollen film; (d) removal of the organic solvent in such a way, so that during the shrinkage, the microporous, hydrophobic polymer will trap at least half of the composition showing luminescence.
In the Paragraph 20 of U.S. Pat. No. 0,031,224, has been described an oxygen sensor from the zirconium oxide, in which the amount of oxygen is determined by the use of the ionic conductance. The solution similar to the subject of the invention is being also represented by the optical, fluorescent oxygen detector named “Rugged D.O.” (http://www.in-situ.com/In-Situ/Products/MPTROLL9000/TROLL9000_RDO.html), which enables the detection of oxygen concentration dissolved in aqueous solutions. The monitoring method is based on the fact, that the sensitive element of the detector (luminophore) is being activated and stimulated by the source of the blue light (e.g. UV LED). The detector element, which is being stimulated in this way, emits a red light of the intensity inversely proportional to the current oxygen concentration in water. Also the time length of the decay between the maximal blue light value and the maximal value of the response of the fluorescent red light is inversely proportional to the concentration of the present oxygen. The time of the decay can be expressed as a phase displacement between the incident blue light and the fluorescent red light.
The goal of this invention is to provide a method of the measurement of the partial pressure of oxygen in gases by the way of measurement of excited luminescence of the sensor material.
In the method determined luminescence intensity can equal maxima of luminescence response pulse.
In one variety of the invention the sensor contains nanocrystalline zirconium dioxide with crystallites from 3 nm to 200 nm made of monoclinic phase, doped tetragonal phase, regular doped phase or the mixture of those phases.
In another varieties of the invention the zirconia contains ions known to stabilise the monoclinic, tetragonal or regular phases or their mixtures or the zirconia contains ions of rare and transition metals, which improve the sensitivity of the sensor and decrease the operating temperature.
In another variety of the invention when the temperature of the measured gas is below 100° C., the sensor is heated to a temperature in the range of 100° C. to 900° C. and the sensor working temperature is proportional to the size of the nanocrystalline grains.
Wavelength of the used inducing excitation light impulse can be within the range from 210 nm to 620 nm.
In another variety of the invention the measuring of the sensor temperature at a given time is made on the basis of the exponent of the exponential function describing the luminescence decay as well as comparing the obtained value with the calibration results determining the connection between the temperature and this exponent.
In yet anther variety measuring of the sensor temperature at a given time is made on the basis of the rate of decay of luminescence, which is characteristic for the given material used in the sensor.
For the purpose of the invention the determined luminescence intensity can also equal any fixed level of luminescence response pulse which is lover than maximum level.
The invention enables the simultaneous measurement of the oxygen amount in gases and the sensor temperature, what eliminates the necessity to stabilize the temperature and use of a temperature control device. The sensor working temperature can be regulated by the selection of the size of the nanocrystalline grains ZrO2 and in case of the use of small zirconium oxide crystals the sensor can work in temperatures above 100° C. The invention enables the determination of the amount of oxygen in hot gases as well as the determination of temperature of those gases. Furthermore, the way of measurement in accordance with the invention, is characterized by clear algorithm and relatively simple measurement data handling. In case of the luminescent sensor ZrO2 of the tetragonal phase, on account of low electric conduction, the heating element can be placed directly on ZrO2 by the method of the thin film settlement. In the measurement method, the performance of only two measurements in one stimulated cycle, in order to determine the partial pressure of oxygen in gas and the sensor temperature, is required.
The object of the invention has been schematically presented on the picture, where:
a and
c and
The invention will be described in detail on the basis of the examples of its realization presented below. The exemplary scheme of the system for measuring the partial pressure of oxygen in gas atmosphere and the sensor temperature (
The luminescence intensity and the time of its decay provide information about the oxygen partial pressure (in the demanded temperature ZrO2) and about the temperature itself. From this point on, the temperature can be determined during every measurement of the luminescence, what eliminates the necessity to use an additional device for stabilization and control of the temperature.
The possible order of operations and measurements in the time function is presented on
The intensity of the luminescence light ZrO2 is a parameter determining the oxygen amount, so the accuracy of the oxygen amount measurement depends mainly on the accuracy of its measurement. However there is an additional light that may increase the detection fault. This light is composed of: (a) light scattered in the apparatus; (b) background from the previous luminescence; and (c) scattered excitation light. The average scattering measurements for the luminescent measurements ZrO2 are in the range 1-5%. Therefore the scattered light detected by the photodiode must be less than 5%. The scattered excitation light can be removed for example by the spectral selection with the use of proper filters, while the scattered light in the apparatus (light from the environment of a detector) may be reduced by a proper construction of the detector, so the dominant problem remains the light resulting from the background after the previous luminescence. If the excitation pulses (
The crucial issue is the highest frequency of the excitation. If the subsequent excitation pulse is within the range t1−t0 (
The constant time of the luminescence decay is determined by the expression (A):
and after transformation:
what gives t≈3τ;
However, if the boundary would be 1% then:
what gives t≈4.6τ,
Therefore when the time interval between the pulses is Δt≈4τ, one gets the high enough value accuracy of the measurement of the light intensity, where the fault from the background of the luminescence is approx. 1%.
Therefore, according to
By the determination of the intensity of the excitation luminescence (own ZrO2) as well as the time of its decay, the partial pressure of oxygen and the detector temperature are being determined. Of course both of the parameters require calibration.
The method according to the invention is described on the basis of the diagram on
where: I0 is initial luminescence intensity (in t=0) and I is luminescence intensity for every t.
