Abstract:
A particulate-matter detecting sensor including an insulating substrate which has a detecting face, a plurality of detecting conductors formed in the insulating substrate, and a heating section embedded in the insulating substrate. Each of the plurality of detecting conductors includes a detecting electrode part, a terminal part, and a connecting part. An exposed conductor part of the detecting conductor which is exposed to the element surface is constituted of a noble metal conductor mainly formed of at least one noble metal selected from Pt, Au, Pd, Rh and Ir. At least a portion of a non-exposed conductor part of the detecting conductor which is not exposed to the element surface is constituted of a low expansion conductor mainly formed of a low expansion coefficient metal which linear expansion coefficient is lower than that of the noble metal.
Abstract:
A particulate-matter detecting sensor including an insulating substrate which has a detecting face, detecting conductors formed in the insulating substrate, and a heating section formed on the insulating substrate. Each detecting conductor includes a detecting electrode part, a terminal part, and a connecting part. A portion of the detecting conductor is constituted of a noble metal conductor mainly formed of at least one noble metal selected from Pt, Au, Pd, Rh and Ir. At least a portion of the connecting part is formed of a low expansion conductor mainly formed of a low expansion coefficient metal having linear expansion coefficient lower than that of the noble metal. Both conductors are joined at an overlapping part at which the noble metal conductor and the low expansion conductor are partly overlapped with each other on an insulating layer forming the insulating substrate in a normal line direction of the insulating layer.
Abstract:
A particulate matter detection device includes a sensor element and a detection control unit. The sensor element includes a particulate matter detection unit and a temperature compensation unit. The particulate matter detection unit includes a pair of detection electrodes on a deposition surface of a detection conductive layer. The temperature compensation unit includes a pair of temperature compensation electrodes on a non-deposition surface of a temperature compensation conductive layer. The detection electrodes and the temperature compensation electrodes are connected to a common ground terminal. The detection control unit detects a first output signal based on an electrical resistance between the detection electrodes and detects a second output signal based on an electrical resistance between the temperature compensation electrodes, and calculates a deposition amount of particulate matter on the basis of a differential output between the first output signal and the second output signal.
Abstract:
A gate drive circuit includes a driver for driving a gate of a switching element, a peak voltage detector, and a drive capacity calculator. The peak voltage detector detects a peak voltage at a main terminal of the switching element when the switching element is OFF. The drive capacity calculator calculates a voltage difference value between the detected peak voltage and an allowable voltage value at the main terminal of the switching element, where the allowable voltage is based on the specifications of the switching element. The drive capacity calculator changes a drive capacity of the driver to gradually decrease the difference between the detected peak voltage and the allowable voltage.
Abstract:
A particulate matter detection apparatus is provided with an element portion onto which PM contained in exhaust gas of an engine adheres thereto. A heater which heats the element portion, a quantity detecting portion which detects a quantity of the PM based on electrical properties of the element portion and a temperature detecting portion which detects a temperature of the element portion. The apparatus is further provided with a first and second temperature controller. The first temperature controller heats the element portion using a heater in a first period, which excludes a period in which PM adheres to the element portion based on a detected temperature of the element portion. The element portion is heated in a first temperature range to combust soluble organic fractions contained in the PM and resist melting of ash components contained in the PM. The first period excludes a period in which PM adheres to the element portion. The second temperature controller heats the element portion in the second temperature range, which is higher than the first temperature range using the heater, such that ash is combusted, based on a detected temperature of the element portion.
Abstract:
A sensor element which has a pair of positive and negative detection electrodes disposed on a surface of an insulation body as a detecting portion and a cover body configured to cover an opening of a cylindrical housing. The cover body is provided with gas inlet and outlet holes via which the measuring gas is introduced and discharged. The pair of detection electrodes have a plurality of wire electrodes. The wire electrodes electrically connected to the positive electrode and the wire electrodes electrically connected to the negative electrode are alternately arranged in parallel. Any one of a first insulation layer which is a narrow electrode interval Dn and a second insulation layer which is a wide electrode interval Dw, arranged between adjacent wire electrodes, and the first insulation layer arranged in a center part of the detecting portion.
Abstract:
A filter malfunction determination apparatus includes a calculator that calculates, upon determination that a rapid output increase has occurred, an amount of change of a parameter value output from a sensor before and after the rapid output increase. The calculator calculates, based on the calculated amount of change, a correction value for correcting at least one of the parameter value output from the sensor and a malfunction determination threshold. The filter malfunction determination apparatus includes an offset corrector configured to perform, based on the correction value, offset correction of at least one of the parameter value output from the sensor and the malfunction determination threshold after determination that the rapid output increase has occurred.
Abstract:
A connector with built-in electronic circuit board includes an electronic circuit board for a sensor, the electronic circuit board including a first connection terminal, an inner case housing the electronic circuit board, and an outer case having a chamber housing the inner case. The connector further includes a second connection terminal extending from inside the chamber to outside the outer case, a third connection terminal disposed in the chamber, and a cable connected to the sensor at one end thereof at outside the outer case and connected to the third connection terminal at the other end thereof. The inner case is sealed by resin in a state of the first connection terminal being exposed. The first connection terminal is connected to the second and third connection terminals. The chamber is closed by a lid.
Abstract:
In a control apparatus, a heater adjuster performs a regeneration task of causing a heater to heat a sensing member of a particulate matter sensor to burn particulate matter deposited on the sensing member to thereby remove the particulate matter from the sensing member. The heater adjuster performs a deposition reduction task of maintaining, for a predetermined duration, a temperature of the sensing member at a deposition reduction temperature that reduces additional particulate-matter deposition on the sensing member. The predetermined duration is defined from completion of a regeneration task to a time when an environmental condition around the particulate matter sensor is determined to be stable. The heater adjuster stops the heater from heating the sensing member if a condition determiner determines that the environmental condition around the particulate matter sensor is stable.
Abstract:
A LiDAR apparatus includes a light transmitter, an optical window, and a heating wire. The light transmitter emits and sweeps light in a predetermined scanning direction. The optical window is disposed in an opening of a housing in which the light transmitter is installed and permits light beams, as outputted from the light transmitter, to pass therethrough. The heating wire works to supply heat to the optical window. The heating wire has at least one section which is located at equal intervals away from and extends parallel to two of a plurality of beam center lines which are arranged adjacent each other. Each of the beam center lines is a line extending in the scanning direction through centers of a plurality of beam transmitting regions of the optical window through which the light beams pass.