Universal exhaust gas oxygen

The NOx sensor has been developed to detect directly the NOx emissions in the exhaust gas of automotive engines. The basic design is derived from the thick-film based universal exhaust gas oxygen (UEGO) sensor. 

Fig. 17. Response of universal exhaust gas oxygen (UEGO) differs from heated exhaust gas oxygen (HEGO) and can give direct air to fuel (A/F) information.

Sensor. The control of the exhaust composition was essential to maintain the air-to-fuel ratio close to stoichiometric for simultaneous conversion of all three pollutants. This control came about with the invention of the 02 sensor.21,22 The sensor head of this device was installed in the exhaust immediately at the inlet to the catalyst and was able to measure the 02 content instantly and precisely. It generates a voltage consistent with the Nemst equation in which the partial pressure of 02 (P02)exhaust in the exhaust develops a voltage (E) relative to a reference. The exhaust electrode was Pt deposited on a solid oxygen ion conductor of yttrium-stabilized zirconia (Zr02). The reference electrode, also Pt, was deposited on the opposite side of the electrolyte but was physically mounted outside the exhaust and sensed the partial pressure (P02)ref in the atmosphere. E0 is the standard state or thermodynamic voltage. R is the universal gas constant, T the absolute temperature, n the number of electrons transferred in the process, and F the Faraday constant. 

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