After the transformation of the expression (A) we get the equation:
the diagram of which is a straight line (
After the transformation of the equation (B), the luminescence decay time is:
From the equation (A) results that if t=0 then I=I0, so the intersection point of the line representing the equation (B) with the line parallel to the axis In(I) for t=0 determines the exact level I0 and the accurate measurement of the maximum of the luminescence decay is not needed. The I0 value is dependent on the initial oxygen amount in ZrO2.
The measurements of the thermal energy of the luminescence activation decay (Ea) are being determined on the basis of the dependence of the luminescence decay time from the temperature, which is represented by the following formula:
where: τ is time constant of the luminescence decay, 1/τ0 is preexponential factor, Ea is thermal activation energy of the luminescence quenching, k is Boltzmann constant and T is temperature (in kelvins).
If the time constant of the luminescence decay (τ) is determined for at least two different temperatures (T1, T2), then we can calculate Ea and 1/τ0.
By the proper transformation of the equation (D), the thermal energy of the luminescence activation decay can be calculated from the following equation:
The parameter Ea must be determined before the first use for every detector and does not change during the work of the detector.
After the transformation of the equation (D), we may determine the temperature by using the following formula:
The luminescence intensity measurements (measured for the energy 2.65 eV) for ZrO2 (consisting of the mixture of monoclinic and tetragonal phases) in the function of the partial pressure of oxygen in the gas mixture surrounding the material, have revealed the dependence of the quantity of the luminescence intensity of the zirconium dioxide from the oxygen amount in the surrounding gas mixture. Even minor differences in the partial pressure of oxygen (0.1%) were manifested by the change of the luminescence intensity. The obtained results have been gathered in the table 1, which shows the value of the signal of the luminescence intensity ZrO2 for various oxygen partial pressures from the surrounding gas mixture (oxygen and nitrogen). The work temperature ZrO2, consisting of the monoclinic phase of an average-sized grain having 24 nm and of tetragonal phase of an average-sized grain of 19 nm was 340° C.
According to the invention, the subject obtained does not require temperature stabilization with high accuracy, so the temperature stabilization element and additional temperature sensor are not required. It results from the fact that every measurement contains data for the precisely defined temperature hence a special temperature sensor is no longer needed (Of course the prior calibration of the sensor material of a specific size of the grain in order to determine the proper temperature work range, is necessary).
The advantage of the luminescent oxygen sensor is a clear algorithm and relatively simple measurement data handling as well as the possibility of a simultaneous measurement of the oxygen amount in an analysed gas and the temperature of the detector.
In case of the luminescent detector ZrO2 of a tetragonal phase, due to the low electric conduction, the heating element may be placed directly on ZrO2 by the method of the thin film settlement.
A measuring sensor 2 containing nanocrystalline zirconium dioxide, consisting of a stabilized tetragonal phase with an average size of crystallines 80 nm has been prepared, its calibration has been conducted, during which one has determined the thermal energy activation of the luminescence decay (Ea), parameter τ0, range of its work temperature, dependence of the luminescence intensity in the function of the oxygen pressure in this temperature range as well as the time of the luminescence decay in the temperature function, and then it has been placed in the sensor element containing metal chamber 1 and heated up to the temperature of 450° C. and the car exhaust fumes have been let in. Next, in time t0, the surface of the sensor contacting the measured gas has been illuminated by the inducing UV light pulse with LED 3 (280 nm), which excited the own luminescence in ZrO2 in the band 2.7 eV, which then was detected by the photodiode 4 (FDS 100) having signal rise—time 10 ns. The signal from the photodiode 4 was intensified by a wide-band amplifier, not presented on the drawing, of a band-width 440 MHz and the intensity (I) as well as luminescence decay time (t3−t2,
A measuring sensor 2 containing nanocrystalline zirconium dioxide, consisting of a stabilized tetragonal phase with an average size of crystallines 15 nm has been prepared, its calibration has been conducted, during which one has determined the thermal energy activation of the luminescence decay (Ea), parameter τ0 range of its work temperature, dependence of the luminescence intensity in the function of the oxygen pressure in this temperature range as well as the time of the luminescence decay in the temperature function, and then it has been placed in the sensor element containing metal chamber 1 and heated up to the temperature of 200° C. and the analysed gas (mixture of nitrogen and oxygen) has been let in. Next in time t0, the surface of the sensor contacting the measured gas has been illuminated by the inducing UV light pulse with LED 3 (280 nm), which excited the own luminescence in ZrO2 in the band 2.7 eV, which then was detected by the photodiode 4 (FDS 100) of the growth time 20 ns. The signal from the photodiode 4 was intensified by a wide-band amplifier, not presented on the picture, of a 440 MHz band-width and the intensity (I) as well as luminescence decay time (t3−t2) (
Another excitation pulses were switched on after the time equal to the sum of the excitation pulses ending times (t2) and the quadruple of the luminescence time decay (t3−t2).
The sensitivity of the sensor, according to the invention, is below 1%, and the response time 100 μs. According to the invention, a method can be used for monitoring the partial pressure of oxygen in the analysed gas in the measuring range from 1% to 27%.
Obviously, the described above and shown on drawings embodiments of the present invention are only examples and it will be understood that this does not exhaust the spirit and scope of the present invention as defined by the following claims.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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376856 | Sep 2005 | PL | national |
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
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PCT/PL2006/000060 | 9/1/2006 | WO | 00 | 5/22/2008 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
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WO2007/027116 | 3/8/2007 | WO | A |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
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5030420 | Bacon et al. | Jul 1991 | A |
6815211 | Blazewicz et al. | Nov 2004 | B1 |
Number | Date | Country |
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WO03040727 | May 2003 | WO |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20090256083 A1 | Oct 2009 | US |