Diesel Soot Sensor Using Porous Ceramic Temperature Differential
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current soot sensing technologies for diesel engines, such as optical and RF-based sensors, are ineffective in real-time monitoring and are costly and bulky, limiting their practical application, and existing DPF systems incur additional back pressure and energy consumption for soot burning, affecting fuel efficiency.
Innovation Solution
A contact combustion-type soot sensor system using a porous ceramic structure with a catalytic substance (e.g., TiO2-supported Ag) and a stable substance (mainly TiO2) to detect temperature differences between combustion and comparison elements, converting these differences into electric signals to deduce soot formation amounts in real time.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If DPF system collects PM physically and burns trapped soot by increasing exhaust gas temperature, then soot removal efficiency is improved, but additional back pressure is applied to engine and energy consumption increases
Solution Approach 1:
The system performs preliminary detection of soot formation amount before DPF regeneration is executed. By monitoring soot levels in real-time and predicting when soot accumulation reaches critical thresholds, the system can plan regeneration operations more efficiently, avoiding unnecessary temperature increases and energy consumption.
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors exhaust gas conditions and soot formation amount, providing feedback to optimize DPF operation. This feedback mechanism allows the system to adjust regeneration timing and intensity based on actual soot levels, reducing energy consumption by avoiding premature or excessive regeneration cycles.
2Measurement precision
If RF based sensor is used for soot sensing, then sensing capability is improved, but cost increases and volume becomes large
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and utilizes the exhaust gas already present in the diesel engine system, rather than introducing external sensing mechanisms. By measuring temperature differences of exhaust gas components that naturally occur during combustion, the system achieves soot detection without adding bulky RF sensors or complex optical systems.
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses a simplified measurement approach that copies the essential information needed for soot detection. Instead of directly measuring soot particles with complex sensors, it measures temperature differences in exhaust gas components, which serve as a proxy indicator for soot formation, achieving accurate detection with minimal hardware.
3Measurement precision
If optical sensor is used for soot sensing, then sensing capability is improved, but real-time monitoring capability deteriorates
Solution Approach 1:
The system continuously measures temperature differences in exhaust gas throughout the engine operation cycle, enabling uninterrupted real-time monitoring of soot formation. Unlike optical sensors that may require periodic measurements or complex signal processing, this thermal measurement approach provides continuous data without interruption, maintaining both precision and real-time capability.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
Enables real-time, efficient monitoring of soot formation in diesel engines, optimizing DPF operation and reducing energy consumption by accurately quantifying soot amounts using a compact and cost-effective system.
Implementation Method 1
a combustion element (100) which is a porous ceramic structure and to which a catalytic substance that is combustion-reacted with the soot is fixed
Implementation Method 2
a detection section for detecting the temperatures of the combustion element and the comparison element and for deducing the soot formation amount among exhaust gas by using the temperature difference of the respective element
Data Source
AI summary
A system for sensing soot of a diesel engine includes a combustion element which is a porous ceramic structure and to which a catalytic substance that is combustion-reacted with the soot is fixed, a comparison element which is the porous ceramic structure and to which a stable substance that is not combustion-reacted with the soot, and a detection section for detecting the temperatures of the combustion element and the comparison element and for deducing the soot formation amount among exhaust gas by using the temperature difference of the respective element.